If anyone read Didio's comments, it just proves that while he may be a nice guy in person (as some say he is) I just can't understand some of his thinking (like the Countdown being 52 "done right" comment). Reading that told me that what I always expected: that no matter what he says about other options, Steph was ALWAYS going to be Batgirl.
I'm sorry I find it hard to believe that they really considered Wendy (recently disabled and mangled by a crazed killer dog in Teen Titans), Bette (who Rucka already planned on using for her connection to Kate Kane) or Misfit (a meta-human with Superpowers in a Bat-Suit?). I don't believe Babs was really "this close" to being Batgirl again. She's a woman in her late 20s, she's close to the same age as the rookie by comparison Kate Kane (who calls herself BatWOMAN), as Oracle she's become more important to the DCU than Batgirl ever was and if they suddenly made her walk again all the disabled groups would rightly protest. As for Cass, he out and out admits they never were going to have her be Batgirl because they were determined on the "change". Hence, Steph. So was the "Who is Batgirl" nonsense really necessary?
And now am I supposed to be positive that you are going to do right by a character who you just admitted you ONLY made Robin so her death would have "meaning" (which other than turning Leslie Thompkins into basically a murderer it didn't). Stephanie meant so little to DC that he now jokes about the fact that fans were wondering where her "memorial" (ala Jason) was. As if readers weren't wondering about that for YEARS. Now she's Batgirl. If they didn't respect her as Spoiler or as Robin, now that they've had Cass just toss her the costume (in one page no less), we're supposed to just accept that as REAL character development on both their parts and not just another Editorial gimmick (see Amazons Attack, Catwoman's Baby, the Artie Joe Aquaman or any of the other lame OYL storylines)? Oy vey.
The covers are nice looking but with no more "who is Batgirl" talk to drive up hype and with the "Spoiler is Batgirl" news out of the bag, as is the new purple/black Batgirl outfit (I actually like the one on this cover better) I really wonder who exactly this book is being targeted to. I don't think Steph has a huge fanbase of Bat-fans that will just bring people to the book and by putting Barbara in the background as a supporting player and Cass basically out of action till "2010", all of the Batgirl fans will just continue to wait and see. That can't help sales.
OK, rant over. Sorry. Didio sometimes just does that to me (Queseda too).