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Something @deadletterpoets brought up earlier struck a chord in me. So let's talk about Black Bat and Orphan identities of Cassandra and where they character evolution or de-evolution?
Both new identities created to separate Cass from Batgirl (due to Stephanie for the first and Barbara for the other). Of course, both reasons being higher up moves. Higher-ups had their agenda and Cass was not part of it. That is a similar quality with both.
The similarities don't end there. As both time periods, DC went considerable effort to distance Cassandra from both the characters of Stephanie and Barbara besides the Batgirl identity itself. From omissions such as the midpoint of Batgirl vol. 3 of the talk of Bat history.
To the complete erasing ALL Batgirls save for Babs. With a rather nasty way of going about it prior to the Orphan identity being made.
Still, Bryan Q. Miller was still allowed his retcon of why Cass left the identity along with this tease what could have been if Vol. 3 was allowed to continue.
Likewise, Gail Simone was allowed to use both Cassandra and Stephanie in her final issue of her Batgirl run in Future's End: Batgirl #1 to very great effect.
Curiously Cassandra has never appeared in any issue of Barbara's two solo ongoings thus far. Even if-- events outside the Batgirl ongoing suggested differently or a mentorship was teased but never given.
In fact, all meetings between Babs/Cass have appeared outside the Batgirl title (Batgirl & the Birds of Prey, Detective Comics, and Batman being these titles). A curious oddity to be sure.
As stated before the Black Bat identity lasted only six months. Orphan identity has lasted four years and counting (2016 to the present). So let's dissect the reasons why Cass chose each new identity.
For the Black Bat, it was because she became the Batman of Hong Kong in Batman Inc. An "upgrade" in forging her own identity ironically much like---
-- Tim Drake who was going around as Red Robin. The only difference is that Tim had his own ongoing to tell the full tale. Cassandra got none of that. Instead, gaps filled by the various Bat Writers in Red Robin, Batman Inc, and Birds of Prey accordingly.
And just when you think Cassandra is going to be getting more a role again and things are looking somewhat up for the character...
The New 52 came along. Editorial and a certain publisher put a full stop to whatever push Cassandra would have gotten as Black Bat from the writers telling their story.
One can say the identity of Black Bat was an evolution for the character, but the problems lying in again creative was only given six months with the identity. Again, I think it is more due to the fanbase itself for this identity for lasting as long and the positivity around it.
There are many holes with the Black Bat identity, character moments that the fans were denied in seeing. Not to mention again, Cass never met Steph in this identity until 2015's Convergence: Batgirl #1.
The Orphan identity, on the other hand, fans were allowed to see the full story in Batman & Robin Eternal #1-26 on why Cassandra chose this identity and why.
Cass wasn't even the original Orphan, as her father David Cain was the first to carry the name in this universe to have it.
But as always with Cass perhaps akin to her motto she took a name drenched in blood and evil to transform the identity into something else entirely, "heroic". Which in itself is a very Cass thing to do.
James Tynion IV who coined the new moniker called it a name that could transcend beyond Gotham. The grand problem, Orphan was part of the Tec team, and never really appeared outside Gotham.
In truth, the only two times Cass was "outside" Gotham was in this issue of Justice League when Snyder/Tynion established the trainers of young heroes. How we never got a JL one-shot featuring these three doing their thing is a crime.
The other allowed for her first (confirmed I want concrete evidence of JL) media appearance in Young Justice: Outsiders in the Orphan identity. And let's just say many fans very much want more of the minor teasing appearances we got of this character in the series.
But even then, the Orphan identity was tied to Batman Inc. So even then Orphan was still "tied down" to the confines of the Bat-Family.
So let's look at the true context of Orphan identity. We know Tynion wanted to give Orphan a bat symbol but was denied. A point he continued to twist in not just Cass but fans that fact. Probably no doubt to point out why she should have one.
The point has even become a subplot in its own right currently in Batman & the Outsiders. As a loving mother is now pointing the hypocrisy of the identity now to Cassandra and to the reader themself.
In both regards to Black Bat and Orphan identities, you can see higher-ups were clearly trying to shuffle the character away and be a supportive team player. YET-- time and again, the fans of Cassandra Cain prove their astounding loyalty and love for this character.
It's quality you just have to admire if you love this character's fans at times, and ironically how stifling it must be for those who tried to bury the character, yet she keeps on ticking and gathering more fans.
So yes, in a way it is because of the fans that the identities of both have carried on. One view from a more positive point of view while the other negative. But they are both similar in their ways on why they created. To distance Cass from the Batgirl identity.
