Carrie Kelly? Why her? Really? WTF DC?! ~possible spoilers~
Ugh. So if you didn’t notice, or haven’t heard, it seems Carrie Kelly has arrived in the mainstream comic universe. The New 52. For those who may not have picked it up, I’m a HUGE Stepanie Brown fan. Or maybe I should say was, as she’s not been heard of in well over a year and has no actual place (so far, though rumor long back has Gail Simone wanting to bring her – and others – back). Now don’t get me wrong here, this isn’t just a “I like Steph better so bring her back”. I do, and that is part of it, but I have reasons too!
First off – and one of the bigger points – Carrie Kelly is from Batman’s future. She sides up with him when Batman is an old man coming out of retirement. Why bring her in while he’s still rather young? Okay okay, so you’re probably thinking right now Frank Miller’s story isn’t mainstream continuity at all. I know that! Personally though, one of the things I really loved about Frank Miller’s iconic story is this: it could be continuity. It fits in nicely to continuity and was a great end to Batman’s tale. Or at least it could have been before Carrie Kelly popped into Batman and Robin (Batman and Red Robin…?).
Second off, Stephanie Brown has been in the comics for years. 20 to be precise if we are counting her (so far) last appearance in Leviathan Strikes. She has been very well established, and personally I know a lot of people who absolutely loved her character. Why? Well for along with Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown has been one of the best developed characters in recent comic history. Sure she started out kind of as a joke and soon ended up a love interest for Tim Drake, but she grew into so much more. She got (some) training with Batman, training with Cassanda Cain/Batgirl. Mostly in the hands of Brian Q Miller though was she greatly fleshed out as she became Batgirl. Seriously her brief volume 3 24 issues run is one of my favorite of all time (and if you haven’t read it, go find those trades and start!). I find it really a shame to have lost to this “New 52” which is suppose to have been better to all audiances a great character like Stephanie Brown.
Third thing is Stephanie would have fit in great! Even if they had to reboot a lot of her character. Damian Wayne was really starting to develop a nice relationship with Stephanie Brown before the relaunch happened, and visited her quite a few times on campus. Yes, on campus for Stephanie was in college when she started up as Batgirl. It would have worked nicely to have previous Batman and Robin/Batgirl (pre-52) fans thinking more or less how Damian and Steph in this New 52 got along. Hell, Steph’s character (minus the Batgirl part) fit in nicely to the role Carrie Kelly so far has of a college student female who apparently was spending time with Damian Wayne.
Sure it seems there is no official word that Carrie will become Robin, but I haven’t heard of any official word either stating that Carrie won’t. Really though, there are a good number of choices better than Carrie to pick up the role though. Stephanie Brown for one, in my book. Harper Row seems to have been mounting towards herodom herself and seems to also be a very well liked, as well as established, character even if Tomasi at least innitially did not intend Harper for that role. Getting Tim back with Batman, even if its as Red Robin, could have worked out rather well too. To a point so would Nightwing or even Red Hood, though Tim out of the other Robins would make by far the most sense.
No matter what, it sounds that Carrie will be about for a good few issues at least. Even if she doesn’t become Robin. Personally, I don’t know if I can continue with DC after this anymore. Stories happening that would have worked better separated by time, this New 52’s timeline not working at all, getting rid of Stephanie Brown, bringing in Carrie Kelly, killing Damian. More so getting rid of Wally West (considered by most far more important than Barry Allen), not to mention the loss of Oracle which hurt on so many levels.
read/RANT! 
Same, even if I was never big on Batman Inc (or fully behind even Bruce’s return). Next time I hit my shop I’m getting all DC titles off my pull list. I just can’t stand all this crap they’ve been pulling.
Carrie’s return is the umpteenth publicity stunt DC has been churning out since the reboot started.
She’s related to one of the best comics ever made, so, now that DC decided to make her come back, I don’t think she will be a wallflower: even if Tomasi said that she’s not exactly the new Robin, I’m sure she will be strongly present in Batman’s life from now on. Most bloggers assumed she will play an “Oraclesque” role.
I’m really hoping they don’t just slot some random character into Oracle’s role. Babs owned that, and removing her from it remains the biggest mistake of the New 52 – just giving some new character the name certainly isn’t going to engender any good will among fans.
In my opinion, most people think that Carrie has been brought back to play an “Oraclesque” role simply because, after Babs ceased to be Oracle, readers are feeling that something is missing in Batman’s world, and they hope that this gap will be filled by Carrie.
I don’t know how to feel about the possibility of Carrie being Oracle. I agree that this gap needs to be filled, and I don’t want it to be filled by putting Babs on a wheelchair again, so Carrie should sound as a perfect compromise to me… but maybe, seeing her as Oracle, I would end up thinking “Babs was Coke, Carrie is Pepsi.” We’ll see what Tomasi is planning.
Thank you for your reply! : )
While Oracle was mostly Batman, she wasn’t just Batman based. She has helped the League and other non-Bat heroes. She was also a giant freaking beacon for those with disabilities. If its really to try and fill that missing Oracle role though, Wendy Kuttler/Proxy would be a better choice. She was put into a wheel chair in Teen Titans volume 3. In Batgirl volume 3 (Stephanie Brown’s run) she was already turning into an Oracle-like character between the mix of the skills she already had, and Babs helping her out. Plus, I’m pretty sure Wendy hasn’t been brought into the new 52 universe yet.
But I would agree, as much as I’m not a fan of it, just randomly injuring and tossing Babs back into the wheel chair now would not be a smart move. Not this far in. Not unless they undid the entire relaunch, which is highly unlikely.