Stoned Doom

fair to assume no one's having a particularly good time

Bruce: I'm inside a porta potty in Crime Alley. There's no toilet paper.

Clark: On my way.

I'm a blacksmith's daughter, remember?

I was trying to write some fic and started saving a bunch of comic panels to analyze Cass’s speech patterns, so here’s my notes for myself and others! Most of the panels are taken from more recent stuff, like Birds of Prey (2023), Batgirls (2022) and Batgirl (2024).

I have nine points:

Only speaking when necessary

Typically monotone

Sentence Structure

On the job vs off the job

Slang

Facial Expressions and Body Language

Miscellaneous

My personal headcanons (still with some evidence)

I've also been forced to split this post up, since I can't add more than ten images per post :(

1: Only speaking when necessary

Unsurprisingly, Cass doesn’t talk much. This is especially true in group situations, since she doesn’t need to drive any conversation.

[Birds of Prey, Issue #2: Zannah and Black Canary are discussing plans, going back and forth about how to get onto Themyscira. Cass adds “or they’ll be on high alert.”]

The panel above is from a scene showing the Birds strategizing, and this is the only time Cass talks. She’s silent the rest of the time.

For one-on-one situations, she still doesn’t expand much, preferring single-word sentences.

[Batgirl (2024), Issue #2: Lady Shiva dropping some exposition, and Cass asking a question with one word.]

In tense situations, she can forget to speak ‘properly’, dropping words like ‘I’ll’ in the panel below:

[Batgirl (2024), Issue #2: Cass fights Kalden the Unseen after he hurts her friend.]

Also, she’ll talk more casually with people she’s comfortable with, like Steph!

[Batgirls, Issue #4: Cass and Steph banter a bit before being interrupted by Barbara.]

2: Typically monotone

Cass sounds very monotone, a lot of the time. She barely ends her sentences with exclamation marks or asks rhetorical questions. It’s fun to see her contrast her with characters who are more excitable/long-winded!

[Birds of Prey, Issue #7: Cass and Bertha go back and forth after being beaten in a fight.]

Cass also keeps up her usual tone in most fights. Here she is, battling a giant squid creature, focused as ever.

[Spirit World, Issue #3: Cass chides her teammates for bickering at each other rather than focusing on the fight.]

When in more alarming situations, she’ll raise her voice like everyone else. It’s uncommon, but only because it’s uncommon for her to be overwhelmed.

[Spirit World, Issue #4: A mysterious force takes control of Cass and Constantine, Cass looks scared, shouting “Can’t control… my body!”]

Once again, she’s more expressive with Steph. She’s more comfortable with her, and matches Steph’s energy when they’re both excited.

Short Sentences with No Commas

As said before, Cass doesn’t talk more than she has to. Where most would use a comma, she ends each phrase with a period. She also drops a lot of ‘unnecessary’ speech.

Birds of Prey #1

[Birds of Prey, issue #1: Batgirl talks to Black Canary, where she greets her by just saying ‘Black Canary.’ without a hello.]

If she can be understood with just a word, she’ll only say that word.

[Batgirls, issue #1: Cass replies with ‘Soap. Towel. Favourite robe.’ when asked if she needs anything.]

[Batgirls, issue #1: Cass says ‘Movement. Grumpy neighbor.’ when Steph asks what’s going on.]

Ellipses

Cass uses a lot of ellipses, especially in the early days. She trails off often, and speaks slowly.

[Batgirl (2000), Issue #7: Batgirl tries to convince Batman she’s ready, stuttering.]

4: On the job vs off the job.

Cass is much more at ease and confident with her sentences as Batgirl. She trails off a lot more as a civilian.

[Batgirl (2008), Issue #2: Cass talking to a guy in her class, having an awkward conversation (likely also awkward since it’s implied to be romantic, but still).]

In the exact same issue, Cass as Batgirl speaks a lot more confidently.

[Batgirl (2008), Issue #2: Cass and Marque discuss their plans and trade information.]

5: Slang

Cass canonically picked up dialogue from watching TV, and uses some slang. Although she picked up English almost like a second language, she doesn’t speak like she was taught in a formal, classroom setting.

[Spirit world, issue #4: Cass says ‘gotcha’.] [Birds of Prey, Issue #9, Cass  says ‘sorta’ in her sentence.]

If Cass can get her point across just using her face or other non-verbal gestures, that’s her go to. No point using words when your face does the trick!

The page below is one of my favourites, since it really shows Cass communicating a lot without words.

[Birds of prey, issue #7: Cass makes her opinion on potential outfits known with her facial expressions.]

She’d also rather nod or shake her head, as opposed to saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

[Batgirls #3: Cass nods her head.][Spirit World #4: Cass shakes her head.]

7: Miscellaneous

Cass can’t storytell well at all:

[Birds of Prey, Issue #1: The team tells Cass she’s really bad at telling stories.]

Cass uses a lot of emojis:

[Nightwing issue #79: Babs remarking that Cass can’t help herself when it comes to emojis.]

8: Veering into Headcanon Territory:

Cass has a very basic grasp on describing what she’s feeling. In my mind, this translates to a very basic grasp of her feelings as a whole.

In the panel below, Cass is very confused about why she’s putting in effort towards her father, and describes him as terrible. She pauses a lot, indicating she’s having a hard time putting together how she feels:

[Batgirl (2000) #65: Cass tells David Cain he ‘sucks’, very simple vocabulary for everything that’s gone down between them.]

I also think Cass has echolalia, which is the ‘meaningless repetition of words spoken by another person’. This only happens a few times but I’ll peddle it.

[Batgirls #2: Cass repeats Stephs words ‘still sucking’, without much reason.]

Conclusion:

Bruce outs Clark as Superman while Clark is interviewing him and Lex. "I don't know why you two can't get along like you are now 😔 Superman, maybe Lex just wants to spend time with you 🤔 And Lex, babe, the robots are cool and all but you can't like throw them at Superman 😶 That's not how you make friends." Lex tells Bruce to stop, rolling his eyes. Bruce goes on a rant about how the butts match etc. Clark is literally sat so still, trying not to move.

Lex yelling at Bruce when he pretends to not have overheard a conversation Lex was having with an arms dealer in Korean and Lex is all "you speak fourteen languages, Bruce" and you got Bruce who is near tears over his puffing because he only speaks two? "I only speak American and English 😭😭"

Bruce giggling at some charity quiz show panel between Ollie and Lex, because he's so sorry but he doesn't know any countries? Like what are they??? Lex is screaming at him while Ollie hits the button so confidently going "Las Vegas".

Bruce sitting next to Lex on a plane (they're economising for PR) and he's fucking reading a book that's upside down???

Clark, in Bruce's body, painstakingly putting on bat-mascara and bat-eyeshadow all around his eyes: I cannot do this everyday, this is killing me

Tim: But you always say that this is the best part of your job?

Clark: I do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diana, having suspected something was amiss, throwing the lasso on them: The lasso of truth compels you! Who are you really? Tell me this instant.

Bruce, in Clark's body, gesturing to Clark in Bruce's body: We are Bruce and Clark.

Diana:

Lasso:

Martian manhunter, who has long since read their minds but isn't a snitch: Yes. They are indeed Bruce and Clark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clark, in Bruce's body, at the watchtower one morning, cheerfully, in an unnatural expression: Hello Hal!

Hal: Did you swap so much spit with your boyfriend that you ended up swapping personalities?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce, in Clark's body, frustrated at a case: Fuck.

Clark, in Bruce's body, wiping some blood off his mouth and wincing at the 15 cracked ribs he now has: Guess I can bleed, huh

Dick, staring in disbelief after the patrol: YES OFCOURSE YOU CAN!? WHY THE HELL DID YOU THROW YOURSELF DIRECTLY ON TOP OF A GRENADE-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce, in Clark's body, squinting at the bright smallville sun at the Kent farm: This is way too much for 11 am

Jon, staring at his newly grumpy dad: I think batman is a bad influence on you, dad

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clark in Bruce's body, staring at his reflection in the mirror: The shoulder to waist ratio is insane, such a grabbable waist

Poor Tim, who accidentally overheard this, getting ready to call Arkham: Uhuh it's definitely, insane

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kon: And so I said, ofcourse, i would love the soup-er salad!

Bruce in Clark's body, deadpan expression on his face:

Kon: Get it? Soup-er salad?

Bruce: Yes

Kon, sad puppy expression: You always laugh at soup puns :(

Bruce, now with an Extremely Forced little smile: Yes it was very....funny

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clark, in Bruce's body, rushing to hug a visibly bleeding Jason who walked into the cave after patrol: What happened?! Are you okay?

Jason, freezing up because the last time Bruce ran to hug him was, never:

Clark, immediately backing up, and speaking with a deliberately gruff voice: I mean. Is the blood yours? Son.

Jason:...no

anyway, silly AU where the robins have an official youtube account that gets passed down along with the robin mantle idk bro im bored

calling THE BATMAN and THE JOKER at 3AM!!!! (REAL) (NOT FAKE) (NOT AI)

Meanwhile Connor: