Gotham is home to several major heroes. Batman is still a top-tier character in DC’s hero lineup who is a member of the Justice League. Nightwing served as the first Robin and is a founding member of the Teen Titans. Barbara Gordon is the first Batgirl, a master hacker and tech guru as Oracle, and established the team known as the Birds of Prey. However, among all of these characters, there is only one that stands out as the most honest representation of Gotham’s citizens. Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone in between…allow me to introduce to you the self-proclaimed pain in the a55 known as Stephanie Brown.
Miss Brown grew up as one of the regular citizens of Gotham City. Her father is the small-time villain known as the Cluemaster and her mother struggles with drug use. Unfortunately, drugs and pursuing a life of crime are all too common problems for those living in one of the most crime-riddled cities in the DCU. Bruce certainly experienced tragedy as a child, but he grew up among the wealthiest of Gotham’s citizens, there was always a separation between him and the rest of the city. Dick was part of a circus group that traveled the country, and when he did set roots in Gotham, he was taken in by Bruce. Barbara is much more grounded in terms of upbringing. But being the daughter of one of Gotham’s Finest meant she had access to resources that many others like Stephanie just didn’t have. Stephanie had her wit and took it upon herself to hone the skills she did have to take on her first identity - Spoiler! She planned to “spoil” her father’s crimes in the hope that she could get him to turn away from crime and focus on being a father and husband. Her mission was never to seek revenge for being a terrible dad, although he’s certainly lacking in that department. All she wanted was to know that her dad cared for her and her mom. Unfortunately, she ended up finding out the kind of person he was.
Despite losing hope that Cluemaster would willingly retire, Stephanie would continue working as Spoiler to help those in trouble. She would often team up with Tim Drake, who would help her sharpen her skills. But I also want to take a moment to acknowledge a rather significant plotline from this period in her life. Stephanie Brown would confide in Tim that she ended up getting pregnant by a guy she knew. Quite a shock, the question she now had to deal with was how she wanted to deal with it. Stephanie ended up deciding to give birth…but to then give her child up for adoption. I have to commend the writers at the time for going down this road. I feel like most other writers would either terminate the kid or have her give up crime fighting to become a mother. But having Stephanie make this choice is a reflection of who she is. She knew she wasn’t ready to take care of a child and also recognized that the best thing she could do for her kid was give them an opportunity for a life that she couldn’t provide. I don’t think this particular moment of Steph’s history is still canon at the time I’m writing this. But it’s important to remember because it shows that despite how she might come off, Steph has had to learn to grow up and show some sense of maturity at a very young age.
The young blonde would go on to have a short-lived run as Robin and become the third Batgirl afterward. I won’t go into too much detail about these eras. I already gave my thoughts on the Robin Thread and in my post talking about Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl book. What I will say right now is that Stephanie Brown brought a unique perspective to both roles. While other people who carried the Robin mantle were looking for vengeance and to punish criminals, Stephanie sought to help other people who grew up like her. Stephanie latched onto the Batgirl mantle right away and ended up becoming an inspiration for the regular citizens of Gotham.
It doesn’t matter if we are talking Pre or Post-Flashpoint. She has been written to be someone willing to find the best course of action to solve Gotham’s problems. Whether it means trying to convince Tim to leave Gotham to go to college or even considering Anarchy’s idea for a new kind of society, Steph is always trying to put the needs of others before her own. This trait can also be applied to other members of the Bat Family. But this characteristic combined with Steph’s personal history and background make her one of a kind. A true reflection of what the average person in Gotham can achieve.
Also- thx for the heads up on the Batman Beyond WAL. 
Also happy birthday