Warning: Spoilers for Batgirls #15If there are two members of the Bat-Family who always have been and always will be intrinsically linked together, it's DC's current Batgirls, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain, and that link has been strengthened by the recent death of one of them. Shortly after making her comic book debut in mid-1999, Cassandra soon replaced Barbara Gordon as the new Batgirl. Mentored by Barbara, Cassandra's missions would frequently see her working side-by-side with Stephanie, who at the time went by the name Spoiler, a name she gave herself in efforts to literally spoil the evil ambitions of her supervillain father Cluemaster. The then-odd pair of Stephanie and Cassandra in due time grew close and, eventually, became best friends.
Cassandra eventually passes on the mantle of Batgirl to Stephanie, secretly doing so as a test for the latter on orders from Batman. Cassandra would eventually reclaim her status as Batgirl, but rather than Stephanie reverting to being Spoiler, they're both officially Batgirl as of Batman: Urban Legends #5. When it comes to their respective superhero journeys and even their respective backstories (i.e. both having supervillains for fathers), it could be argued that Stephanie and Cassandra's lives were always meant to parallel one another.
Two Sides of a Same Coin
That parallel is made all the more apparent in Batgirls #15 by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, and Neil Googe. In the issue, Stephanie has been kidnapped by her deranged father and Cassandra arrives to save her. Unfortunately, she isn't quick enough to stop Cluemaster from shooting his daughter in the chest, killing her almost instantly. However, using the Lazarus Serum that she stole from the League of Assassins in the previous issue, Cassandra is able to revive her friend back from the dead. This marks another parallel for the duo, as Cassandra was quickly revived after her own death as well.
In 2002's Batgirl #25 by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott, Cassandra fought her mother Lady Shiva and was quickly killed. However, her mother quickly revived her soon afterward to teach her a lesson. Whether intentional or not, Stephanie's death and almost immediate resurrection directly parallels what happened to Cassandra so many years ago. For years, Cassandra and Stephanie have paralleled each other in several ways, to the point they even swapped bodies at one point, but this arguably seems to be the most explicit similarity made between them yet.
Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown are two sides of the same coin. Their personalities may be different, but they're similar enough to steer them onto the same path and reach them closer to understanding each other. A near-tragedy like this only goes to bring Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown closer than the Batgirls ever were before.
Batgirls #15 is on sale now from DC Comics.