Lady CAKEbinder...A Lady Spellbinder Retrospective 

Missed joke opportunity: In a appearance where she is wearing pants the cake is GLUTEn free. I'll see myself out.

"Women need to do all things at all times" - or you could say, need to be "Everything, Everywhere and All at Once".

She would be an interesting villain for Firestorm. Imagine him transmuting things and wondering why they have not changed only to finding out that he has transmuted something but not what he thought he was aiming to change and trick being that everyone outside of her sphere of influence is looking on in horror at what ever devastation he is causing.

“I need consistency in my cake” wisest words I’ve heard all week

So you’re telling me the cake could potentially be a lie? I’ll like to have some cake, and eat it too!

Not a cake person…. Nothing better than an old school McDonald’s apple pie, with a crunchy exterior, and molten lava on the inside!

"... Nightwing assault counter." Poor Nightwing! 😂🤣 Also, I love the way that Sasha proves that she has a real piece of cake! It actually made me tear up with laughter! 🤣 Thanks so much, Sasha for this Lady Spellbinder video! You DO listen to your fans! 👏🏾👍🏾

Anyone now want a retrospective on Bab’s time as Oracle?

So, I don't actually hate the design... Just not for her. Like, what's the point of it? Not titillation, but she's essentially an illusionist, but her sex appeal has rarely anything to do with power use. Now, if she was brawler, or has a level of durability so showing skin means nothing for her, or, she makes sexy illusions... I don't know, just a thing with this specifically, just give her some leather pants, a fair compromise. In the middle of this became a Oracle video lol

I feel like Lady Spellbinder is one of those villains that would really benefit from having various masked costumes. Just like, pretend to be different villains every time so the hero has to figure out who you are to know your weakness.

when it comes to cake...I like when its chocolate. And what's dc's obsession with cake? I mean, the greatest crime of comic history was when lex luthor stole 40 cakes!

The machinations of that fly are ... Spellbinding 😂😂😂

I barely remembered lady spellbinder, but now I kind of wish the current ("at time of recording") spellbinder was a remake of this one. Someone who likes poking around in the dark recesses of the heroes mind & has fun with it. Add in a college connection to Barbara whether real or perceived could really make her a top-tier villain for Babs

I like how you did basically a character analysis of Barbara here. Any chance you could do a retrospective on either her or Cassandra Cain? I personally love both of them and I think Cass is criminally overlooked. #bestassassinchildinthebatfam

Lady Spellbinder is the one I'm most familiar with. She had her moments. And not just the cake. Also, P.S. please tell me that the new DC vs Vampires one shot is going to get a video???? Edit: I still remember Kyle. No one else seems to though...

i actually dont hate her design even though its a bit goofy, the cake helps of course, but id feel like they could have improved on it with just a simple color change on the legs, instead of skin color just make it a jeans or leather, and done.

Hell, I only knew her from wikipedia, I didn't know she had... personality... Jokes aside, I'm surprised that a character as obscure as Spellbinder had so many "legacy characters". Like, every Spellbinder has 3 appearances or so, but there are still new incarnations of the character every decade anyway.

I got to say, the segments where you addressed Barb's character growth after Killing Joke really sold me on how the wheelchair made her an even cooler character (even if the execution of KJ went too far at some points imo) and changed my mind from believing the whole thing should've never happened in the 1st place. Thanks for another great video!

I'd love to see an in-depth analysis of Babs time as Oracle. It's how I fell in love with her character, especially those issues that show her struggle. Please, consider doing it :)

Her costume makes me remember that lady from the Gwenpool comics who had a super-suits shop, and of course I'm also thinking of what Edna Mode would say. I mean, darn, super villains need someone to help them with their costumes... Which could be an interesting character... "Are you a super villain or a desperate street walker, darling?", See? That's what a respectable profesional in the field of antagonist's attires could had told Lady Spellbinder if she had ben able to count with one.

This character seems like someone creator really wanted to make a thing, but could never get around to fully achieving it. Which is upsetting, but not shocking with how crazy working on these probably are. As for Kyle he is easily a favorite Lantern for me maybe even number 1.

I loved that tangent about Barbara. It's so interesting how one moment in the life of a character can elicit such variety of responses and reactions, and create a new understanding about them. It's really kinda beautiful, even if the moment itself was anything but

Wondering if "Green Lantern power blocks Spellbinder power" has to do with the fact that GL is literally focusing Willpower using visual imagination.

If we ever do get into another Babs/Oracle/Batgirl video discussing mobility, I would love if you compare how the comics have handled it (experimental surgery with a spinal implant that even during Fear State Dick was worried about it giving out) vs say how Gotham Knights is treating it (That Barbra just... trained away her paralysis caused by a shattered vertebrae).

Questionably over-sexed design aside, I'm a sucker for illusion powers and I love how they show the parallels of what Bats is seeing vs what's really happening. Also that cake looks delicious. I mean the real chocolate cake you had, for the record 😋

I love the Kyle Rayner idea! Hopefully he will be brought back some day.

Cakebinder sounds like a supervillain with the power to create cake based illusions

I would love for DC to remember Kyle!!! He’s my favorite Green Lantern. I love them all, but Kyle’s the best!

It was seriously cool to learn about her since when you mentioned the Batman Beyond appearance, this introduced me to another version of the character. I do love getting to learn about variations on characters I never knew existed. I did have an idea for a video because I started thinking about a character I haven't heard used in a while....Silver Banshee

I feel that another issue with the Killing Joke and Barbara that wasn't brought up is that some feel the the transformation to Oracle happened despite the Killing Joke rather than because of it Barbara getting shot wasn't originally supposed to be a prelude to a grand journey for her.It was the writers of the killing Joke using Barbara as fodder for a Batman story.Rather distastefully in some people's eyes (With a editor telling the writer to 'Cripple the bitch') This has cause some to view Oracle as more of a 'happy accident'.The writers after the Killing Joke doing their best with a bad situation rather than a legit push for a story arc for Barbara. Needless to say the writers pulled it off.But the context of the situation still leaves a bad taste in people mouths.It has created a funny situation where people like the Oracle persona but want the Killing Joke erased from Barbara's history despite the two being linked.

I liked Spellbinder II. i wish they used her more before killing her

I am that rare Kyle Rayner fan. I was 10 when he debuted and fresh off The Death of Superman I was interested in reading a hero "from the start." I continued reading all the way from 94 to 04 when Green Lantern Volume 3 ended and they brought Hal back. I mean I still stuck around reading Corps and Sinestro War and all but from age 10 to 20 left an impression. Kyle was "my" Green Lantern. I think his strongest stuff was when he was on Earth and he never resonated as strongly with me in Space, I appreciate restarting the Corps but I miss his old supporting cast in New York, and divorced from his friendships with Wally, Donna, Connor, Jade and such (who admittedly all suffered in the 00s) it was all too easy for Kyle to fade to the background.

I have actually experienced that "whiteout" visual effect in real life. I took a medication that was supposed to kill a bloodinfection i have gotten. It gave me horrible visual and audible hallucinations, just like that. Statered with a small white spot in my field of vision that slowly grew over usually an hour, until everything was completely white. Like looking straight into a bright light, like a spotlight. Usually lasted in episodes of 1 to 2 hours a day for 2 weeks. That was the same way as Robin said aswell. You couldn't close your eyes to it. You saw it either way. So bright it gave me a splitting headache. I also started hearing a loud high pitch tune insid emy head. Not in the ears, inside my skull. Right behind the ears in the middle of the back part of the brain. Started low like tinnitus usually sounds like, a low mechanical "beep" sound. But the sound i heard from this medication started small like the hallucinations did too, but escalated the same way until i couldn't even hear my own thoughts or anything i tried listening too. It was like both my sight and my hearing got completely hijacked and overwritten. It was both scary in the sense that i didn't know why it happened and how long it was going to last. And INDESCRIBABLY frustrating! I would never put myself through that again if i even have to.

The batgirl issue with her was surprisingly good, top tier Chuck Dixon writing

I'm so happy you took the time to talk about oracle and the importance of her

Now I want that Kyle Rayner vs Charles Dante artist face off mini series

What I remember most about Spellbinder is Batman's line from part 2 of the Underworld Unleashed tie-in that he was the senior partner and her murder of the original Spellbinder.

The completely useless belt that somehow stays up makes me think of Geoforce's latest appearance where he somehow hides a full pouch belt under a skintight suit and another pouch belt. Belts are magic in the DC universe.

Any excuse to talk about Kyle Rayner! I think there is a lot of potential to artist vs art therapist, but keeping with Lady Spellbinder, how about an artbook-style battle, where she traps Kyle in various genres of famous art, from the Renaissance to the post-modern? Or stuck in a Hieronymus Bosch hellscape! I'd really love him being trapped in a white void like Batman and Robin were, but using the green lantern abilities to 'paint' a way out - and then to get countered by yellow paintings of his opponent! The possibilities (especially in the visual medium of comics) are almost endless - how has Kyle not been put up against more art-themed villains?

I love the contrast between Batman and Robin and their tech suit teamwork, then Babs with a big stick. Ultimately, I am now a fan of Lady Spellbinder because she’s in some good stories. She’s not going to be an A list villain, but a C lister that pops up occasionally? Works well.

*Speaking of Kyle, I wonder if he would ever work with Myron Victor or Sam Simeon.* I love artists who are also superheroes on the side.

That was altogether the most '90's thing I've ever seen. I love the way you relate these tales to us, Sasha. The clever wordplay, humor, and analyses are always well done..

So, I knew of Ladyspellbinder thanks to earn a first edition DC Encyclopedia as a child growing up, but of course they didn't talk details of all these events. Hell, a lot of major batman villains used a lot of Batman Hush artwork.

Cakebinder was shredded AF in her debut story!

I wish they'd done the edgy 90s Lady Spellbinder design, but also brought back the spinning. Keep the dark tone, play it completely straight, she just also does cartwheels.

Honestly after seeing you break down this Lady Spellbinder story and thr break down of the Batgirls story with that Spellbinder. I really think you should maybe be a writer for DC and really showcase these ideas and tweaks. Maybe throw in a Hal Jordan slip and fall in there too 😆 Great stuff. Thank you 😁

Change will always be outside of your control. The world, the people in it, and even you to a degree will continue to change whether you like it or not. The only thing you can hope to have control over is your response to change and how desperately you try to hang on to whatever self you recognize.

I would never question the authenticity of your cake, Sasha

Feeling the Batgirl/Oracle love in this. Great job as always Sasha.

I have the illustrious privilege of having been in high school heavy into DC and Marvel when Underworld Unleashed was running. Such a mid 90's DC crossover, that sweet spot era when they were using the A lister, big 7 in huge crossovers again without them being in the Justice League before JLA came out. Some of Batman's villains, damn. Lol

Finally somebody says something about Babs' complex position as Oracle rather than the oversimplified definitions. I still support her as Batgirl, but I'll take her as Batgirl Oracle when it comes to her mythos.

"boob windowless power girl, boooo" some reason got me pretty good lol.

Spellbinder was the villian on the Electric Company foe of Letterman!

Great breakdown! I think I will check out these issues.

The intro got me. Had to pause and rewind - twice; and "from the back, back, back" is in my head for days.

While I agree that one´s reactions/feelings towards a character are tied to when and how you encountered that character it doesn´t have to be everything. I learned to like Aquaman as he was portrayed in JL/JL Unlimited. So, when I started reading Aquaman in New 52 it took me a while to get used to his traditional way. However, after getting used to him that way I didn´t want for him to go back to the 90´s version...and that was they way DC chose to portray him after the Aquaman movie. Green Lantern is my favorite superhero. Hal Jordan that is. And while I adored JL/JL Unlimited and John Stewart was the GL then I was aware the one from the comics was Kyle. And even beyond that I decided to start reading comics regularly when I jumped into The Sinestro Corps story. After that, and having kept reading the comics I knew the importance of Hal and why he is THE Green Lantern. PS Sahsa, now that you mentioned the Birds of Prey...Mind doing a video on Lady Blackhawk? PS2 I care about Kyle Rayner. In fact, after Hal he should be the most important GL. Not only cause of the time he was the main GL but because of him being an artist makes the use of Power Ring unique.

Loved the video, nice to see this insane series and character be brought up. Hopefully we might get to see an in-depth look at the story where Spider-Man defeats the Hobgoblin while intoxicated.

Never heard of this villain, always nice to learn more from you. I miss kyle too! Hope you're having a good day

Could "Blackgate Sound" refer to some kind of river or channel if water around the prison? At any rate, they missed a trick with this gal -- go full cake and have patterns on her skin akin to Delbert's costume. Emphasise the effect the female form has over men (spellbinding them) and play off the oversexualised female costume tropes of the 90's she was designed into! Plus you can call back to Pat Benatar -- "Stop using sex as a weapon!!" Edit: I've just manually remembered the Spider-Man villain "Stunner" -- There's an interesting parallel there with 90's hypersexuality and virtual reality/illusions...

Imagine Spellbinder and Scarecrow working together... Talk about twisting the minds of Gotham

I mean this in the nicest way possible, no one would fake a cake that looks like that

Kyle's thought shield would work. Kyle would imagine that his armor would screen out ("armor" him against) Lady Spellbinder's power. With the rings, what the user imagines becomes real. That's why the Sandman call Kyle's weapon a "wishing ring."

Lady Spellbinder would have had an interesting team up with Cupid, but I can't see those too really have a lot of cohesion to work together.

Another awesomely detailed character history and story breakdown. And on a related note I am shocked by the amount of *cake* slices that were cut from Spell Binder @14:27. Where are her hips? What happened to muscular apple bottom? Who illustrated her this way? I must seek out the answers for these questions.

As always! well done.

Chain on one shoulder was how we wore biker jackets in the '90s.

I love your work, and I can't wait for you to cover the Witchblade!

It would have been a serious commitment for the sake of fake cake to make that slice so scuffed.

"In hell, there are no eyelids." William Golding, the paper men

Well Sasha, you've proved once and for all that you CAN have your cake and eat it too. Also, I love how this took a turn into a Babs video. She's one of my favourite DC characters, with such a fantastic character arc through her transition from Batgirl to Oracle.

It's like you're going through memory lane of all the random characters that confused tf outta me when I would read my DC Character Encyclopedia as a kid lol

Okay, but can we talk about her hair choices? Because that ponytail on the otherwise close cropped back of her head is a look.

I STILL cannot stop laughing out loud when you do "The Bat" voice!! Oh my jaw hurts! 🤣

Charles Dante vs Rac Shade, Film at 11. Bring your 4D glasses, you'll need 'em.

"Boob window-less Power Girl?! BOO!" is a line I was not ready to hear 17:42

You don't want your cake to look like this got me😭

That's why the 90's freaking rock. MMMM that girls great.

once again, batman must fight... ROCK AND ROLL!

I kinda wish Barbara stayed as Oracle, that seems like the evolution, and her scope was greater than when she was a Batgirl. Her going back feels like Dick going back to being Robin, also Cassandra and Stephanie becoming Batgirls themselves is pretty meaningful as well.

7:17 - Why does Batman look like he's got a curtain rod across his shoulders under his cape??? Looks like he watched Carol Burnett's "Went with the Wind" skit too many times!

Been reading Birds of Prey, and after I finished the first hundred issues, I then went back and read the Batgirl special, and immediately knew something was off as Bane was a dead giveaway to this being fake, since he appeared after Killing Joke, along with Canary being in the wrong outfit

Beautiful Sasha thank you

I like comic art cake "Cheesecake" as we called it in high school fan boy circles, but I like it in moderate doses.

You know what they say, let them eat cake! 😁

I am only here for the CAKE.... No cake, I will riot and leave this room in a mess.

Not sure if it's just the Scott Hanna inks, but man this Staz Johnson art is reminding me heavily of Mark Bagley's.

I mean the costume is fitting for her name, to people who love cheesy cake, it is very mesmerizing and… Spellbinding look you might say. So the cake is actually fitting her theme, that’s some good consistent cake.

"Batman was....unprepared for thr rythem" 🤣

Marvel had a female Spellbinder in the 1987 miniseries Spellbound named Erica Fortune. Talk about costumes rooted in the era! There was even a guest appearance by the New Mutants.

90s!!!! Love your batman voice :P

I hated The Killing Joke, but really loved how Babs/Oracle was written afterwards. Her cure, like all the not really dead folks (Barry Allen, Kara Zor-El, etc.), diminished character arcs and made me care less. Definitely contributed to me no longer being a regular comic buyer or reader.

Finally some lady spellbinder Love the costume her Powers Just the concept in general it just works with a lady and I think she should’ve been an exclusive villain for batgirl/oracle

"Is this Future State?" Haha! That line absolutely killed me at 17:34 Now I have to read the Future State comics instead of just looking at the cover art online

the only Spellbinder I knew of before this video was from Batman Beyond and The Batman

Spellbinder's intro with the boombox makes her the meme villain of that old man going " My neighbours are always listenin' to really Loud Drum N' Bass, Whether they like it or not!"

My wife is literally watching the finale of Is It Cake? as I watch this.

So we just going to sleep on the best spellbinder ever created? Batman Beyond!

Did you know that Kyle Raynor was an artist? ME NEITHER

I totally agree with your analysis of Barbara

If I were a super fit villain in her early thirties, with a body like that, I would probably wear a costume like she does. I'm a middle aged bald guy, though, so I don't.