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Wikipedia

Batgirl

May 02, 2024

Not to be confused with Batwoman, another DC Comics superheroine with a similar name.
This article is about the DC Comics character from the Batman fictional milieu. For other uses, see Batgirl (disambiguation).

Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in 1961 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff as Bat-Girl, and was replaced in 1967 by Barbara Gordon, who became the iconic Batgirl.[1][2] The character debuted in Detective Comics #359 (January 1967) by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino, introduced as the niece/adoptive daughter of police commissioner James Gordon.

Batgirl
Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, and Stephanie Brown on a variant cover for Batgirls #1 (February 2022) by Alex Garner.
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceBatman #139 (April 1961)
Created byBill Finger (writer)
Sheldon Moldoff (art)
Characters
Batgirl
Batgirl #1 (April 2000)
featuring the Cassandra Cain version of the character,
art by Damion Scott
Series publication information
PublisherDC Comics
ScheduleMonthly
Format
List
Genre
Publication date
List
  • (vol. 1)
    April 2000 – April 2006
  • (vol. 2)
    September 2008 – February 2009
  • (vol. 3)
    October 2009 – October 2011
  • (vol. 4)
    November 2011 – July 2016
  • (vol. 5)
    September 2016 – December 2020
  • (Batgirls)
    February 2022 – present
Number of issues
List
  • (vol. 1): 73 + 1 Annual
  • (vol. 2): 6
  • (vol. 3): 24
  • (vol. 4): 53 (#1–52, 0) + 3 Annuals
  • (vol. 5): 50 + 2 Annuals and a DC Rebirth one-shot
  • (Batgirls): 8 (as of September 2022 cover date)
Main character(s)
List
Creative team
Writer(s)
List
Penciller(s)
List
Inker(s)
List
  • (vol. 1)
    • Robert Campanella
    • Andy Owens
    • Jesse Delperdang
  • (vol. 3)
    • Trevor Scott
    • Dereck Fridolfs
  • (vol. 4)
    • Vicente Cifuentes
    • Jonathan Glapion
Colorist(s)
List
  • (vol. 1)
    • Jason Wright
  • (vol. 2)
    • Nathan Eyring
  • (vol. 3)
    • Guy Major
  • (vol. 4)
    • Ulises Arreola
    • Kevin Senft
    • Maris Wicks
    (vol. 5)

Batgirl operates in Gotham City, allying herself with Batman and the original Robin, Dick Grayson, along with other masked vigilantes. The character appeared regularly in Detective Comics, Batman Family, and several other books produced by DC until 1988. That year, Barbara Gordon appeared in Barbara Kesel's Batgirl Special #1, in which she retires from crime-fighting. She subsequently appeared in Alan Moore's graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke where, in her civilian identity, she is shot by the Joker and left paraplegic. Although she is reimagined as the computer expert and information broker Oracle by editor Kim Yale and writer John Ostrander the following year, her paralysis sparked debate about the portrayal of women in comics, particularly violence depicted toward female characters.

In the 1999 storyline "No Man's Land", the character Helena Bertinelli, known as Huntress, briefly assumes the role of Batgirl until she is stripped of the identity by Batman for violating his stringent codes. Within the same storyline, the character Cassandra Cain is introduced. Cain is written as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva and takes the mantle of Batgirl under the guidance of Batman and Oracle. In 2000, she became the first Batgirl to star in an eponymous monthly comic book series, in addition to becoming one of the most prominent characters of Asian descent to appear in American comics. The series was canceled in 2006, at which point during the company-wide storyline "One Year Later", she is established as a villain and head of the League of Assassins. After receiving harsh feedback from readership, she is later restored to her original conception. However, the character Stephanie Brown, originally known as Spoiler and later Robin, succeeds her as Batgirl after Cassandra Cain abandons the role.

Stephanie Brown became the featured character of the Batgirl series from 2009 to 2011, prior to DC's The New 52 relaunch, which established Barbara Gordon recovering from her paralysis following a surgical procedure and starring as the title character of Batgirl once again. Barbara later returned to the Oracle role with Infinite Frontier in 2020, and currently operates as both Batgirl and Oracle, with Cassandra and Stephanie also serving as Batgirls. The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl has been adapted into various media relating to the Batman franchise, including television, film, animation, video games, and other merchandise. Dan DiDio, co-publisher of DC Comics, expressed that Barbara is the best-known version of the character.

Publication history edit

Detective Comics, Batman Family, and other appearances (1961–1988) edit

 
Barbara Gordon as Batgirl: art by Brian Stelfreeze

Following the accusations of a homoerotic subtext in the depiction of the relationship between Batman and Robin as described in Fredric Wertham's book Seduction of the Innocent (1954), a female character, Kathy Kane the Batwoman, appeared in 1956 as a love interest for Batman.[3] In 1961, DC Comics introduced a second female character as a love interest for Robin.[3] Betty Kane as "Bat-Girl" arrived as the niece of, and Robin-like sidekick to, Batwoman, first appearing in Batman #139 (April 1961).[4] The creation of the Batman family, which included Batman and Batwoman depicted as parents, Robin and Bat-Girl depicted as their children, the extraterrestrial imp Bat-Mite and the "family pet" Ace the Bat-Hound, caused the Batman-related comic books to take "a wrong turn, switching from superheroes to situational comedy".[3]

DC Comics abandoned these characters in 1964 when newly appointed Batman-editor Julius Schwartz judged them too silly and therefore inappropriate.[5] Schwartz had asserted that these characters should be removed, considering the Batman related comic books had steadily declined in sales, and restored the Batman mythology to its original conception of heroic vigilantism.[3] Bat-Girl, along with other characters in the Batman Family, were retconned out of existence following the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths.[6] However, even though Bat-Girl did not exist in the Post-Crisis continuity, a modified version of the character, Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane, introduced as the superhero Flamebird, continues to appear in DC Comics publications.[7]

Schwartz stated that he had been asked to develop a new female character to attract a female viewership to the Batman television series of the 1960s.[8] Executive producer William Dozier suggested that the new character would be the daughter of Gotham City's Police Commissioner James Gordon, and that she would adopt the identity of Batgirl.[9] When Dozier and producer Howie Horowitz saw rough concept artwork of the new Batgirl by artist Carmine Infantino during a visit to DC offices, they optioned the character in a bid to help sell a third season to the ABC television network. Infantino reflected on the creation of Batgirl, stating "Bob Kane had had a Bat-Girl for about three stories in the ’50s but she had nothing to do with a bat. She was like a pesky girl version of Robin. I knew we could do a lot better, so Julie and I came up with the real Batgirl, who was so popular she almost got her own TV show."[10] Yvonne Craig portrayed the character in the show's third season.[11] Barbara Gordon and her alter ego Batgirl debuted in Detective Comics #359, "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl" (1967). In the debut story, while driving to a costume ball dressed as a female version of Batman, Barbara Gordon intervenes in a kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne by the supervillain Killer Moth, attracting Batman's attention and leading to a crimefighting career. Although Batman insists she give up crimefighting because of her gender, Batgirl disregards his objections.[12]

In her civilian identity, Dr. Barbara Gordon is a career woman with a doctorate in library science, as well as being head of the Gotham City Public Library, "presumably one of the largest public libraries in the DC Comics version of reality."[13] She was given a regular back-up slot in Detective Comics starting with issue #384 (February 1969), alternating issues with Robin until issue #404, after which she had the back-up slot to herself. Frank Robbins wrote nearly all of these back-ups, which were penciled first by Gil Kane and later by Don Heck.[9] Barbara Gordon's Batgirl exceeded the earlier Bat-Girl and Batwoman characters in popularity, and readers requested for her to appear in other titles. Although some readers requested that Batwoman also continue to appear in publication, DC responded to the fan-based acclaim and criticism of the new character in an open letter in Detective Comics #417 (1971),[14] stating: "I'd like to say a few words about the reaction some readers have to Batgirl. These are readers who remember Batwoman and the other Bat-girls from years back ... They were there because romance seemed to be needed in Batman's life. But thanks to the big change and a foresighted editor, these hapless females are gone for good. In their place stands a girl who is a capable crime-fighter, a far cry from Batwoman who constantly had to be rescued [by] Batman."[5]

Batgirl continued to appear in DC Comics publications throughout the late 1960s and 1970s as a supporting character in Detective Comics, in addition to guest appearances in various titles such as Justice League of America,[15] World's Finest Comics,[16] The Brave and the Bold,[17] Adventure Comics,[18] and Superman.[19] In the early-1970s, Batgirl reveals her secret identity to her father (who had already discovered it on his own) and serves as a member of the United States House of Representatives. She moves to Washington, D.C., intending to give up her career as Batgirl, and in June 1972 appeared in a story entitled "Batgirl's Last Case."[20] Julius Schwartz brought her back a year later in Superman #268 (1973)[19] in which she has a blind date with Clark Kent, establishing their friendship, and fights alongside Superman. Batgirl and Superman team up twice more, in Superman #279 and DC Comics Presents #19. Batgirl also guest-starred in other Superman related titles, such as #453 of Adventure Comics and in Superman Family #171, where she teams up with Supergirl.

The character is given a starring role in DC's Batman Family comic book which debuted in 1975.[21] The original Robin, Dick Grayson, became her partner in the series, with the two frequently referred to as the "Dynamite Duo: Batgirl & Robin". Batgirl meets Batwoman in Batman Family #10, when the retired superhero briefly returns to crimefighting (before the Bronze Tiger murders Kane). The two fight Killer Moth and the Cavalier, and learn each other's secret identities. Batwoman retires once again at the conclusion of the story, leaving Batgirl to continue crimefighting.[22] Although this series ended after three years of publication,[23] Batgirl continued to appear in back-up stories published in Detective Comics through issue #519 (October 1982).

Crisis on Infinite Earths, a limited series published in 1985, was written to reduce the complex history of DC Comics to a single continuity. Although Batgirl is a featured character, her role is relatively small—she delivers Supergirl's eulogy in issue #7 of the 12-part series.[24] The conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths changed DC Universe continuity in many ways. Following the reboot, Barbara Gordon is born to Roger and Thelma Gordon, and she is Jim Gordon's niece and adopted daughter in post - crisis continuity. Post-Crisis, Supergirl does not arrive on Earth until after Gordon has established herself as Oracle, and many of the adventures she shared with Batgirl are retroactively described as having been experienced by Power Girl. In Secret Origins (vol. 2) #20 (1987),[25] Barbara Gordon's origin is rebooted by author Barbara Randal. Within the storyline, Gordon recounts the series of events that led to her career as Batgirl, including her first encounter with Batman as a child, studying martial arts under the tutelage of a sensei, memorizing maps and blueprints of the city, excelling in academics to skip grades, and pushing herself to become a star athlete.

Batgirl Special #1 and Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) edit

Main article: Batman: The Killing Joke

DC officially retired the hero in the one-shot comic Batgirl Special #1 (July 1988), written by Barbara Kesel.[26] Later that year, she appears in Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke. In this graphic novel, the Joker shoots and paralyzes Barbara Gordon in an attempt to drive her father insane, thereby proving to Batman that anyone can lose their minds after having "one bad day".[27] She is deployed as a plot device to cement the Joker's vendetta against Commissioner Gordon and Batman. In 2006, during an interview with Wizard, Moore expressed regret over his treatment of the character, calling it "shallow and ill-conceived".[28] He stated prior to writing the graphic novel, "I asked DC if they had any problem with me crippling Barbara Gordon—who was Batgirl at the time—and if I remember, I spoke to Len Wein, who was our editor on the project", and following a discussion with then-Executive Editorial Director Dick Giordano, "Len got back onto the phone and said, ‘Yeah, okay, cripple the bitch.'"[28]

Although there has been speculation as to whether or not editors at DC specifically intended to have the character's paralysis become permanent, Brian Cronin, author of Was Superman A Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed (2009) noted that DC had hired Barbara Kesel to write the Batgirl Special specifically to retire the character and set her in place for The Killing Joke.[29] Gail Simone included the character's paralysis in a list of "major female characters that had been killed, mutilated, and depowered", dubbing the phenomenon "Women in Refrigerators" in reference to a 1994 Green Lantern story where the title character discovers his girlfriend's mutilated body in his refrigerator.[30] Following the release of the graphic novel, comic book editor and writer Kim Yale discussed how distasteful she found the treatment of Barbara Gordon with her husband, fellow comic writer John Ostrander. Rather than allow the character to fall into obscurity, the two decided to revive her as a character living with a disability—the information broker called the Oracle.[31]

"No Man's Land" (1999) edit

Eleven years after the editorial retirement of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, a new version of the character was introduced in Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83 during the multi-title story arc "No Man's Land" (1999).[32] In Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 (1999), the new Batgirl is revealed to be Helena Bertinelli, an established DC comics superhero alternatively known as the Huntress.[33] Bertinelli is eventually forced to abandon the mantle by Batgirl.[34] No Man's Land also marks the introduction of Cassandra Cain in Batman #567 (1999).[35] Depicted as a martial arts child prodigy, Cassandra Cain is written as a young woman of partly Asian descent who succeeds Helena Bertinelli as Batgirl, with the approval of both Batman and the Oracle.

Batgirl and other appearances (2000–2011) edit

The first Batgirl monthly comic was published in 2000, with Cassandra Cain as the title character. Raised by assassin David Cain, Cassandra Cain was not taught spoken language, but instead was taught to "read" physical movement. Subsequently, Cain's only form of communication was body language.[36] The parts of the character's brain normally used for speech were trained so Cain could read other people's body language and predict, with uncanny accuracy, their next move. This also caused her brain to develop learning functions different from most, a form of dyslexia that hampers her abilities to read and write.

Despite Cain's disability, author Andersen Gabrych describes the character's unique form of language as the key factor in what makes Cain an excellent detective; the ability to walk into a room and "know" something is wrong based on body language.[36] During "Silent Running", the first arc of the Batgirl comic book series, Cassandra Cain encounters a psychic who "reprograms" her brain, enabling her to comprehend verbal language, while simultaneously losing the ability to predict movements.[37] This issue is resolved during the second arc of the series, "A Knight Alone", when Batgirl encounters the assassin Lady Shiva who agrees to teach her how to predict movement once again.[38] Six years after its debut, DC Comics cancelled the Batgirl comic book series with issue #73 (2006), ending with Cain relinquishing her role as Batgirl.[39]

When DC Comics continuity skipped forward one year after the events of the limited series Infinite Crisis, Cassandra Cain is revived as the leader of the League of Assassins, having abandoned her previous characterization as an altruist. The character's progression from hero to villain angered some of her fans and was accompanied by heavy criticism.[40] Cain reprised her role as Batgirl in the "Titans East" (2007) storyline of Teen Titans,[41] where it was discovered that she had been influenced by a mind-altering drug administered by supervillain Deathstroke the Terminator. Following the conclusion of the storyline, DC Comics has restored Cain's original characterization as a superhero and the character has been given a supporting role in the comic book series Batman and the Outsiders.

Following the events of Batman's disappearance, Cassandra, acting under her mentor's orders in the event of his death, handed over the Batgirl mantle to Stephanie Brown, the former Spoiler and the fourth Robin.[42] After declining an offer from Tim Drake to reclaim the Batgirl mantle from Stephanie,[43] Cassandra rejoined the Batman Family under the new identity of the Blackbat.[44] She currently acts as the Hong Kong representative of Batman Inc.

Stephanie Brown does take the mantle of Batgirl after Cassandra Cain gives Brown her costume under Batman's orders.[42] Eventually, Barbara Gordon approves of Brown as her newest successor — and she gives Brown her own Batgirl costume and becomes her mentor for a period. Brown is the fourth in-continuity Batgirl and the second Batgirl to star in her own ongoing Batgirl comic book series.

The New 52: Batgirl, Birds of Prey, and other appearances (2011–2016) edit

In September 2011, following the company-wide relaunch, Barbara Gordon stars in a new Batgirl series—one of The New 52 titles featuring the company's most iconic characters. The conclusion of the limited series Flashpoint (2011) establishes a new continuity within the DC Universe, with all characters regressing to an earlier age and stage in their careers, while remaining in a modern timeline. DC Senior VP of Sales, Bob Wayne, explained that with each of their titles reverting to issue #1, "our creative teams have the ability to take a more modern approach—not only with each character, but with how the characters interact with one another and the universe as a whole, and focus on the earlier part of the careers of each of our iconic characters."[45] Barbara Gordon is biological daughter of James Gordon and Barbara Eileen Gordon in this continuity. Wayne also stated that "The Killing Joke still happened and she was Oracle. Now she will go through physical rehabilitation and become a more seasoned and nuanced character because she had these incredible and diverse experiences.[45] Dan DiDio, Co-Publisher of DC Comics explained the decision by stating that "she'll always be the most recognizable [Batgirl]."[46] Series writer Gail Simone stated: "For many years, I got to write the character as Oracle, and there is to this day, no character who means more to me. This is classic Barbara as she was originally conceived, with a few big surprises. It's a bit of a shock, to be sure, but we’re doing everything we can to be respectful to this character's amazing legacy, while presenting something thrilling that a generation of comics readers will be experiencing for the first time ...Barbara Gordon leaping, fighting, and swinging over Gotham. Now, when citizens of that city look up, they are going to see BATGIRL. And that is absolutely thrilling."[47]

In the new, revised continuity, the events of The Killing Joke took place three years before the current storyline, and while it is established she was paraplegic during that time, Barbara Gordon is written as having regained her mobility after undergoing experimental surgery at a South African clinic.[48] Although she resumes her work as Batgirl one year after her recovery, she continues to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, causing her to hesitate in battle when exposed to gunfire that could result in suffering new spinal damage.[48] The character also exhibits survivor guilt due to the fact she has made a full recovery from her paralysis while others have not.[48] Series writer Gail Simone stated that while the character is "one of the smartest and toughest women in comics ...One thing the book is truly about, is that the after-effects of something like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) or other trauma-related syndromes, can strike even very smart, very intellectually tough people, even soldiers and cops", a subject that is generally overlooked in comic books.[48] She also explained the method of the character's recovery is based upon real life experiences in that "some of the best real world work in the field of mobility rehabilitation is coming from South Africa. People have been talking about this as if it's some sort of mystical thing like returning from the dead, but there are treatments and surgeries that can restore mobility in some cases. Barbara's spine was not severed. That makes her a candidate."[48]

Prior to its release, Batgirl #1 sold out at the distribution level with over 100,000 copies printed in its first run according to Diamond Comic Distributors. Along with Action Comics #1, Justice League #1, Batman #1, Batman and Robin #1, Batman: The Dark Knight #1, Detective Comics #1, Flash #1, Green Lantern #1, and Superman #1, retailers were required to order a second printing.[49][50] Calvin Reid of Publishers Weekly states in a review of the first issue: "The artwork is okay though conventional, while Simone's script tries to tie up of the end of the previous Barbara Gordon/Oracle storyline and setup up the new Batgirl. Her formula: murderous villains, blood splattering violence and high flying superheroics mixed with single-white-female bonding ...plus a cliffhanger ending to the first issue that offers a nifty [segue] into the new world of Barbara Gordon and Batgirl."[51] The New York Times critic George Gene Gustines wrote: "Unlike some of the other DC comics I read this week, Batgirl achieves a deft hat trick: a well-shaped reintroduction to a character, an elegant acknowledgement of fundamental history and the establishment of a new status quo. This is a must-buy series."[52] Earning a B+ rating in a review from Entertainment Weekly, Ken Tucker writes that Simone "[takes] her Birds of Prey storytelling powers and focuses them on the newly revived Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. The result is a burst of exhilaration, as Barbara/Batgirl revels in her new freedom even as she encounters a so-far not-terribly-chilling villain called Mirror."[53]

Since the series relaunch in September 2011, Batgirl has remained within the top 30 of the 300 best-selling monthly comic book publications sold in North America. Monthly estimated sales figures are as follows: Batgirl #1 with 81,489 copies (ranked 12th overall),[54] Batgirl #2 with 75,227 (ranked 14th),[55] Batgirl #3 with 62,974 (ranked 18th),[56] Batgirl #4 with 53,975 (ranked 23rd),[57] Batgirl #5 with 51,327 (ranked 26th),[58] and Batgirl #6 with 47,836 (ranked 30th).[59] The hardcover edition of volume 1, Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection, which collects issues #1–6, made The New York Times Best Seller list, alongside Animal Man: The Hunt, Batman & Robin: Born to Kill, Batman: Detective Comics, Wonder Woman: Blood, Batwoman: Hydrology, Green Lantern: Sinestro.[60]

Additionally, Barbara Gordon makes an appearance in Birds of Prey #1, where the Black Canary offers her a spot on the new Birds of Prey roster. She declines the Canary's invitation, suggesting that Katana take her place instead.[61] Series writer Duane Swierczynski has stated that Batgirl will join the team in issue #4.[62] He commented that while she "is an essential part of this team", she is not the focus of the series, as she is hesitant to be associated with the other characters because of their status as outlaws.[63]

In October 2014, the monthly Batgirl title underwent a soft reboot with the new creative team Brenden Fletcher (writer) Cameron Stewart (writer, layouts), Babs Tarr (artist) and Maris Wicks (colors). The first six-issue story explored Barbara Gordon's attempt to start a new life as a PhD student in the hip Gotham borough of Burnside. While seemingly light and engaging compared to Gail Simone's darker preceding run, the new arc ultimately dealt with Babs' inability to fully escape her earlier trauma and the villain was revealed as her own brain scans, an algorithm similar to the Pre-New 52 Oracle.[64] While the reboot was highly praised for its fun, energy, innovative use of social media, and particularly for Tarr's art,[65] issue #37 caused controversy with its depiction of a villain named Dagger Type, which some critics saw as a transphobic caricature.[66][67][68] In response, the creative team issued a joint apology and revised the issue for the subsequent collected edition, Batgirl Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside.[69][70]

On March 13, 2015, DC Comics released 25 Joker-themed variant covers for its various monthly series for release that June, in celebration of the character's 75th anniversary. Among them was a cover to Batgirl #41 by artist Rafael Albuquerque that took its inspiration from The Killing Joke. The cover depicts the Joker standing next to a tearful Batgirl, who has a red smile painted across her mouth. The Joker has one hand holding a revolver draped over Batgirl's shoulder and is pointing to her cheek with the other hand, as if gesturing to shoot her.

The cover quickly drew criticism for highlighting a dark period in the character's history, especially when juxtaposed with the youthful, more optimistic direction of the series at the time. The hashtag #changethecover drew dozens of posts on Twitter and Tumblr asking DC to not release the variant. DC ultimately withdrew the cover from publication at the request of Albuquerque, who stated, "My intention was never to hurt or upset anyone through my art...For that reason, I have recommended to DC that the variant cover be pulled."[71]

DC Rebirth: Batgirl and Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016–2020) edit

In March 2016, DC Comics announced it would be re-launching all of its monthly titles under the DC Rebirth event. The relaunch restores elements of the Pre-Flashpoint DC continuity while maintaining elements of The New 52 as well.[72] Among the new titles and creative teams announced, volume 5 of Batgirl written by Hope Larson and volume 1 of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey written by Julie Benson and Shawna Benson were included.[73] In the critically celebrated fifth volume of Batgirl, Barbara Gordon is a student attending Burnside College in the trendy Burnside neighborhood of Gotham City. The comic was praised for its fun, fresh approach to the character and for Batgirl's realistic new costume design.[74]

Infinite Frontier: Batgirls (2021–present) edit

In 2021, DC's Infinite Frontier relaunch presented a new status quo, where Barbara has returned to the role of Oracle, suiting up as Batgirl only occasionally. For the most part, she supports Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown to operate as Batgirls, sharing the title.

Alternative versions edit

Various alterations of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl have appeared in storylines published in and out of mainstream continuity titles. Variants of the character within continuity often appear in stories which involve time travel, such as the crossover limited series Zero Hour: Crisis in Time, a follow-up story preceded by the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths which altered mainstream continuity. Notable imprints of DC Comics such as Elseworlds and All Star DC Comics have also featured alternate versions of the character.

The Elseworlds imprint takes the company's iconic characters and places them in alternate timelines, places and events making heroes "as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow".[75] As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon has made several appearances in Elseworlds comics since 1997. The character is given starring roles in the noir-style storyline Thrillkiller (1997),[76] its sequel Thrillkiller '62 (1998),[77] and the one-shot comic Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl (1998).[78]

 
An alternate version of Barbara Gordon on the cover of Batgirl: Futures End #1 (Nov. 2014), art by Clay Mann.

In 2005, DC Comics launched its All Star imprint—an ongoing series of comics designed to pair the company's most iconic characters with the most acclaimed writers and artists in the industry. Similar to Elseworlds, All Star is not restricted to mainstream continuity and establishes a fresh perspective for the latest generation of readership. According to Dan DiDio, "[t]hese books are created to literally reach the widest audience possible, and not just the comic book audience, but anyone who has ever wanted to read or see anything about Superman or Batman."[79]

An alternate Barbara Gordon was adapted into Frank Miller's All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder (2005) as a teenage Batgirl. In addition, another variation of the character had been set to star in an eponymous All Star Batgirl title, written by Geoff Johns; however, the series was cancelled prior to publication.[80]

Alternate versions of Batgirl aside from Barbara Gordon have also appeared in publications by DC Comics. In Batman Beyond Unlimited #18 (set in the continuity of the animated series Batman Beyond), the new Batgirl is a 15-year-old girl named Nissa.[81] In Batgirl: Future's End #1 (Nov. 2014), set in an alternate future, a trio of Batgirls include Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown and newcomer Tiffany Fox—the daughter of Lucius Fox and the first African American character to be portrayed as Batgirl.[82]

In the alternate history DC Comics Bombshells universe, there is no singular Batgirl. Instead, there exists a group of young female vigilantes known as "the Batgirls", whose ranks consist of a Batwoman fan named Harper Row, an African American mechanic named Kathy Duquesne, a young Caucasian girl named Nell Little, and a Singaporean-American dancer named Alysia Yeoh.[83] In Digital Issue #42 (collected in Print Issue #14), Harley Quinn tells Pamela Isley about encountering "the Belle of the Bog", who appears to be a vampire version of Batgirl.[84] DC Comics Bombshells Annual #1, published on 31 August 2016, reveals that Barbara Gourdon was a French fighter pilot during World War I. After she lost her boyfriend during the war, she traveled to Louisiana and did indeed become a vampire.[85]

In 2021, Barbara Gordon is one of the main protagonists in Batman '89. While working in Gotham's police department, she dates Harvey Dent. She assumes the role of Batgirl in the second series, Echoes.[86]

In 2022 Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo became a temporary Batgirl in The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries.[87]

Characterization edit

Batgirl has officially been represented by four different characters – and two claimants – beginning with her introduction in 1961.

Betty Kane edit

Main article: Bette Kane

During the Silver Age, a female character was introduced as a love interest for Robin. Betty Kane as "Bat-Girl" was depicted as the niece of, and Robin-like sidekick to, the original Batwoman. In 1964, however, editor Julius Schwartz asserted that Bat-Girl and other characters in the Bat-Family should be removed considering the decline in sales and restored the Batman mythology to its original conception of heroic vigilantism. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, Betty Kane was retconned out of existence.

Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kane is a reinvented version of the Betty Kane character during the Silver Age. As her original characterization was retconned out of existence during the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, a discrepancy arose where her Bat-Girl character had joined the West Coast version of the Teen Titans, but simply disappeared. The character was reintroduced as Bette Kane and the alias of Flamebird. Following Infinite Crisis, the character's past as Batgirl was hinted at as being a part of continuity. However, that reference included a revamped origin of the character and it may or may not have been the current Bette Kane.

Barbara Gordon edit

Main article: Barbara Gordon
 
Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Cain as Batgirl, art by Matt Haley and David Hahn

During the run of the Batman television series, DC editorial was approached about adding a female character back into the Batman family. Revising the character history and motivation, Julius Schwartz created Barbara Gordon. This character held the role of Batgirl from 1967 to 1988 when she was retired by DC editorial decision. The character's role was changed to a paraplegic source of information for all members of the Batman family and codenamed the "Oracle". She was later restored as Batgirl during The New 52 relaunch of the entire DC publication line in 2011. This was also the case with the DC Rebirth (2016). After the suicide of her psychopathic brother James Gordon Jr., Barbara ponders her role as Batgirl, becomes Oracle and continues to support the Batman family behind the computer screen, with the option to occasionally return to the role of Batgirl. Above all, she takes on the role of mentor for Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, who now share the title of Batgirl.

Cassandra Cain edit

Main article: Cassandra Cain

During the No Man's Land storyline, Cassandra Cain was given the role of Batgirl under the guidance of Batman and Oracle. Written as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she is trained from early childhood to read human body language instead of developing verbal and written communication skills as part of her father's conditioning to mold her into the world's deadliest assassin. However, after committing her first murder, she vows to never again use her martial-arts prowess to kill. In 2000, she became the first Batgirl to star in an eponymous monthly comic book series, as well as one of the most prominent characters of Asian descent to appear in American comics. The series was cancelled in 2006 and Cassandra Cain abandoned the role of Batgirl shortly thereafter. Years later, Cassandra rejoined the Batman family under the moniker the Blackbat. In The New 52, Cassandra reappeared in the comic series Batman and Robin Eternal with a slightly different history. Here she is also the murderer of Harper Row's mother, an ally of Batman. She called herself Orphan for a while and became part of the Batman family as well as the Outsiders. She later shares the name Batgirl with her friend Stephanie Brown.

Stephanie Brown edit

Main article: Stephanie Brown (comics)

Stephanie Brown was formerly known as the Spoiler and then as the first in-continuity female Robin until her apparent death in 2006. Following her return to comics in 2009, she assumed the role of Batgirl. She maintained this position until 2011, the relaunch of the DC imprint under The New 52. The character reappeared in the DCU in Batman (vol. 3) #28, as the Spoiler. Stephanie reappears in the series Batman Eternal, where she again goes by Spoiler in an attempt to thwart her father's machinations. After DC Rebirth, she joined Batman's new team of vigilantes where she became the girlfriend of Tim Drake aka Red Robin before they break up. Eventually she shares the title Batgirl with her friend Cassandra Cain.

Claimants edit

Helena Bertinelli edit

Main article: Huntress (Helena Bertinelli)

For a brief time during 1999's No Man's Land storyline, Helena Bertinelli assumed the mantle of Batgirl. After violating Batman's code against extreme violence, she was stripped of the mantle and returned to her alias of the Huntress.

Charlotte "Charlie" Gage-Radcliffe edit

Main article: Misfit (DC Comics)

After Cassandra Cain abandoned the role, a mystery character appeared as the new Batgirl in the Birds of Prey comic. Possessing superpowers, the teen claimed the empty mantle in an attempt to honor the character. However, Barbara Gordon quickly dissuaded the teen from continuing in the role. Charlie Gage-Radcliffe acquiesced, but modified her costume and changed her name to the Misfit.

Cultural impact edit

While Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Cain have both been the subject of academic analysis regarding the portrayal of women in comics, commentary on Barbara Gordon's Batgirl has focused on her character's connection to the women's liberation movement, doctoral degree and career as a librarian, while analysis of Cassandra Cain's Batgirl has focused on the character's double minority status as a woman and a person of color. Since her debut in DC Comics publication, and fueled by her adaptation into the Batman television series in 1967, Barbara Gordon's Batgirl has been listed among fictional characters that are regarded as cultural icons.[88] Author Brian Cronin, in Was Superman A Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed (2009) notes that following her 1967 debut, "Batgirl was soon popular enough to appear regularly over the next two decades and Yvonne Craig certainly made an impression on many viewers with her one season portraying young Ms. Gordon."[29] In 2011, IGN ranked Barbara Gordon 17th in the Top 100 Comic Books Heroes.[89] Cassandra Cain's Batgirl has become one of the most prominent Asian characters to appear in American comic books, and her understated sexuality is notable as being contrary to the common sexual objectification of female characters, especially those of Asian descent.[30]

Feminist interpretations edit

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, before the feminist revolution, Schwartz's leading ladies included a reporter (Iris West in The Flash), a lawyer (Jean Loring in The Atom), and even the head of an aircraft company (Carol Ferris in Green Lantern). Shiera Hall was merely a secretary at the Midway City Museum, but as Hawkgirl she was a police officer on her native planet Thanagar and an equal partner to her husband Hawkman (Carter Hall) in their superheroic exploits. Then there was Zatanna, bravely traversing the dimensions in her search for her missing father (as chronicled in the recent DC trade paperback Zatanna's Quest). Barbara Gordon initially conformed to hackneyed stereotypes as a dowdy librarian, but her transformation into Batgirl could be seen in retrospect as a symbol of the emerging female empowerment movement of the 1960s. (Moreover, by the 1970s Barbara had given herself a makeover even in her "civilian identity" and ran for Congress.)

—Peter Sanderson, IGN, 2005[90]

In The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines (2009), author Mike Madrid states that what set Barbara Gordon as Batgirl apart from other female characters was her motivation for crime-fighting. Unlike Batwoman who preceded her, "she wears his symbol on her chest, but she is not his girlfriend or faithful handmaiden."[12] Because of the fact she does not pursue a romantic interest in Batman, "Batgirl is a female Batman can actually regard as a brilliant peer and a partner in the war on crime, the same way he would a male."[12] Historian Peter Sanderson observed that Barbara Gordon's Batgirl reflected the Women's liberation movement of the 1960s.[90]

During the 1980s, Barbara Kesel, after writing a complaint to DC Comics over the negative portrayal of female characters, was given the opportunity to write for Barbara Gordon in Detective Comics. Robin Anne Reid, in Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy: Overviews (2009) wrote that "Kesel's version of Batgirl established her as a character separate from Batman and Robin: a woman motivated to do what men do, but alone and in her own way. Her Secret Origins (1987) and Batgirl Special (1988) countered the victimized and objectified presentation of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in Alan Moore's acclaimed The Killing Joke (1988)."[91] She notes that Kesel's interpretation of the character emphasized her intelligence, technological skill, and ability to overcome fear.

Gail Simone included the character's paralysis in a list of "major female characters that had been killed, mutilated, and depowered", dubbing the phenomenon "Women in Refrigerators" in reference to a 1994 Green Lantern story where the title character discovers his girlfriend's mutilated body in his refrigerator.[30] Simone highlighted the gender difference regarding the treatment of Batman and Batgirl regarding paralysis by stating that "[b]oth had their backs broken [Batman broke his in a dramatic Batcave confrontation with the villain Bane; Batgirl broke hers when she was ambushed in her home and shot in the spine by the Joker, never given a chance to fight]. Less than a year later, Batman was fine. Batgirl—now named Oracle—was in a wheelchair and remained so for many years."[28]

In Superheroes and Superegos: Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks (2010), author Sharon Packer wrote that "[a]nyone who feels that feminist critics overreacted to [Gordon's] accident is advised to consult the source material", calling the work "sadistic to the core".[92]

Brian Cronin noted that "[many] readers felt the violence towards Barbara Gordon was too much, and even Moore, in retrospect, has expressed his displeasure with how the story turned out."[29] Jeffrey A. Brown, author of Dangerous Curves: Action Heroines, Gender, Fetishism, and Popular Culture (2011) noted The Killing Joke as an example of the "inherent misogyny of the male-dominated comic book industry" in light of the "relatively unequal violence [female characters] are subjected to."[93] While male characters may be critically injured or killed, they are more than likely to be returned to their original conception, while female characters are more likely to receive permanent damage.[93] Reid states that although speculation behind the editorial decision to allow the paralysis of the character to become permanent included the idea she had become outdated, "if audiences had grown tired of Batgirl, it was not because she was a bad character but because she had been written badly."[91]

Despite views that present the character's Batgirl persona as a symbol of female empowerment, a long-held criticism is that she was originally conceived as an uninspired variation of Batman "rather than standing alone as leader, such as Wonder Woman" who had no pre-existing male counterpart.[94] In analyzing stereotypes in gender, Jackie Marsh noted that male superheroes (such as Batman) are depicted as hyper-masculine and anti-social, "while female superheroes are reduced to a childlike status by their names" such as the Batgirl character.[95]

Representation for librarians edit

In The Image and Role of the Librarian (2002), Wendi Arant and Candace R. Benefiel argue that Batgirl's portrayal as a librarian is considered to be significant to the profession, in that it is represented as a valuable and honorable career. Even in light of the fact that the character abandons it to run for United States Congress, Barbara Gordon is seen as being given a "career switch that even most librarians would consider a step up."[13] In the essay "Librarians, Professionalism and Image: Stereotype and Reality" (2007), Abigail Luthmann views the character less favorably, stating that "[t]he unassuming role of librarian is used as a low-visibility disguise for her crime-fighting alter-ego, and while her information-locating skills may have been useful to her extra-curricular activities no direct examples are given."[96]

Representation for Asian Americans edit

While many fans were outraged when DC Comics turned Cassandra into a villainess, it does gel with notions of Asian women as not just mysterious and exotic but also as deceitful and dangerous. That Cassandra's turn to villainy is linked with her mother, the sexy and deadly modern Dragon Lady, implicitly aligns her ethnic heritage and her gender with the most negative connotations of Orientalism.

—Jeffrey A. Brown, Dangerous Curves: Action Heroines, Gender, Fetishism, and Popular Culture, 2011[93]

The Cassandra Cain version of Batgirl, depicted as a biracial character (half White and half Chinese), is notable as one of the most prominent characters of Asian descent to appear in American comic books. Jeffrey A. Brown states that while her ethnicity is rarely mentioned in the comic books, Asian women have had a long history in comics of being portrayed as martial artists and are often exploited as sex objects. However, in the case of Batgirl, "Cassandra's racial identity is treated more implicitly than explicitly. Her costume design actually conceals her entire body so that while in her guise as Batgirl her ethnicity is completely unapparent."[93] The fact that her sexuality is also understated represents a shift away from the typical portrayals of women, and Asian women in particular.[93] The most controversial aspect of her character came about during the One Year Later event, when she is reintroduced as a villain. The abrupt shift in her character brought about negative criticism from readership.[97] When questioned about the change in characterization, writer Adam Beechen stated: "They didn't present me with a rationale as to why Cassandra was going to change, or a motivating factor. That was left for me to come up with and them to approve. And we did that. But as far as to why the editors and writers and whoever else made the decision decided that was a good direction, I honestly couldn't answer."[40]

In other media edit

See also: Barbara Gordon in other media
 
Yvonne Craig as Batgirl

Portrayed by Yvonne Craig, the character's first adaptation outside of comic books took place in the third season of Batman (1967), Barbara Gordon having been discussed months earlier by her father and Batman in the second-season episodes "Batman's Waterloo" and "The Duo Defy". Les Daniels, in Batman: The Complete History (2004), wrote that the goal of ABC was to "attract new audience members, especially idealistic young girls and less high-minded older men."[8] According to Craig: "I used to think the reason they hired me was because they knew I could ride my own motorcycle ... I realized they hired me because I had a cartoon voice."[8] A shared criticism of Batgirl and other female superheroes in television that came later (such as Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman), is that she was not allowed to engage in hand-to-hand combat on screen.[88] As such, "her fights were choreographed carefully to imitate the moves of a Broadway showgirl through the use of a straight kick to her opponent's face rather than the type of kick a martial artist would use."[88] However, Craig has also stated: "I meet young women who say Batgirl was their role model ... They say it's because it was the first time they ever felt girls could do the same things guys could do, and sometimes better. I think that's lovely."[98] During the early 1970s, Craig portrayed Batgirl once again in a public service announcement to advocate equal pay for women.[94]

Since Batman, the character has had a long history of appearances in television and other media.[94] As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon plays a supporting role in a string of animated series, voiced by Jane Webb in The Batman/Superman Hour (1968), Melendy Britt in The New Adventures of Batman (1977), Melissa Gilbert in Batman: The Animated Series (1992), Tara Strong in The New Batman Adventures (1997), Danielle Judovits in The Batman (2004), Mae Whitman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008),[94] and Briana Cuoco in Harley Quinn (2019).[99] In 2012, Batgirl starred alongside Supergirl and Wonder Girl in Super Best Friends Forever, a series of shorts developed by Lauren Faust for the DC Nation block on Cartoon Network.[100]

Barbara Gordon makes two cameo appearances in the first season of the animated series Young Justice, and is added as a recurring character in season two where she has adopted her Batgirl persona. Dina Meyer starred as Barbara Gordon in the television series Birds of Prey (2002). Although this series focused on her role as the Oracle, the series included flashbacks of the character's history as Batgirl.

In the film Batman & Robin, Alicia Silverstone played a variation of the character: Barbara Wilson, Alfred Pennyworth's niece. She appears in The Lego Batman Movie voiced by Rosario Dawson. The character is introduced as Barbara Gordon taking over from her father Jim Gordon to become the new Police Commissioner of Gotham. Towards the end of the film, she dons her cowl and teams up with Batman as Batgirl in addition to her role as Commissioner.

In The Dark Knight trilogy, James Gordon's wife is named Barbara Gordon, portrayed by Ilyssa Fradin in Batman Begins and Melinda McGraw in The Dark Knight. This is not a reference to Batgirl Barbara Gordon. It's been long established, most notably in the famous Batman: Year One, that the wife of James Gordon is named Barbara.

In addition to live-action television and animation, the character has appeared in a number of video games included in the Batman franchise. She appears in The Adventures of Batman & Robin and Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu voiced by Tara Strong. She also appears in Lego Batman for the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, and PlayStation Portable.[101] In Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, The Barbara Gordon incarnation of Batgirl appears when Maxwell heads to Arkham Asylum to battle the Scarecrow. The other three Batgirls (Bette Kane, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain) also appear as summonable characters. Barbara Gordon has been featured in all four main games of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series, though she is only seen as Batgirl in the "A Matter of Family" DLC for the last game, Batman: Arkham Knight (2015), in which she is playable. Set before the events of the series' first installment, the DLC's plot revolves around Batgirl and Robin attempting to save the former's father, along with other police officers, from the Joker at an abandoned amusement park located on an oil rig. Barbara Gordon as Batgirl is one of the four main playable characters in the video game Gotham Knights (2022).[102][103]

A child version of Barbara Gordon made an appearance in the television series Gotham. Actor Ben McKenzie teased about seeing Batgirl as a child in the series.[104][105] Film director Nicolas Winding Refn revealed in an interview with Collider that he would like to direct a Batgirl movie.[106]

Savannah Welch portrays Barbara Gordon in the third season of the 2018 live-action television series Titans.

In March 2017, it was announced that Joss Whedon would write, direct and produce a Batgirl film as part of the DC Extended Universe.[107] The film would center on Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, with Gail Simone's The New 52 Batgirl comics used as "a starting point" for the film.[108] In February 2018, it was announced that Whedon would be leaving the project as writer and director, citing that "[he] didn't really have a story".[109] In April 2018, Warner Bros. announced that screenwriter Christina Hodson had been tapped to write the screenplay for Batgirl.[110] After Whedon's exit, the studio said that it was actively looking for a female director.[111] In May 2021, it was revealed that Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah had joined the project as co-directors. It was also revealed that the film is going to be an HBO Max Exclusive.[112] In July 2021, actress and singer Leslie Grace was cast as Batgirl.[113] The film was subsequently cancelled in August 2022.[114]

Collected editions edit

Title Material collected Publication date ISBN
Barbara Gordon
Batgirl: Year One Batgirl: Year One #1–9 February 2003 978-1-4012-0080-0
Batman: Batgirl One-shot July 1997 978-1-5638-9305-6
Batman: The Cat and The Bat Batman Confidential #17–21 2009 978-1-4012-2496-7
Showcase Presents: Batgirl Various titles July 2007 978-1-4012-1367-1
Batgirl: The Greatest Stories Ever Told Various titles December 2010 978-1401229245
Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years Various titles February 2017 978-1401268169
Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 Detective Comics #359, 363, 369, 371, 384–385, 388–389, 392–393, 396–397, 400–401, #404–424; Batman #197; Batman Family #1, 3–7, 9–11 December 2017 978-1401276409
Batgirl: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 2 Batman Family #12–20 and Detective Comics #481–499, 501–502, 505–506, 508–510, 512–519; Batgirl Special #1 April 2019 978-1401288419
Batgirl/Robin: Year One Batgirl: Year One #1–9; Robin: Year One #1–4 June 2013 978-1401240332
Batgirl: Year One Deluxe Edition Batgirl: Year One #1–9 February 2019 978-1401287931
Batgirl Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection Batgirl (vol. 4) #1–6 July 2012 978-1401234751
Batgirl Vol. 2: Knightfall Descends Batgirl (vol. 4) #7–13; 0 February 2013 978-1401238179
Batgirl Vol. 3: Death of the Family Batgirl (vol. 4) #14–19, Annual (vol. 2) #1; Batman (vol. 2) #17; a story from Young Romance #1 October 2013 978-1401242596
Batgirl Vol. 4: Wanted Batgirl (vol. 4) #20–26; Batman: The Dark Knight #23.1 – Ventriloquist May 2014 978-1401250409
Batgirl Vol. 5: Deadline Batgirl (vol. 4) #27–34, Annual (vol. 2) #2; Batgirl: Futures End #1 December 2014 978-1401250416
Batgirl Vol. 1: Batgirl of Burnside Batgirl (vol. 4) #35–40; part of Secret Origins #10 June 2015 978-1401253325
Batgirl Vol. 2: Family Business Batgirl (vol. 4) #41–45, Annual (vol. 2) #3; the Sneak Peek story from Convergence: Infinity Inc. #2 February 2016 978-1401259662
Batgirl Vol. 3: Mindfields Batgirl (vol. 4) #46–52 August 2016 978-1401262693
Batgirl Vol. 1: Beyond Burnside Batgirl (vol. 5) #1–6 March 2017 978-1401268404
Batgirl Vol. 2: Son of Penguin Batgirl (vol. 5) #7–11, Annual (vol. 3) #1 October 2017 978-1401274245
Batgirl Vol. 3: Summer of Lies Batgirl (vol. 5) #12–17 April 2018 978-1401278908
Batgirl Vol. 4: Strange Loop Batgirl (vol. 5) #18–24; stories from #25 December 2018 978-1401284657
Batgirl Vol. 5: Art of the Crime Batgirl (vol. 5) #26–29, Annual (vol. 3) #2; a story from #25 May 2019 978-1401289461
Batgirl Vol. 6: Old Enemies Batgirl (vol. 5) #30–36 December 2019 978-1401295387
Batgirl Vol. 7: Oracle Rising Batgirl (vol. 5) #37–44 June 2020 978-1779502469
Batgirl Vol. 8: Joker War Batgirl (vol. 5) #45–50 March 2021 978-1779505828
Cassandra Cain
Batgirl: Silent Running Batgirl (vol. 2) #1–6 March 2001 978-1-8402-3266-0
Batgirl: A Knight Alone Batgirl (vol. 2) #7–11, 13–14 November 2001 978-1-5638-9852-5
Batgirl: Death Wish Batgirl (vol. 2) #17–20, 22–23, 25 August 2003 978-1-8402-3707-8
Batgirl: Fists of Fury Batgirl (vol. 2) #15–16, 21, 26–28 May 2004 978-1-4012-0205-7
Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood Robin (vol. 4) #132–133; Batgirl (vol. 2) #58–59 October 2005 978-1-4012-0433-4
Batgirl: Kicking Assassins Batgirl (vol. 2) #60–64 January 2006 978-1-4012-0439-6
Batgirl: Destruction's Daughter Batgirl (vol. 2) #65–73 September 2006 978-1-4012-0896-7
Batgirl: Redemption Batgirl #1–6 (2008-2009 miniseries) June 2009 978-1-4012-2275-8
Batgirl Vol. 1: Silent Knight Batgirl (vol. 2) #1–12, Annual #1 January 2016 978-1401266271
Batgirl Vol. 2: To The Death Batgirl (vol. 2) #13–25 July 2016 978-1401263522
Batgirl Vol. 3: Point Blank Batgirl (vol. 2) #26–37, a story from Batgirl Secret Files and Origins #1 January 2017 978-1401265854
Stephanie Brown
Batgirl: Batgirl Rising Batgirl (vol. 3) #1–7 September 2010 978-1-4012-2723-4
Batgirl: The Flood Batgirl (vol. 3) #9–14 May 2011 978-1-4012-3142-2
Batgirl: The Lesson Batgirl (vol. 3) #15–24 November 2011 978-1-4012-3270-2
Batgirl: Stephanie Brown Vol. 1 Batgirl (vol. 3) #1–12 August 2017 978-1401269104
Batgirl: Stephanie Brown Vol. 2 Batgirl (vol. 3) #13–24; Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batgirl #1 and Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes! #1 March 2018 978-1401277888
Batgirls
Batgirls Vol. 1 Batgirls #1–6, Batgirls short stories from Batman #115-117 November 2022 978-1779517067
Batgirls Vol. 2: Bat Girl Summer Batgirls #7–12 March 2023 978-1779520289
Batgirls Vol. 3: Girls to the Front Batgirls #13-19 October 2023 978-1779523457

Other collected editions edit

  • Batman: Bruce Wayne – Murderer? (Batgirl #24)
  • Batman: Bruce Wayne – Fugitive Vol. One (Batgirl #27 and 29)
  • Batman: Bruce Wayne – Fugitive Vol. Three (Batgirl #33)
  • Batman: War Games Act One – Outbreak (Batgirl #55)
  • Batman: War Games Act Two – Tides (Batgirl #56)
  • Batman: War Games Act Three – Endgame (Batgirl #57)

See also edit

References edit

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Sources edit

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Batgirl.
  • Official website  
 
Wikiquote has quotations related to Batgirl.
  • Barbara Gordon at the Grand Comics Database
  • Batgirl at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on August 27, 2015.
  • at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
  • at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
  • at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
  • at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
  • at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
  • Batgirl on DC Database, a DC Comics wiki
  • on IMDb

May 02, 2024
batgirl, confused, with, batwoman, another, comics, superheroine, with, similar, name, this, article, about, comics, character, from, batman, fictional, milieu, other, uses, disambiguation, name, several, fictional, superheroines, appearing, american, comic, b. Not to be confused with Batwoman another DC Comics superheroine with a similar name This article is about the DC Comics character from the Batman fictional milieu For other uses see Batgirl disambiguation Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman The character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in 1961 by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff as Bat Girl and was replaced in 1967 by Barbara Gordon who became the iconic Batgirl 1 2 The character debuted in Detective Comics 359 January 1967 by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino introduced as the niece adoptive daughter of police commissioner James Gordon BatgirlBarbara Gordon Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown on a variant cover for Batgirls 1 February 2022 by Alex Garner PublisherDC ComicsFirst appearanceBatman 139 April 1961 Created byBill Finger writer Sheldon Moldoff art CharactersBetty Kane Bat Girl Barbara GordonHelena BertinelliCassandra CainStephanie BrownBatgirlBatgirl 1 April 2000 featuring the Cassandra Cain version of the character art by Damion ScottSeries publication informationPublisherDC ComicsScheduleMonthlyFormatList vol 1 3 5 Batgirls Ongoing series vol 2 Limited seriesGenreSuperheroPublication dateList vol 1 April 2000 April 2006 vol 2 September 2008 February 2009 vol 3 October 2009 October 2011 vol 4 November 2011 July 2016 vol 5 September 2016 December 2020 Batgirls February 2022 presentNumber of issuesList vol 1 73 1 Annual vol 2 6 vol 3 24 vol 4 53 1 52 0 3 Annuals vol 5 50 2 Annuals and a DC Rebirth one shot Batgirls 8 as of September 2022 cover date Main character s List vol 1 2 Cassandra Cain vol 3 Cassandra CainStephanie Brown vol 4 5 Barbara Gordon Batgirls Barbara GordonCassandra CainStephanie BrownCreative teamWriter s List vol 1 Kelley PuckettDylan HorrocksAndersen Gabrych vol 2 Adam Beechen vol 3 Bryan Q Miller vol 4 Gail SimoneCameron StewartBrenden Fletcher vol 5 Hope LarsonMairghread ScottCecil Castellucci Batgirls Becky CloonanMichael ConradPenciller s List vol 1 Damion ScottAdrian SibarRick LeonardiAle GarzaPop Mhan vol 2 Jim Calafiore vol 3 Lee GarbettPere PerezDustin Nguyen vol 4 Ardian SyafEd BenesDaniel SampereFernando PasarinBabs Tarr vol 5 Rafael AlbuquerqueChristian WildgoosePaul Pelletier Batgirls Jorge CoronaInker s List vol 1 Robert CampanellaAndy OwensJesse Delperdang vol 3 Trevor ScottDereck Fridolfs vol 4 Vicente CifuentesJonathan GlapionColorist s List vol 1 Jason Wright vol 2 Nathan Eyring vol 3 Guy Major vol 4 Ulises ArreolaKevin SenftMaris Wicks vol 5 Dave McCaig Batgirl operates in Gotham City allying herself with Batman and the original Robin Dick Grayson along with other masked vigilantes The character appeared regularly in Detective Comics Batman Family and several other books produced by DC until 1988 That year Barbara Gordon appeared in Barbara Kesel s Batgirl Special 1 in which she retires from crime fighting She subsequently appeared in Alan Moore s graphic novel Batman The Killing Joke where in her civilian identity she is shot by the Joker and left paraplegic Although she is reimagined as the computer expert and information broker Oracle by editor Kim Yale and writer John Ostrander the following year her paralysis sparked debate about the portrayal of women in comics particularly violence depicted toward female characters In the 1999 storyline No Man s Land the character Helena Bertinelli known as Huntress briefly assumes the role of Batgirl until she is stripped of the identity by Batman for violating his stringent codes Within the same storyline the character Cassandra Cain is introduced Cain is written as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva and takes the mantle of Batgirl under the guidance of Batman and Oracle In 2000 she became the first Batgirl to star in an eponymous monthly comic book series in addition to becoming one of the most prominent characters of Asian descent to appear in American comics The series was canceled in 2006 at which point during the company wide storyline One Year Later she is established as a villain and head of the League of Assassins After receiving harsh feedback from readership she is later restored to her original conception However the character Stephanie Brown originally known as Spoiler and later Robin succeeds her as Batgirl after Cassandra Cain abandons the role Stephanie Brown became the featured character of the Batgirl series from 2009 to 2011 prior to DC s The New 52 relaunch which established Barbara Gordon recovering from her paralysis following a surgical procedure and starring as the title character of Batgirl once again Barbara later returned to the Oracle role with Infinite Frontier in 2020 and currently operates as both Batgirl and Oracle with Cassandra and Stephanie also serving as Batgirls The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl has been adapted into various media relating to the Batman franchise including television film animation video games and other merchandise Dan DiDio co publisher of DC Comics expressed that Barbara is the best known version of the character Contents 1 Publication history 1 1 Detective Comics Batman Family and other appearances 1961 1988 1 2 Batgirl Special 1 and Batman The Killing Joke 1988 1 3 No Man s Land 1999 1 4 Batgirl and other appearances 2000 2011 1 5 The New 52 Batgirl Birds of Prey and other appearances 2011 2016 1 6 DC Rebirth Batgirl and Batgirl and the Birds of Prey 2016 2020 1 7 Infinite Frontier Batgirls 2021 present 1 8 Alternative versions 2 Characterization 2 1 Betty Kane 2 2 Barbara Gordon 2 3 Cassandra Cain 2 4 Stephanie Brown 2 5 Claimants 2 5 1 Helena Bertinelli 2 5 2 Charlotte Charlie Gage Radcliffe 3 Cultural impact 3 1 Feminist interpretations 3 2 Representation for librarians 3 3 Representation for Asian Americans 4 In other media 5 Collected editions 5 1 Other collected editions 6 See also 7 References 8 Sources 9 External linksPublication history editThis article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia s inclusion policy May 2017 Learn how and when to remove this message Detective Comics Batman Family and other appearances 1961 1988 edit nbsp Barbara Gordon as Batgirl art by Brian Stelfreeze Following the accusations of a homoerotic subtext in the depiction of the relationship between Batman and Robin as described in Fredric Wertham s book Seduction of the Innocent 1954 a female character Kathy Kane the Batwoman appeared in 1956 as a love interest for Batman 3 In 1961 DC Comics introduced a second female character as a love interest for Robin 3 Betty Kane as Bat Girl arrived as the niece of and Robin like sidekick to Batwoman first appearing in Batman 139 April 1961 4 The creation of the Batman family which included Batman and Batwoman depicted as parents Robin and Bat Girl depicted as their children the extraterrestrial imp Bat Mite and the family pet Ace the Bat Hound caused the Batman related comic books to take a wrong turn switching from superheroes to situational comedy 3 DC Comics abandoned these characters in 1964 when newly appointed Batman editor Julius Schwartz judged them too silly and therefore inappropriate 5 Schwartz had asserted that these characters should be removed considering the Batman related comic books had steadily declined in sales and restored the Batman mythology to its original conception of heroic vigilantism 3 Bat Girl along with other characters in the Batman Family were retconned out of existence following the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths 6 However even though Bat Girl did not exist in the Post Crisis continuity a modified version of the character Mary Elizabeth Bette Kane introduced as the superhero Flamebird continues to appear in DC Comics publications 7 Schwartz stated that he had been asked to develop a new female character to attract a female viewership to the Batman television series of the 1960s 8 Executive producer William Dozier suggested that the new character would be the daughter of Gotham City s Police Commissioner James Gordon and that she would adopt the identity of Batgirl 9 When Dozier and producer Howie Horowitz saw rough concept artwork of the new Batgirl by artist Carmine Infantino during a visit to DC offices they optioned the character in a bid to help sell a third season to the ABC television network Infantino reflected on the creation of Batgirl stating Bob Kane had had a Bat Girl for about three stories in the 50s but she had nothing to do with a bat She was like a pesky girl version of Robin I knew we could do a lot better so Julie and I came up with the real Batgirl who was so popular she almost got her own TV show 10 Yvonne Craig portrayed the character in the show s third season 11 Barbara Gordon and her alter ego Batgirl debuted in Detective Comics 359 The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl 1967 In the debut story while driving to a costume ball dressed as a female version of Batman Barbara Gordon intervenes in a kidnapping attempt on Bruce Wayne by the supervillain Killer Moth attracting Batman s attention and leading to a crimefighting career Although Batman insists she give up crimefighting because of her gender Batgirl disregards his objections 12 In her civilian identity Dr Barbara Gordon is a career woman with a doctorate in library science as well as being head of the Gotham City Public Library presumably one of the largest public libraries in the DC Comics version of reality 13 She was given a regular back up slot in Detective Comics starting with issue 384 February 1969 alternating issues with Robin until issue 404 after which she had the back up slot to herself Frank Robbins wrote nearly all of these back ups which were penciled first by Gil Kane and later by Don Heck 9 Barbara Gordon s Batgirl exceeded the earlier Bat Girl and Batwoman characters in popularity and readers requested for her to appear in other titles Although some readers requested that Batwoman also continue to appear in publication DC responded to the fan based acclaim and criticism of the new character in an open letter in Detective Comics 417 1971 14 stating I d like to say a few words about the reaction some readers have to Batgirl These are readers who remember Batwoman and the other Bat girls from years back They were there because romance seemed to be needed in Batman s life But thanks to the big change and a foresighted editor these hapless females are gone for good In their place stands a girl who is a capable crime fighter a far cry from Batwoman who constantly had to be rescued by Batman 5 Batgirl continued to appear in DC Comics publications throughout the late 1960s and 1970s as a supporting character in Detective Comics in addition to guest appearances in various titles such as Justice League of America 15 World s Finest Comics 16 The Brave and the Bold 17 Adventure Comics 18 and Superman 19 In the early 1970s Batgirl reveals her secret identity to her father who had already discovered it on his own and serves as a member of the United States House of Representatives She moves to Washington D C intending to give up her career as Batgirl and in June 1972 appeared in a story entitled Batgirl s Last Case 20 Julius Schwartz brought her back a year later in Superman 268 1973 19 in which she has a blind date with Clark Kent establishing their friendship and fights alongside Superman Batgirl and Superman team up twice more in Superman 279 and DC Comics Presents 19 Batgirl also guest starred in other Superman related titles such as 453 of Adventure Comics and in Superman Family 171 where she teams up with Supergirl The character is given a starring role in DC s Batman Family comic book which debuted in 1975 21 The original Robin Dick Grayson became her partner in the series with the two frequently referred to as the Dynamite Duo Batgirl amp Robin Batgirl meets Batwoman in Batman Family 10 when the retired superhero briefly returns to crimefighting before the Bronze Tiger murders Kane The two fight Killer Moth and the Cavalier and learn each other s secret identities Batwoman retires once again at the conclusion of the story leaving Batgirl to continue crimefighting 22 Although this series ended after three years of publication 23 Batgirl continued to appear in back up stories published in Detective Comics through issue 519 October 1982 Crisis on Infinite Earths a limited series published in 1985 was written to reduce the complex history of DC Comics to a single continuity Although Batgirl is a featured character her role is relatively small she delivers Supergirl s eulogy in issue 7 of the 12 part series 24 The conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths changed DC Universe continuity in many ways Following the reboot Barbara Gordon is born to Roger and Thelma Gordon and she is Jim Gordon s niece and adopted daughter in post crisis continuity Post Crisis Supergirl does not arrive on Earth until after Gordon has established herself as Oracle and many of the adventures she shared with Batgirl are retroactively described as having been experienced by Power Girl In Secret Origins vol 2 20 1987 25 Barbara Gordon s origin is rebooted by author Barbara Randal Within the storyline Gordon recounts the series of events that led to her career as Batgirl including her first encounter with Batman as a child studying martial arts under the tutelage of a sensei memorizing maps and blueprints of the city excelling in academics to skip grades and pushing herself to become a star athlete Batgirl Special 1 and Batman The Killing Joke 1988 edit Main article Batman The Killing Joke DC officially retired the hero in the one shot comic Batgirl Special 1 July 1988 written by Barbara Kesel 26 Later that year she appears in Alan Moore s Batman The Killing Joke In this graphic novel the Joker shoots and paralyzes Barbara Gordon in an attempt to drive her father insane thereby proving to Batman that anyone can lose their minds after having one bad day 27 She is deployed as a plot device to cement the Joker s vendetta against Commissioner Gordon and Batman In 2006 during an interview with Wizard Moore expressed regret over his treatment of the character calling it shallow and ill conceived 28 He stated prior to writing the graphic novel I asked DC if they had any problem with me crippling Barbara Gordon who was Batgirl at the time and if I remember I spoke to Len Wein who was our editor on the project and following a discussion with then Executive Editorial Director Dick Giordano Len got back onto the phone and said Yeah okay cripple the bitch 28 Although there has been speculation as to whether or not editors at DC specifically intended to have the character s paralysis become permanent Brian Cronin author of Was Superman A Spy And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed 2009 noted that DC had hired Barbara Kesel to write the Batgirl Special specifically to retire the character and set her in place for The Killing Joke 29 Gail Simone included the character s paralysis in a list of major female characters that had been killed mutilated and depowered dubbing the phenomenon Women in Refrigerators in reference to a 1994 Green Lantern story where the title character discovers his girlfriend s mutilated body in his refrigerator 30 Following the release of the graphic novel comic book editor and writer Kim Yale discussed how distasteful she found the treatment of Barbara Gordon with her husband fellow comic writer John Ostrander Rather than allow the character to fall into obscurity the two decided to revive her as a character living with a disability the information broker called the Oracle 31 No Man s Land 1999 edit Eleven years after the editorial retirement of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl a new version of the character was introduced in Batman Shadow of the Bat 83 during the multi title story arc No Man s Land 1999 32 In Batman Legends of the Dark Knight 120 1999 the new Batgirl is revealed to be Helena Bertinelli an established DC comics superhero alternatively known as the Huntress 33 Bertinelli is eventually forced to abandon the mantle by Batgirl 34 No Man s Land also marks the introduction of Cassandra Cain in Batman 567 1999 35 Depicted as a martial arts child prodigy Cassandra Cain is written as a young woman of partly Asian descent who succeeds Helena Bertinelli as Batgirl with the approval of both Batman and the Oracle Batgirl and other appearances 2000 2011 edit The first Batgirl monthly comic was published in 2000 with Cassandra Cain as the title character Raised by assassin David Cain Cassandra Cain was not taught spoken language but instead was taught to read physical movement Subsequently Cain s only form of communication was body language 36 The parts of the character s brain normally used for speech were trained so Cain could read other people s body language and predict with uncanny accuracy their next move This also caused her brain to develop learning functions different from most a form of dyslexia that hampers her abilities to read and write Despite Cain s disability author Andersen Gabrych describes the character s unique form of language as the key factor in what makes Cain an excellent detective the ability to walk into a room and know something is wrong based on body language 36 During Silent Running the first arc of the Batgirl comic book series Cassandra Cain encounters a psychic who reprograms her brain enabling her to comprehend verbal language while simultaneously losing the ability to predict movements 37 This issue is resolved during the second arc of the series A Knight Alone when Batgirl encounters the assassin Lady Shiva who agrees to teach her how to predict movement once again 38 Six years after its debut DC Comics cancelled the Batgirl comic book series with issue 73 2006 ending with Cain relinquishing her role as Batgirl 39 When DC Comics continuity skipped forward one year after the events of the limited series Infinite Crisis Cassandra Cain is revived as the leader of the League of Assassins having abandoned her previous characterization as an altruist The character s progression from hero to villain angered some of her fans and was accompanied by heavy criticism 40 Cain reprised her role as Batgirl in the Titans East 2007 storyline of Teen Titans 41 where it was discovered that she had been influenced by a mind altering drug administered by supervillain Deathstroke the Terminator Following the conclusion of the storyline DC Comics has restored Cain s original characterization as a superhero and the character has been given a supporting role in the comic book series Batman and the Outsiders Following the events of Batman s disappearance Cassandra acting under her mentor s orders in the event of his death handed over the Batgirl mantle to Stephanie Brown the former Spoiler and the fourth Robin 42 After declining an offer from Tim Drake to reclaim the Batgirl mantle from Stephanie 43 Cassandra rejoined the Batman Family under the new identity of the Blackbat 44 She currently acts as the Hong Kong representative of Batman Inc Stephanie Brown does take the mantle of Batgirl after Cassandra Cain gives Brown her costume under Batman s orders 42 Eventually Barbara Gordon approves of Brown as her newest successor and she gives Brown her own Batgirl costume and becomes her mentor for a period Brown is the fourth in continuity Batgirl and the second Batgirl to star in her own ongoing Batgirl comic book series The New 52 Batgirl Birds of Prey and other appearances 2011 2016 edit In September 2011 following the company wide relaunch Barbara Gordon stars in a new Batgirl series one of The New 52 titles featuring the company s most iconic characters The conclusion of the limited series Flashpoint 2011 establishes a new continuity within the DC Universe with all characters regressing to an earlier age and stage in their careers while remaining in a modern timeline DC Senior VP of Sales Bob Wayne explained that with each of their titles reverting to issue 1 our creative teams have the ability to take a more modern approach not only with each character but with how the characters interact with one another and the universe as a whole and focus on the earlier part of the careers of each of our iconic characters 45 Barbara Gordon is biological daughter of James Gordon and Barbara Eileen Gordon in this continuity Wayne also stated that The Killing Joke still happened and she was Oracle Now she will go through physical rehabilitation and become a more seasoned and nuanced character because she had these incredible and diverse experiences 45 Dan DiDio Co Publisher of DC Comics explained the decision by stating that she ll always be the most recognizable Batgirl 46 Series writer Gail Simone stated For many years I got to write the character as Oracle and there is to this day no character who means more to me This is classic Barbara as she was originally conceived with a few big surprises It s a bit of a shock to be sure but we re doing everything we can to be respectful to this character s amazing legacy while presenting something thrilling that a generation of comics readers will be experiencing for the first time Barbara Gordon leaping fighting and swinging over Gotham Now when citizens of that city look up they are going to see BATGIRL And that is absolutely thrilling 47 In the new revised continuity the events of The Killing Joke took place three years before the current storyline and while it is established she was paraplegic during that time Barbara Gordon is written as having regained her mobility after undergoing experimental surgery at a South African clinic 48 Although she resumes her work as Batgirl one year after her recovery she continues to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder causing her to hesitate in battle when exposed to gunfire that could result in suffering new spinal damage 48 The character also exhibits survivor guilt due to the fact she has made a full recovery from her paralysis while others have not 48 Series writer Gail Simone stated that while the character is one of the smartest and toughest women in comics One thing the book is truly about is that the after effects of something like PTSD post traumatic stress disorder or other trauma related syndromes can strike even very smart very intellectually tough people even soldiers and cops a subject that is generally overlooked in comic books 48 She also explained the method of the character s recovery is based upon real life experiences in that some of the best real world work in the field of mobility rehabilitation is coming from South Africa People have been talking about this as if it s some sort of mystical thing like returning from the dead but there are treatments and surgeries that can restore mobility in some cases Barbara s spine was not severed That makes her a candidate 48 Prior to its release Batgirl 1 sold out at the distribution level with over 100 000 copies printed in its first run according to Diamond Comic Distributors Along with Action Comics 1 Justice League 1 Batman 1 Batman and Robin 1 Batman The Dark Knight 1 Detective Comics 1 Flash 1 Green Lantern 1 and Superman 1 retailers were required to order a second printing 49 50 Calvin Reid of Publishers Weekly states in a review of the first issue The artwork is okay though conventional while Simone s script tries to tie up of the end of the previous Barbara Gordon Oracle storyline and setup up the new Batgirl Her formula murderous villains blood splattering violence and high flying superheroics mixed with single white female bonding plus a cliffhanger ending to the first issue that offers a nifty segue into the new world of Barbara Gordon and Batgirl 51 The New York Times critic George Gene Gustines wrote Unlike some of the other DC comics I read this week Batgirl achieves a deft hat trick a well shaped reintroduction to a character an elegant acknowledgement of fundamental history and the establishment of a new status quo This is a must buy series 52 Earning a B rating in a review from Entertainment Weekly Ken Tucker writes that Simone takes her Birds of Prey storytelling powers and focuses them on the newly revived Barbara Gordon as Batgirl The result is a burst of exhilaration as Barbara Batgirl revels in her new freedom even as she encounters a so far not terribly chilling villain called Mirror 53 Since the series relaunch in September 2011 Batgirl has remained within the top 30 of the 300 best selling monthly comic book publications sold in North America Monthly estimated sales figures are as follows Batgirl 1 with 81 489 copies ranked 12th overall 54 Batgirl 2 with 75 227 ranked 14th 55 Batgirl 3 with 62 974 ranked 18th 56 Batgirl 4 with 53 975 ranked 23rd 57 Batgirl 5 with 51 327 ranked 26th 58 and Batgirl 6 with 47 836 ranked 30th 59 The hardcover edition of volume 1 Batgirl The Darkest Reflection which collects issues 1 6 made The New York Times Best Seller list alongside Animal Man The Hunt Batman amp Robin Born to Kill Batman Detective Comics Wonder Woman Blood Batwoman Hydrology Green Lantern Sinestro 60 Additionally Barbara Gordon makes an appearance in Birds of Prey 1 where the Black Canary offers her a spot on the new Birds of Prey roster She declines the Canary s invitation suggesting that Katana take her place instead 61 Series writer Duane Swierczynski has stated that Batgirl will join the team in issue 4 62 He commented that while she is an essential part of this team she is not the focus of the series as she is hesitant to be associated with the other characters because of their status as outlaws 63 In October 2014 the monthly Batgirl title underwent a soft reboot with the new creative team Brenden Fletcher writer Cameron Stewart writer layouts Babs Tarr artist and Maris Wicks colors The first six issue story explored Barbara Gordon s attempt to start a new life as a PhD student in the hip Gotham borough of Burnside While seemingly light and engaging compared to Gail Simone s darker preceding run the new arc ultimately dealt with Babs inability to fully escape her earlier trauma and the villain was revealed as her own brain scans an algorithm similar to the Pre New 52 Oracle 64 While the reboot was highly praised for its fun energy innovative use of social media and particularly for Tarr s art 65 issue 37 caused controversy with its depiction of a villain named Dagger Type which some critics saw as a transphobic caricature 66 67 68 In response the creative team issued a joint apology and revised the issue for the subsequent collected edition Batgirl Vol 1 The Batgirl of Burnside 69 70 On March 13 2015 DC Comics released 25 Joker themed variant covers for its various monthly series for release that June in celebration of the character s 75th anniversary Among them was a cover to Batgirl 41 by artist Rafael Albuquerque that took its inspiration from The Killing Joke The cover depicts the Joker standing next to a tearful Batgirl who has a red smile painted across her mouth The Joker has one hand holding a revolver draped over Batgirl s shoulder and is pointing to her cheek with the other hand as if gesturing to shoot her The cover quickly drew criticism for highlighting a dark period in the character s history especially when juxtaposed with the youthful more optimistic direction of the series at the time The hashtag changethecover drew dozens of posts on Twitter and Tumblr asking DC to not release the variant DC ultimately withdrew the cover from publication at the request of Albuquerque who stated My intention was never to hurt or upset anyone through my art For that reason I have recommended to DC that the variant cover be pulled 71 DC Rebirth Batgirl and Batgirl and the Birds of Prey 2016 2020 edit In March 2016 DC Comics announced it would be re launching all of its monthly titles under the DC Rebirth event The relaunch restores elements of the Pre Flashpoint DC continuity while maintaining elements of The New 52 as well 72 Among the new titles and creative teams announced volume 5 of Batgirl written by Hope Larson and volume 1 of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey written by Julie Benson and Shawna Benson were included 73 In the critically celebrated fifth volume of Batgirl Barbara Gordon is a student attending Burnside College in the trendy Burnside neighborhood of Gotham City The comic was praised for its fun fresh approach to the character and for Batgirl s realistic new costume design 74 Infinite Frontier Batgirls 2021 present edit In 2021 DC s Infinite Frontier relaunch presented a new status quo where Barbara has returned to the role of Oracle suiting up as Batgirl only occasionally For the most part she supports Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown to operate as Batgirls sharing the title Alternative versions edit Various alterations of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl have appeared in storylines published in and out of mainstream continuity titles Variants of the character within continuity often appear in stories which involve time travel such as the crossover limited series Zero Hour Crisis in Time a follow up story preceded by the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths which altered mainstream continuity Notable imprints of DC Comics such as Elseworlds and All Star DC Comics have also featured alternate versions of the character The Elseworlds imprint takes the company s iconic characters and places them in alternate timelines places and events making heroes as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow 75 As Batgirl Barbara Gordon has made several appearances in Elseworlds comics since 1997 The character is given starring roles in the noir style storyline Thrillkiller 1997 76 its sequel Thrillkiller 62 1998 77 and the one shot comic Elseworld s Finest Supergirl amp Batgirl 1998 78 nbsp An alternate version of Barbara Gordon on the cover of Batgirl Futures End 1 Nov 2014 art by Clay Mann In 2005 DC Comics launched its All Star imprint an ongoing series of comics designed to pair the company s most iconic characters with the most acclaimed writers and artists in the industry Similar to Elseworlds All Star is not restricted to mainstream continuity and establishes a fresh perspective for the latest generation of readership According to Dan DiDio t hese books are created to literally reach the widest audience possible and not just the comic book audience but anyone who has ever wanted to read or see anything about Superman or Batman 79 An alternate Barbara Gordon was adapted into Frank Miller s All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder 2005 as a teenage Batgirl In addition another variation of the character had been set to star in an eponymous All Star Batgirl title written by Geoff Johns however the series was cancelled prior to publication 80 Alternate versions of Batgirl aside from Barbara Gordon have also appeared in publications by DC Comics In Batman Beyond Unlimited 18 set in the continuity of the animated series Batman Beyond the new Batgirl is a 15 year old girl named Nissa 81 In Batgirl Future s End 1 Nov 2014 set in an alternate future a trio of Batgirls include Cassandra Cain Stephanie Brown and newcomer Tiffany Fox the daughter of Lucius Fox and the first African American character to be portrayed as Batgirl 82 In the alternate history DC Comics Bombshells universe there is no singular Batgirl Instead there exists a group of young female vigilantes known as the Batgirls whose ranks consist of a Batwoman fan named Harper Row an African American mechanic named Kathy Duquesne a young Caucasian girl named Nell Little and a Singaporean American dancer named Alysia Yeoh 83 In Digital Issue 42 collected in Print Issue 14 Harley Quinn tells Pamela Isley about encountering the Belle of the Bog who appears to be a vampire version of Batgirl 84 DC Comics Bombshells Annual 1 published on 31 August 2016 reveals that Barbara Gourdon was a French fighter pilot during World War I After she lost her boyfriend during the war she traveled to Louisiana and did indeed become a vampire 85 In 2021 Barbara Gordon is one of the main protagonists in Batman 89 While working in Gotham s police department she dates Harvey Dent She assumes the role of Batgirl in the second series Echoes 86 In 2022 Daphne Blake from Scooby Doo became a temporary Batgirl in The Batman amp Scooby Doo Mysteries 87 Characterization editBatgirl has officially been represented by four different characters and two claimants beginning with her introduction in 1961 Betty Kane edit Main article Bette Kane During the Silver Age a female character was introduced as a love interest for Robin Betty Kane as Bat Girl was depicted as the niece of and Robin like sidekick to the original Batwoman In 1964 however editor Julius Schwartz asserted that Bat Girl and other characters in the Bat Family should be removed considering the decline in sales and restored the Batman mythology to its original conception of heroic vigilantism During the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline Betty Kane was retconned out of existence Mary Elizabeth Bette Kane is a reinvented version of the Betty Kane character during the Silver Age As her original characterization was retconned out of existence during the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline a discrepancy arose where her Bat Girl character had joined the West Coast version of the Teen Titans but simply disappeared The character was reintroduced as Bette Kane and the alias of Flamebird Following Infinite Crisis the character s past as Batgirl was hinted at as being a part of continuity However that reference included a revamped origin of the character and it may or may not have been the current Bette Kane Barbara Gordon edit Main article Barbara Gordon nbsp Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Cain as Batgirl art by Matt Haley and David Hahn During the run of the Batman television series DC editorial was approached about adding a female character back into the Batman family Revising the character history and motivation Julius Schwartz created Barbara Gordon This character held the role of Batgirl from 1967 to 1988 when she was retired by DC editorial decision The character s role was changed to a paraplegic source of information for all members of the Batman family and codenamed the Oracle She was later restored as Batgirl during The New 52 relaunch of the entire DC publication line in 2011 This was also the case with the DC Rebirth 2016 After the suicide of her psychopathic brother James Gordon Jr Barbara ponders her role as Batgirl becomes Oracle and continues to support the Batman family behind the computer screen with the option to occasionally return to the role of Batgirl Above all she takes on the role of mentor for Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown who now share the title of Batgirl Cassandra Cain edit Main article Cassandra Cain During the No Man s Land storyline Cassandra Cain was given the role of Batgirl under the guidance of Batman and Oracle Written as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva she is trained from early childhood to read human body language instead of developing verbal and written communication skills as part of her father s conditioning to mold her into the world s deadliest assassin However after committing her first murder she vows to never again use her martial arts prowess to kill In 2000 she became the first Batgirl to star in an eponymous monthly comic book series as well as one of the most prominent characters of Asian descent to appear in American comics The series was cancelled in 2006 and Cassandra Cain abandoned the role of Batgirl shortly thereafter Years later Cassandra rejoined the Batman family under the moniker the Blackbat In The New 52 Cassandra reappeared in the comic series Batman and Robin Eternal with a slightly different history Here she is also the murderer of Harper Row s mother an ally of Batman She called herself Orphan for a while and became part of the Batman family as well as the Outsiders She later shares the name Batgirl with her friend Stephanie Brown Stephanie Brown edit Main article Stephanie Brown comics Stephanie Brown was formerly known as the Spoiler and then as the first in continuity female Robin until her apparent death in 2006 Following her return to comics in 2009 she assumed the role of Batgirl She maintained this position until 2011 the relaunch of the DC imprint under The New 52 The character reappeared in the DCU in Batman vol 3 28 as the Spoiler Stephanie reappears in the series Batman Eternal where she again goes by Spoiler in an attempt to thwart her father s machinations After DC Rebirth she joined Batman s new team of vigilantes where she became the girlfriend of Tim Drake aka Red Robin before they break up Eventually she shares the title Batgirl with her friend Cassandra Cain Claimants edit Helena Bertinelli edit Main article Huntress Helena Bertinelli For a brief time during 1999 s No Man s Land storyline Helena Bertinelli assumed the mantle of Batgirl After violating Batman s code against extreme violence she was stripped of the mantle and returned to her alias of the Huntress Charlotte Charlie Gage Radcliffe edit Main article Misfit DC Comics After Cassandra Cain abandoned the role a mystery character appeared as the new Batgirl in the Birds of Prey comic Possessing superpowers the teen claimed the empty mantle in an attempt to honor the character However Barbara Gordon quickly dissuaded the teen from continuing in the role Charlie Gage Radcliffe acquiesced but modified her costume and changed her name to the Misfit Cultural impact editWhile Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Cain have both been the subject of academic analysis regarding the portrayal of women in comics commentary on Barbara Gordon s Batgirl has focused on her character s connection to the women s liberation movement doctoral degree and career as a librarian while analysis of Cassandra Cain s Batgirl has focused on the character s double minority status as a woman and a person of color Since her debut in DC Comics publication and fueled by her adaptation into the Batman television series in 1967 Barbara Gordon s Batgirl has been listed among fictional characters that are regarded as cultural icons 88 Author Brian Cronin in Was Superman A Spy And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed 2009 notes that following her 1967 debut Batgirl was soon popular enough to appear regularly over the next two decades and Yvonne Craig certainly made an impression on many viewers with her one season portraying young Ms Gordon 29 In 2011 IGN ranked Barbara Gordon 17th in the Top 100 Comic Books Heroes 89 Cassandra Cain s Batgirl has become one of the most prominent Asian characters to appear in American comic books and her understated sexuality is notable as being contrary to the common sexual objectification of female characters especially those of Asian descent 30 Feminist interpretations edit In the late 1950s and early 1960s before the feminist revolution Schwartz s leading ladies included a reporter Iris West in The Flash a lawyer Jean Loring in The Atom and even the head of an aircraft company Carol Ferris in Green Lantern Shiera Hall was merely a secretary at the Midway City Museum but as Hawkgirl she was a police officer on her native planet Thanagar and an equal partner to her husband Hawkman Carter Hall in their superheroic exploits Then there was Zatanna bravely traversing the dimensions in her search for her missing father as chronicled in the recent DC trade paperback Zatanna s Quest Barbara Gordon initially conformed to hackneyed stereotypes as a dowdy librarian but her transformation into Batgirl could be seen in retrospect as a symbol of the emerging female empowerment movement of the 1960s Moreover by the 1970s Barbara had given herself a makeover even in her civilian identity and ran for Congress Peter Sanderson IGN 2005 90 In The Supergirls Fashion Feminism Fantasy and the History of Comic Book Heroines 2009 author Mike Madrid states that what set Barbara Gordon as Batgirl apart from other female characters was her motivation for crime fighting Unlike Batwoman who preceded her she wears his symbol on her chest but she is not his girlfriend or faithful handmaiden 12 Because of the fact she does not pursue a romantic interest in Batman Batgirl is a female Batman can actually regard as a brilliant peer and a partner in the war on crime the same way he would a male 12 Historian Peter Sanderson observed that Barbara Gordon s Batgirl reflected the Women s liberation movement of the 1960s 90 During the 1980s Barbara Kesel after writing a complaint to DC Comics over the negative portrayal of female characters was given the opportunity to write for Barbara Gordon in Detective Comics Robin Anne Reid in Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy Overviews 2009 wrote that Kesel s version of Batgirl established her as a character separate from Batman and Robin a woman motivated to do what men do but alone and in her own way Her Secret Origins 1987 and Batgirl Special 1988 countered the victimized and objectified presentation of Barbara Gordon Batgirl in Alan Moore s acclaimed The Killing Joke 1988 91 She notes that Kesel s interpretation of the character emphasized her intelligence technological skill and ability to overcome fear Gail Simone included the character s paralysis in a list of major female characters that had been killed mutilated and depowered dubbing the phenomenon Women in Refrigerators in reference to a 1994 Green Lantern story where the title character discovers his girlfriend s mutilated body in his refrigerator 30 Simone highlighted the gender difference regarding the treatment of Batman and Batgirl regarding paralysis by stating that b oth had their backs broken Batman broke his in a dramatic Batcave confrontation with the villain Bane Batgirl broke hers when she was ambushed in her home and shot in the spine by the Joker never given a chance to fight Less than a year later Batman was fine Batgirl now named Oracle was in a wheelchair and remained so for many years 28 In Superheroes and Superegos Analyzing the Minds Behind the Masks 2010 author Sharon Packer wrote that a nyone who feels that feminist critics overreacted to Gordon s accident is advised to consult the source material calling the work sadistic to the core 92 Brian Cronin noted that many readers felt the violence towards Barbara Gordon was too much and even Moore in retrospect has expressed his displeasure with how the story turned out 29 Jeffrey A Brown author of Dangerous Curves Action Heroines Gender Fetishism and Popular Culture 2011 noted The Killing Joke as an example of the inherent misogyny of the male dominated comic book industry in light of the relatively unequal violence female characters are subjected to 93 While male characters may be critically injured or killed they are more than likely to be returned to their original conception while female characters are more likely to receive permanent damage 93 Reid states that although speculation behind the editorial decision to allow the paralysis of the character to become permanent included the idea she had become outdated if audiences had grown tired of Batgirl it was not because she was a bad character but because she had been written badly 91 Despite views that present the character s Batgirl persona as a symbol of female empowerment a long held criticism is that she was originally conceived as an uninspired variation of Batman rather than standing alone as leader such as Wonder Woman who had no pre existing male counterpart 94 In analyzing stereotypes in gender Jackie Marsh noted that male superheroes such as Batman are depicted as hyper masculine and anti social while female superheroes are reduced to a childlike status by their names such as the Batgirl character 95 Representation for librarians edit In The Image and Role of the Librarian 2002 Wendi Arant and Candace R Benefiel argue that Batgirl s portrayal as a librarian is considered to be significant to the profession in that it is represented as a valuable and honorable career Even in light of the fact that the character abandons it to run for United States Congress Barbara Gordon is seen as being given a career switch that even most librarians would consider a step up 13 In the essay Librarians Professionalism and Image Stereotype and Reality 2007 Abigail Luthmann views the character less favorably stating that t he unassuming role of librarian is used as a low visibility disguise for her crime fighting alter ego and while her information locating skills may have been useful to her extra curricular activities no direct examples are given 96 Representation for Asian Americans edit While many fans were outraged when DC Comics turned Cassandra into a villainess it does gel with notions of Asian women as not just mysterious and exotic but also as deceitful and dangerous That Cassandra s turn to villainy is linked with her mother the sexy and deadly modern Dragon Lady implicitly aligns her ethnic heritage and her gender with the most negative connotations of Orientalism Jeffrey A Brown Dangerous Curves Action Heroines Gender Fetishism and Popular Culture 2011 93 The Cassandra Cain version of Batgirl depicted as a biracial character half White and half Chinese is notable as one of the most prominent characters of Asian descent to appear in American comic books Jeffrey A Brown states that while her ethnicity is rarely mentioned in the comic books Asian women have had a long history in comics of being portrayed as martial artists and are often exploited as sex objects However in the case of Batgirl Cassandra s racial identity is treated more implicitly than explicitly Her costume design actually conceals her entire body so that while in her guise as Batgirl her ethnicity is completely unapparent 93 The fact that her sexuality is also understated represents a shift away from the typical portrayals of women and Asian women in particular 93 The most controversial aspect of her character came about during the One Year Later event when she is reintroduced as a villain The abrupt shift in her character brought about negative criticism from readership 97 When questioned about the change in characterization writer Adam Beechen stated They didn t present me with a rationale as to why Cassandra was going to change or a motivating factor That was left for me to come up with and them to approve And we did that But as far as to why the editors and writers and whoever else made the decision decided that was a good direction I honestly couldn t answer 40 In other media editSee also Barbara Gordon in other media nbsp Yvonne Craig as Batgirl Portrayed by Yvonne Craig the character s first adaptation outside of comic books took place in the third season of Batman 1967 Barbara Gordon having been discussed months earlier by her father and Batman in the second season episodes Batman s Waterloo and The Duo Defy Les Daniels in Batman The Complete History 2004 wrote that the goal of ABC was to attract new audience members especially idealistic young girls and less high minded older men 8 According to Craig I used to think the reason they hired me was because they knew I could ride my own motorcycle I realized they hired me because I had a cartoon voice 8 A shared criticism of Batgirl and other female superheroes in television that came later such as Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman is that she was not allowed to engage in hand to hand combat on screen 88 As such her fights were choreographed carefully to imitate the moves of a Broadway showgirl through the use of a straight kick to her opponent s face rather than the type of kick a martial artist would use 88 However Craig has also stated I meet young women who say Batgirl was their role model They say it s because it was the first time they ever felt girls could do the same things guys could do and sometimes better I think that s lovely 98 During the early 1970s Craig portrayed Batgirl once again in a public service announcement to advocate equal pay for women 94 Since Batman the character has had a long history of appearances in television and other media 94 As Batgirl Barbara Gordon plays a supporting role in a string of animated series voiced by Jane Webb in The Batman Superman Hour 1968 Melendy Britt in The New Adventures of Batman 1977 Melissa Gilbert in Batman The Animated Series 1992 Tara Strong in The New Batman Adventures 1997 Danielle Judovits in The Batman 2004 Mae Whitman in Batman The Brave and the Bold 2008 94 and Briana Cuoco in Harley Quinn 2019 99 In 2012 Batgirl starred alongside Supergirl and Wonder Girl in Super Best Friends Forever a series of shorts developed by Lauren Faust for the DC Nation block on Cartoon Network 100 Barbara Gordon makes two cameo appearances in the first season of the animated series Young Justice and is added as a recurring character in season two where she has adopted her Batgirl persona Dina Meyer starred as Barbara Gordon in the television series Birds of Prey 2002 Although this series focused on her role as the Oracle the series included flashbacks of the character s history as Batgirl In the film Batman amp Robin Alicia Silverstone played a variation of the character Barbara Wilson Alfred Pennyworth s niece She appears in The Lego Batman Movie voiced by Rosario Dawson The character is introduced as Barbara Gordon taking over from her father Jim Gordon to become the new Police Commissioner of Gotham Towards the end of the film she dons her cowl and teams up with Batman as Batgirl in addition to her role as Commissioner In The Dark Knight trilogy James Gordon s wife is named Barbara Gordon portrayed by Ilyssa Fradin in Batman Begins and Melinda McGraw in The Dark Knight This is not a reference to Batgirl Barbara Gordon It s been long established most notably in the famous Batman Year One that the wife of James Gordon is named Barbara In addition to live action television and animation the character has appeared in a number of video games included in the Batman franchise She appears in The Adventures of Batman amp Robin and Batman Rise of Sin Tzu voiced by Tara Strong She also appears in Lego Batman for the PC PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Wii DS and PlayStation Portable 101 In Scribblenauts Unmasked A DC Comics Adventure The Barbara Gordon incarnation of Batgirl appears when Maxwell heads to Arkham Asylum to battle the Scarecrow The other three Batgirls Bette Kane Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain also appear as summonable characters Barbara Gordon has been featured in all four main games of the critically acclaimed Batman Arkham series though she is only seen as Batgirl in the A Matter of Family DLC for the last game Batman Arkham Knight 2015 in which she is playable Set before the events of the series first installment the DLC s plot revolves around Batgirl and Robin attempting to save the former s father along with other police officers from the Joker at an abandoned amusement park located on an oil rig Barbara Gordon as Batgirl is one of the four main playable characters in the video game Gotham Knights 2022 102 103 A child version of Barbara Gordon made an appearance in the television series Gotham Actor Ben McKenzie teased about seeing Batgirl as a child in the series 104 105 Film director Nicolas Winding Refn revealed in an interview with Collider that he would like to direct a Batgirl movie 106 Savannah Welch portrays Barbara Gordon in the third season of the 2018 live action television series Titans In March 2017 it was announced that Joss Whedon would write direct and produce a Batgirl film as part of the DC Extended Universe 107 The film would center on Barbara Gordon as Batgirl with Gail Simone s The New 52 Batgirl comics used as a starting point for the film 108 In February 2018 it was announced that Whedon would be leaving the project as writer and director citing that he didn t really have a story 109 In April 2018 Warner Bros announced that screenwriter Christina Hodson had been tapped to write the screenplay for Batgirl 110 After Whedon s exit the studio said that it was actively looking for a female director 111 In May 2021 it was revealed that Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah had joined the project as co directors It was also revealed that the film is going to be an HBO Max Exclusive 112 In July 2021 actress and singer Leslie Grace was cast as Batgirl 113 The film was subsequently cancelled in August 2022 114 Collected editions editTitle Material collected Publication date ISBN Barbara Gordon Batgirl Year One Batgirl Year One 1 9 February 2003 978 1 4012 0080 0 Batman Batgirl One shot July 1997 978 1 5638 9305 6 Batman The Cat and The Bat Batman Confidential 17 21 2009 978 1 4012 2496 7 Showcase Presents Batgirl Various titles July 2007 978 1 4012 1367 1 Batgirl The Greatest Stories Ever Told Various titles December 2010 978 1401229245 Batgirl A Celebration of 50 Years Various titles February 2017 978 1401268169 Batgirl The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol 1 Detective Comics 359 363 369 371 384 385 388 389 392 393 396 397 400 401 404 424 Batman 197 Batman Family 1 3 7 9 11 December 2017 978 1401276409 Batgirl The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol 2 Batman Family 12 20 and Detective Comics 481 499 501 502 505 506 508 510 512 519 Batgirl Special 1 April 2019 978 1401288419 Batgirl Robin Year One Batgirl Year One 1 9 Robin Year One 1 4 June 2013 978 1401240332 Batgirl Year One Deluxe Edition Batgirl Year One 1 9 February 2019 978 1401287931 Batgirl Vol 1 The Darkest Reflection Batgirl vol 4 1 6 July 2012 978 1401234751 Batgirl Vol 2 Knightfall Descends Batgirl vol 4 7 13 0 February 2013 978 1401238179 Batgirl Vol 3 Death of the Family Batgirl vol 4 14 19 Annual vol 2 1 Batman vol 2 17 a story from Young Romance 1 October 2013 978 1401242596 Batgirl Vol 4 Wanted Batgirl vol 4 20 26 Batman The Dark Knight 23 1 Ventriloquist May 2014 978 1401250409 Batgirl Vol 5 Deadline Batgirl vol 4 27 34 Annual vol 2 2 Batgirl Futures End 1 December 2014 978 1401250416 Batgirl Vol 1 Batgirl of Burnside Batgirl vol 4 35 40 part of Secret Origins 10 June 2015 978 1401253325 Batgirl Vol 2 Family Business Batgirl vol 4 41 45 Annual vol 2 3 the Sneak Peek story from Convergence Infinity Inc 2 February 2016 978 1401259662 Batgirl Vol 3 Mindfields Batgirl vol 4 46 52 August 2016 978 1401262693 Batgirl Vol 1 Beyond Burnside Batgirl vol 5 1 6 March 2017 978 1401268404 Batgirl Vol 2 Son of Penguin Batgirl vol 5 7 11 Annual vol 3 1 October 2017 978 1401274245 Batgirl Vol 3 Summer of Lies Batgirl vol 5 12 17 April 2018 978 1401278908 Batgirl Vol 4 Strange Loop Batgirl vol 5 18 24 stories from 25 December 2018 978 1401284657 Batgirl Vol 5 Art of the Crime Batgirl vol 5 26 29 Annual vol 3 2 a story from 25 May 2019 978 1401289461 Batgirl Vol 6 Old Enemies Batgirl vol 5 30 36 December 2019 978 1401295387 Batgirl Vol 7 Oracle Rising Batgirl vol 5 37 44 June 2020 978 1779502469 Batgirl Vol 8 Joker War Batgirl vol 5 45 50 March 2021 978 1779505828 Cassandra Cain Batgirl Silent Running Batgirl vol 2 1 6 March 2001 978 1 8402 3266 0 Batgirl A Knight Alone Batgirl vol 2 7 11 13 14 November 2001 978 1 5638 9852 5 Batgirl Death Wish Batgirl vol 2 17 20 22 23 25 August 2003 978 1 8402 3707 8 Batgirl Fists of Fury Batgirl vol 2 15 16 21 26 28 May 2004 978 1 4012 0205 7 Robin Batgirl Fresh Blood Robin vol 4 132 133 Batgirl vol 2 58 59 October 2005 978 1 4012 0433 4 Batgirl Kicking Assassins Batgirl vol 2 60 64 January 2006 978 1 4012 0439 6 Batgirl Destruction s Daughter Batgirl vol 2 65 73 September 2006 978 1 4012 0896 7 Batgirl Redemption Batgirl 1 6 2008 2009 miniseries June 2009 978 1 4012 2275 8 Batgirl Vol 1 Silent Knight Batgirl vol 2 1 12 Annual 1 January 2016 978 1401266271 Batgirl Vol 2 To The Death Batgirl vol 2 13 25 July 2016 978 1401263522 Batgirl Vol 3 Point Blank Batgirl vol 2 26 37 a story from Batgirl Secret Files and Origins 1 January 2017 978 1401265854 Stephanie Brown Batgirl Batgirl Rising Batgirl vol 3 1 7 September 2010 978 1 4012 2723 4 Batgirl The Flood Batgirl vol 3 9 14 May 2011 978 1 4012 3142 2 Batgirl The Lesson Batgirl vol 3 15 24 November 2011 978 1 4012 3270 2 Batgirl Stephanie Brown Vol 1 Batgirl vol 3 1 12 August 2017 978 1401269104 Batgirl Stephanie Brown Vol 2 Batgirl vol 3 13 24 Bruce Wayne The Road Home Batgirl 1 and Batman Incorporated Leviathan Strikes 1 March 2018 978 1401277888 Batgirls Batgirls Vol 1 Batgirls 1 6 Batgirls short stories from Batman 115 117 November 2022 978 1779517067 Batgirls Vol 2 Bat Girl Summer Batgirls 7 12 March 2023 978 1779520289 Batgirls Vol 3 Girls to the Front Batgirls 13 19 October 2023 978 1779523457 Other collected editions edit Batman Bruce Wayne Murderer Batgirl 24 Batman Bruce Wayne Fugitive Vol One Batgirl 27 and 29 Batman Bruce Wayne Fugitive Vol Three Batgirl 33 Batman War Games Act One Outbreak Batgirl 55 Batman War Games Act Two Tides Batgirl 56 Batman War Games Act Three Endgame Batgirl 57 See also editBarbara Gordon Misfit Batwoman Gotham Girls List of women warriors in folkloreReferences edit Batgirl Reading Order Your Guide to Batman s ally from Barbara Gordon to Cassandra Cain Comic Book Treasury Retrieved 2022 11 01 Barco Mandalit del 2022 08 06 New studio execs slay Batgirl but she s been through tougher fights NPR Retrieved 2022 11 01 a b c d Daniels 2004 p 93 Bill Finger w Sheldon Moldoff p Charles Paris i Bat Girl Batman no 139 April 1961 DC Comics a b Grandinetti Fred Remembering Kathy Kane The First Batwoman Newsarama Archived from the original on September 29 2007 Retrieved 2007 09 19 Marv Wolfman w George Perez a Crisis on Infinite Earths no 1 12 April 1985 March 1986 DC Comics George Perez w Various a Pieces of the Puzzle Secret Origins Annual no 3 1989 DC Comics a b c Daniels 2004 p 113 115 a b Cassell Dewey February 2010 Growing Up Gordon The Early Years of Batgirl Back Issue 38 TwoMorrows Publishing 65 70 Fitzgerald Michael 2007 Carmine infantino Decades at DC and Beyond Archived from the original on November 24 2007 Retrieved 2007 11 23 Daniels Les 1995 DC Comics Sixty Years of the World s Favorite Comic Book Heroes Bulfinch p 141 ISBN 0 8212 2076 4 a b c Madrid Mike 2009 The Supergirls Fashion Feminism Fantasy and the History of Comic Book Heroines Exterminating Angel Press pp 136 138 ISBN 978 1 935259 03 9 a b Arant Wendi Benefiel Candace 2002 The Image and Role of the Librarian Haworth Press pp 77 80 ISBN 0 7890 2099 8 Detective Comics no 417 November 1971 DC Comics Gardner Fox w Mike Sekowsky p Sid Greene i Winged Warriors of the Immortal Queen Justice League of America no 60 February 1968 DC Comics Cary Bates w Neal Adams p Dick Giordano i The Superman Batman Split World s Finest Comics no 176 June 1968 DC Comics Bob Haney w Bob Brown a In the Coils of Copperhead The Brave and the Bold no 78 June July 1968 DC Comics Carry Bated w Win Mortimer p Jack Abel i The Supergirl Gang Adventure Comics no 381 June 1969 DC Comics a b Elliot S Maggin w Curt Swan p Bob Oksner i Wild Week End in Washington Superman no 268 October 1973 DC Comics Frank Robbins w Don Heck a Batgirl s Last Case Detective Comics no 424 June 1972 Elliot S Maggin w Mike Grell a The Invader from Hell Batman Family no 1 September October 1975 DC Comics Bob Rozakis w Bob Brown p Vince Colletta i Those Were the Bad Old Days Batman Family no 10 March April 1977 Batman Family no 20 October November 1978 Marv Wolfman w George Perez a Beyond the Silent Night Crisis on Infinite Earths no 7 April 1985 March 1986 Barbara Randall w Rick Leonardi p Dick Giordano i Flawed Gems Secret Origins vol 2 no 20 November 1987 DC Comics Barbara Randall w Barry Kitson p Bruce Patterson i The Last Batgirl Story Batgirl Special no 1 1988 DC Comics Alan Moore w Brian Bolland a Batman The Killing Joke 1988 DC Comics ISBN 978 0 930289 45 4 a b c Cochrane Shannon 2007 The Cold Shoulder Saving Superheroines from Comic book Violence Bitch Portland Oregon Bitch Media a b c Cronin Brian 2009 Was Superman A Spy and Other Comic Book Legends Revealed New York City Penguin Books pp 45 47 ISBN 978 0 452 29532 2 a b c Brown 2011 p 175 Cronin Brian 2007 A Perhaps Unnecessary Guide to Oracle s Formative Years Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on October 11 2007 Retrieved September 11 2007 Bob Gale w Alex Maleev p Wayne Faucher i No Law and a New Order Part Two Strategy Batman Shadow of the Bat no 83 March 1999 DC Comics Brooker Will 2001 Batman Unmasked Analyzing a Cultural Icon New York City Continuum International Publishing Group pp 187 151 319 ISBN 0 8264 1343 9 Greg Rucka Jordan B Gorfinkel w Greg Land p Drew Geraci i Ground Zero Batman No Man s Land no 0 December 1999 DC Comics Conroy Mike 2002 500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes Natick Massachusetts ChrysalisPublishing Group ISBN 1 84411 004 4 a b Richards Dave March 4 2005 Nature or Nurture Andersen Gabrych talks Batgirl Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on December 21 2008 Retrieved February 17 2008 Scott Peterson Kelley Puckett w Damion Scott p Robert Campanella i Silent Running Batgirl no 1 6 April September 2000 DC Comics Various w Various a A Knight Alone Batgirl no 7 14 October 2000 May 2001 Andersen Gabrych w Pop Mhan p Jesse Delperdang Adam DeKraker i Blood Matters Conclusion Revelations Batgirl no 73 April 2006 a b Taylor Robert November 5 2006 Reflections Talking Robin And Batgirl With Adam Beechen Comic Book Resources Archived from the original on October 12 2007 Retrieved February 19 2008 Geoff Johns w Tony Daniel p Jonathan Glapion i Titans East Part 1 Teen Titans vol 3 no 43 March 2007 DC Comics a b Bryan Q Miller w Pere Perez a Bruce Wayne The Road Home Batgirl December 2010 DC Comics Fabian Nicieza w Marcus To p Ray McCarthy i The Hit List Epilogue Back to Front Red Robin no 17 January 2011 DC Comics Grant Morrison w Chris Burnham a Nyktomorph Batman Inc no 6 June 2011 DC Comics a b Doran Michael 2011 07 01 DC Releases New The New 52 Info amp Answers to Retailers Newsarama Retrieved 2011 07 07 Doll Jen August 30 2011 Comic Fans to Gather in Times Square at Midnight for Launch of The New 52 The Village Voice New York City VF Corp Archived from the original on February 14 2012 Retrieved September 3 2011 Doran Michael June 6 2011 UPDATE 7 More DCnU BATMAN Reveals BATMAN INC Info Newsarama Archived from the original on 23 June 2011 Retrieved July 7 2011 a b c d e Ross Vaneta January 12 2012 GAIL SIMONE on Revelations About BATGIRL s Miraculous Cure Newsarama Retrieved February 22 2012 Rogers Vaneta September 12 2011 Ten NEW 52 Titles Exceed 100k DC Touts Sales Success Newsarama Retrieved September 12 2011 Langshaw Mark September 2 2011 Action Comics 1 Batgirl 1 sell out at distribution level Digital Spy London England Hearst Magazines UK Retrieved September 2 2011 Reid Calvin 2011 09 08 The New 52 PW Comics World Reviews DC Comics New Series Publishers Weekly Retrieved 2011 09 08 Gustines George Gene Kepler Adam W 2011 09 08 Rating the No 1 s Batgirl and More The New York Times Retrieved 2011 09 08 Tucker Ken September 7 2011 Comic book consumer guide Grading the new DC 1s Batgirl Detective Comics and more Entertainment Weekly New York City Meredith Corporation Retrieved September 7 2011 Miller John Jackson September 2011 September 2011 Comic Book Sales Figures comichron com Retrieved 2012 03 07 Miller John Jackson October 2011 October 2011 Comic Book Sales Figures comichron com Retrieved 2012 03 07 Miller John Jackson November 2011 November 2011 Comic Book Sales Figures comichron com Retrieved 2012 03 07 Miller John Jackson December 2011 December 2011 Comic Book Sales Figures comichron 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Phillips Jevon March 27 2016 DC bets big on Rebirth A re centering of characters and the Joker s real name Los Angeles Times Los Angeles California Retrieved March 29 2016 Batgirl vol 5 no 7 March 2017 Booker M Keith 2010 Encyclopedia of Comic Books and Graphic Novels ABC CLIO p 53 ISBN 978 0 313 35746 6 Howard Chaykin w Dan Brereton a Thrillkiller no 1 3 January March 1997 DC Comics Howard Chaykin w Dan Brereton a Thrillkiller 62 1998 DC Comics Barbara Kesel Matt Haley Tom Simmons w Matt Haley p Tom Simmons i Elseworld s Finest Supergirl amp Batgirl September 1998 DC Comics Offenberger Rik 2007 Dan DiDio DC Comics All Star Silver Bullet Comics Archived from the original on 2007 10 11 Retrieved 2007 09 11 Morse Ben 2006 HEY NOW YOU RE AN ALL STAR Wizard Archived from the original on 2007 10 12 Retrieved 2007 11 23 Batman Beyond Unlimited no 18 September 2013 Matt Santori Griffith 2014 09 10 Review BATGIRL FUTURES END 1 Comicosity Retrieved 2016 03 30 DC Comics Bombshells no 19 January 2017 Bennett Marguerite w Andolfo Mirka Laura Braga a Bombshells no 14 June 1 2016 DC Comics Bennett Marguerite w Charretier Elsa a DC Comics Bombshells Annual no 1 August 31st 2016 Matthew Aguilar 2023 08 17 DC Reveals Sequels to Batman 89 and Superman 78 Exclusive Comicbook com Retrieved 2023 08 18 Dominguez Noah November 23 2022 Batman Has Drafted Scooby Doo s Daphne to Be a New Batgirl Comic Book Resources Retrieved 2023 03 08 a b c Early Frances H Kennedy Kathleen 2003 Athena s Daughters Television s New Women Warriors Syracuse University Press p 187 ISBN 978 0 313 33589 1 Top 100 Comic Book Heroes IGN Entertainment Archived from the original on 2016 05 24 Retrieved 2011 07 06 a b Sanderson Peter 2005 01 07 Comics in Context 67 Catch As Cats Can IGN Archived from the original on 2011 05 01 Retrieved 2007 11 22 a b Reid Robin Anne 2009 Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy Overviews ABC CLIO pp 88 89 ISBN 978 0 313 33591 4 Packer Sharon 2010 Superheroes and Superegos Analyzing the 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Archived from the original on 2012 02 26 Retrieved 2012 02 28 Game Informer features a two page gallery of the many heroes and villains who appear in the game with a picture for each character and a descriptive paragraph See Lego Batman Character Gallery Game Informer 186 October 2008 92 Stewart Marcus Batgirl s Controversial Gotham Knights Biography Has Been Reworked Game Informer Retrieved 2022 11 01 Characters Gotham Knights EIP Gaming eip gg Retrieved 2022 11 01 Jayson Jay January 9 2016 Ben McKenzie Confirms Barbara s Return On Gotham Comic Book Burlingame Russ January 9 2016 Gotham Star We Intend To Deal With the Birth of Batgirl Comic Book Cabin Chris June 27 2016 Nicolas Winding Refn Wants to Direct a Batgirl Movie Collider McNary Dave March 30 2017 Batgirl Movie Joss Whedon to Direct Standalone Film Variety Retrieved March 30 2017 Breznican Anthony March 30 2017 Joss Whedon will write and direct a Batgirl movie about Barbara Gordon Entertainment Weekly Retrieved March 30 2017 McNary Dave 2018 02 22 Joss Whedon Exits as Batgirl Movie Director Variety Retrieved 2018 02 22 Kit Borys April 9 2018 Batgirl Movie Back On Now With Bumblebee Writer Exclusive Hollywood Reporter Retrieved April 11 2018 Mithaiwala Mansoor February 22 2018 Warner Bros Wants a Female Director for DC s Batgirl Movie Screen Rant Retrieved March 13 2018 Kit Borys 2021 05 19 Bad Boys for Life Filmmakers to Direct Batgirl Movie for Warner Bros Exclusive The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 2021 05 19 Couch Aaron Kit Borys 2021 07 21 Batgirl Casts In The Heights Star Leslie Grace as Superhero The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved 2021 07 21 Gonzalez Umberto August 2 2022 Batgirl Won t Fly Warner Bros Discovery Has No Plans to Release Nearly Finished 90 Million Film TheWrap Archived from the original on August 2 2022 Retrieved August 2 2022 Sources editBrown Jeffrey A 2011 Dangerous Curves Action Heroines Gender Fetishism and Popular Culture University Press of Mississippi ISBN 978 1 60473 714 1 JSTOR j ctt2tv6xs Daniels Les 2004 Batman The Complete History Chronicle Books ISBN 0 8118 4232 0 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Batgirl Official website nbsp nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to Batgirl Barbara Gordon at the Grand Comics Database Batgirl at Don Markstein s Toonopedia Archived from the original on August 27 2015 Bat Girl at the Comic Book DB archived from the original Batgirl Barbara Gordon at the Comic Book DB archived from the original Batgirl Helena Bertinelli at the Comic Book DB archived from the original Batgirl Cassandra Cain at the Comic Book DB archived from the original Batgirl Stephanie Brown at the Comic Book DB archived from the original Batgirl on DC Database a DC Comics wiki Batgirl on IMDb Portals nbsp Comics nbsp Speculative fiction nbsp Feminism nbsp United States Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Batgirl amp oldid 1214508650 Publication history, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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