Batgirl #22

[sherkahn]

One page where Squire and Batgirl compare notes and their roles within their respective clans.






I do so love that while Stephanie is an agent of the Bat, she truly is her own independent person, more than anyone of the Bat-family members (including Catwoman).

And panel #3, what is Stephanie doing?

For those of you too young to remember, Steph is doing an impersonation of THIS.

*Be right back, my panties seemed to have had a flood of joy.

Comments

[aaron_bourque]

You are most certainly not a sidekick

But that still won't save you, come September!

Hahahahahahaha!

[thehefner]

I do so love that while Stephanie is an agent of the Bat, she truly is her own independent person, more than anyone of the Bat-family members (including Catwoman).

.... How so? Both of Selina's solo series BARELY had Batman in it, and she's barely even seen Batman in the pages of Gotham City Sirens! How does a Bat-named character with her own Oracle figure and other members of the Bat-family popping up on a semi-regular basis make her more independent of the Bat-Family than Selina?

[icon_uk]

Agreed, in using the name Batgirl she's definitely more tied to the Batclan than Selina is.

[saralakali]

But she didn't start out that way. Stephanie was more about thwarting her father than emulating the Bat.

Whereas Selina started her career in love with Batman and that is the one thing that has stayed constant through all her changes.

[icon_uk]

Stephanie was more about thwarting her father than emulating the Bat.

Yes, which she did, and then stuck around, more or less because she wanted to hang out with Tim, the Robin at the time.

And regardless of where she started from, she took the role of Robin, as in "Batman and..." and then took the name Batgirl, a name forever linked to Batman.

Catwoman has always been her own person, making her own choices, and the fact she's in love with Bruce is really her only link, she's quite capable of going months without seeing him.

[retro_nouveau]

And regardless of where she started from, she took the role of Robin, as in "Batman and..." and then took the name Batgirl, a name forever linked to Batman.

Reason #2 that I hated the change to Batgirl was that Steph never went back to her own original, brand-new, non-bat, non-bird, never-seen-before, made-from-scratch-by-her-lone-self identity, reason #1 being that Cass is Batgirl.

[shadowpsykie]

*Be right back, my panties seemed to have had a flood of joy.
.... O_o....o_O....((O_O))

okay sorry... i get what you getting but... still

but yes, thank you, i agree greatness :D

LOVE THIS BOOK

[kenwyn89]

Totally having missed that line before = :O

... that's definitely one way to put it!

[dr_archeville]

And panel #3, what is Stephanie doing?

Pretending she's Batman, drawing her cape over her face to be all menace-y? Like so.

[halloweenjack]

I initially thought that she was hugging Beryl from behind.

[whitesycamore]

Me too! I assumed she just liked to move fast with the ladies. :D

[sherkahn]

While saying this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPTOvhbVfVc

[kd_the_movie]

haha i like how when everyone does an impression of Bruce, they do the cape over the face thing (see: Ollie making fun of Bruce to Hawkman in the Kevin Smith Green Arrow run).

[eyz]

And on the Brave and the Bold cartoon too! :P

[red_menace]

You know what I really like about Steph? She's entirely unashamed of just how much she fangirls other heroes. Squire, Supergirl, the Birds. It's a refreshing change from all the "I'm the alpha around here" mindset the other bats get into from time to time.

[lencannon]

"Oh, you like this comic do you?" DC asks "Well, don't worry! It won't exist in three months time!"

A gentle hand rests on your shoulder. "You seem upset? Would you like to read OMAC? How about I, Vampire? Grifter? Those are characters that are gonna catch on."

[icon_uk]

To be fair (Well, fair and quite possibly insanely optimistic), I think it's nice to see an American comic book company diversifying their main line to include horror, westerns and military titles (For a given value of military at any rate)

It's the fact it's at the apparent cost of titles like this that really grates.

[jlbarnett]

they're still apparently sent in the DCU for some reason

[icon_uk]

Why not? Their old Westerns and War stories were set in the DCU (Just in case they wanted a time travel story I suppose)

[philippos42]

I laughed out loud.

[greenmask]

What IS that accent? Steph'nie?

[icon_uk]

Something akin to Estuary English again I think, missing out a middle syllable seems par for the course. Just imagine David Tennant as DW saying something like "Come on Steph'nie..." it sort of works.

[greenmask]

Hmm, I suppose it does at that. Just about.

I don't want to associate happy sweet Beryl with annoying SHUT UP SHUT UP Ten-Tennant, though!

[icon_uk]

I recommend just remembering him using his own very pleasant Scottish accent in "Tooth and Claw" until the nasty feeling goes away.

[kenwyn89]

Except I love his Scottish accent more ^^

I like Knight and Squire- they sort of work for British Superheroes. Except we have Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who and James Bond, amongst others, to make up for it.

[espanolbot]

Hey, we have regular superheroes to.

They just aren't published any more because of the "comics are for kids!" mentally that everyone but the 2000AD guys seem to have.

[kenwyn89]

Ah, must need to read up more- but I saw a proper good Doctor Who graphic novel alongside all other superhero ones the other day browsing in WHSmiths ;)

[heckfire]

I regretfully only recall Dan Dare (does he count?), Marvelman/Miracleman, and the Marvel UK guys from the 90s (again, not sure if they count). Who are some of the other superheroes from the area?

[icon_uk]

The Knights of Pengdradon should certainly count, as should MotorMouth and Hell's Angel

Not quite heroes, but certainly superhumanly gifted agents include

Steel Claw
The Spider (Very much an anti-hero at least)
Kelley's Eye

[heckfire]

What about Death's Head, any model? I know the first was more anti-hero, but the second was Marvel UK's Wolverine for a while there.

[icon_uk]

I'll take Steed and Mrs Peel (or Steed and Cathy Gale) over Bond any day! :)

[valtyr]

It's a glottal stop.

[icon_uk]

Thank you, I thought that was the term, but wasn't entirely sure. *

* There's a reason the character in my icon is my hero! :)

[valtyr]

Linguist/communicator types are awesome. :)

[icon_uk]

Doug and Beryl on a date could be fun! Each swapping languages mid sentence and the other being able to follow seamlessly! :)

[lieut_kettch]

Yes! Let Doug enthrall Beryl aurally with cunning linguistics!

[philippos42]

I thought it was a dropped vowel.

[valtyr]

Hm. Depends on how exactly it's said; it could quite possibly be both, I think.

[bariman]

Sounds painful.

[espanolbot]

It is funny that one of Steph's main skills that she is far, FAR more of a people person than the rest of the Bat Clan, even Dick doesn't get on with people as well she does.

I know that this is meant to be the lead in to the Batman Inc. issue where she teams up with Bruce to fight the girls school for assassins... which might actually have been what Bruce meant by sending her to a British finishing school, in that he meant he was sending her there undercover, not to uproot her from her home and send her across the Atlantic for no reason.

[darkknightjrk]

"which might actually have been what Bruce meant by sending her to a British finishing school, in that he meant he was sending her there undercover, not to uproot her from her home and send her across the Atlantic for no reason."

Yes, I pretty much figured that was exactly what it was meant to be the moment I saw that in The Return.

[icon_uk]

I think I have to slightly demur there, remember that Beryl's power means she talks to people on their own level, so she may the one making this conversation easier.

I think Steph gets on with people okay, but I don't think that people relate to her as Batgirl particularly. People might like her in a vague sort of way, but they would follow Dick into hell (and in many cases have) and, at the very least, respect Batman in a god-fearing sort of way.

which might actually have been what Bruce meant by sending her to a British finishing school, in that he meant he was sending her there undercover, not to uproot her from her home and send her across the Atlantic for no reason.

Was there ever any real doubt? Sending her there was always part of her Batman Inc. mission.

[runespoor]

I agree with everything in this comment.

[mullon]

I want to gently fist bump Squire's shirt.

[heckfire]

Same, but for totally untoward and inappropriate reasons...what? She's pretty.

[maxisanacorn]

I just want Stephanie to exist. She's too good to loose. Keep her in Britain. She's the closest thing Tim has to Catwoman like...pairing for Tim (sigh besides Kon to all those who ship them I guess). At least his only hetereo pairing...SHE HITS HIM WITH A BRICK! IT'S LOOOOOOOOOOOoooVE.

I think it's a good sign that Morrison wanted to use her or at least was willing to use her in a story arc for Batman Inc that included her and Batman on a cover and JUST them.

The fact that she gets a cover issue team-up in INC is really...promising in my opinion, because I have a feeling everything in Batman Inc will be the same post reboot. It's the main "event" in the Batseries and I don't think DC would take away all of his toys.

At least I figure that "cements" her in the INC story-line. I don't think they would let Morrison take up a whole issue of Batgirl and a whole issue of INC of her team-up with him in Britain if they just were going to dump Stephanie after September all together.

At least this what I'm telling myself. Blue lantern rings on every finger.

What really pisses me off is that Babs was interesting as Batgirl, but it's really retro retconned nostalgia of her in "Batgirl" stories like in Year One, and her non canon depiction in Dini cartoon shows and the like that make her run as Batgirl actually...better than it actually was. I think as a character she was more admirable for being a librarian and a senator when she was, then she ever had in go-go boots and her fanny pack...thing.

Quite frankly I don't think Babs when they find this ability to make her move, in the real world would EVER take up the Batgirl mantle again. Psychologically I don't think it would be right. But I don't think Didio and Co. really care for anybody born post 1988...like serious.

[eyz]

I just love both these girls!! :'3

The "I Am the Night!!"-bit reminds me how Green Arrow mocked Bats on the Brave and the Bold cartoon :P