The Origin of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl

[batcookies.insanejournal.com]

Now, I love Babs as Oracle, and Cass as Batgirl, but that doesn't mean I have no love for Babs' time as Batgirl. Especially these stories.

This first story is Flawed Gems (Secret Origins #20), by Barbara Randal. It's an old friend. We go way back (It's also a very large comic, also including the origin of the original Dr. Mid-Nite, so I've kept the pagecount kosher)
































This second story is Folie a Deux, from Legends of the DC Universe 10-11, by Kelley Puckett and Terry Dodson. It's a recent find, one I bought just a few weeks ago, and I'm kicking myself for not knowing about it sooner.

Cutting out a lot, much about Jim starting to have suspicions about what Babs is doing with her free time... he's not an idiot. He pretty much knows, he's just not sure how to feel about it. It's a slightly different take on her background, so Babs is starting some "Batgirl" stuff while still in college.













The private lessons seem to be going well, but Jim finds out about them, and decides it's finally time to speak up and put an end to things.

But then he gets shot while trying to stop a robbery... while Batgirl's watching...







The bad guys seem to have an inkling that things have gotten out of hand, and settle for tying up our heroes.







She does it, using everything Batman taught her about misdirection, and then carries Jim to a hospital herself... then "Batgirl" vanished.

Comments

[parsimonia.insanejournal.com]

Wow, I've never seen that second story before! Thanks for posting this.

It's interesting to see her parents' deaths approached here. It's not often mentioned or referenced.

But neither of these are canon, are they?

[batcookies.insanejournal.com]

They were. These days "Canon" has become a dirty word and everyone's too good for it, all going "Ah, but they're all equally imaginary stories!", so your guess is as good as mine.

[sir_mikael.insanejournal.com]

These are really good. I especially like the first one. Great art and so well written. You get a sense of Babs as a person there, and you see her (reasonable) thought process, and you do it in a way that seems logical and appropriate for the age that she is at the time. And some pretty awesome scenes too.
I never knew she was adopted!

An interesting thing about the second round of scans is that in her civilian identity we never see her standing up. I don't know if that's just a coincidence or if that's true all the way trhough the issue but it stands out here, I think.

[zhinxy.insanejournal.com]

Folie a Deux, from Legends of the DC Universe 10-11, by Kelley Puckett and Terry Dodson. It's a recent find, one I bought just a few weeks ago, and I'm kicking myself for not knowing about it sooner.

How absolutely gorgeous, and I'd never even heard of it. Another for the must-buy pile. Thankyou batcookies!

[besamim.insanejournal.com]

"Ah, but they're all equally imaginary stories!"

Comic Book Guy: "Get out of my store!"

Seriously, though, those are wonderful stories. Thanks for posting 'em.

You know, much as I love Batman tales in various media (including making up age-appropriate tales for my preschooler nephews), there's only one that's actually moved me to manly tears. And that's The New Batman Adventures episode "Over the Edge," specifically the final scene where Barbara wakes from her nightmare, then has a tender conversation with her father, in which he hints that he knows she's Batgirl and is not only okay with it but proud of her. *sniff ohgodexcuseme*

[icon_uk.insanejournal.com]

This is fun, but my only problem with Barbara as Batgirl remains her motivation, or pretty much complete absence of same.

Gotham is a city that seems to empower it's heroes by loss. Batman is completely motivated by loss, as were Dick and Jason (in different ways), Tim was a deliberate attempt to alter that situation, by making his role of Robin be about responsibility and Batman's NEED for a balance. The tragic loss came later (though his Mum's early demise "helped") and came by the truckload, with loved ones being felled like wheat chaff.

On the other hand, Babs motivation was she had the costume on to go to a party, and enjoyed the thrill of it. That's a much, much weaker motivation IMHO, especially in Gotham, and when she was one of only TWO people to actually wear the Bat (Not counting Batwoman and Bat-Girl I suppose) and was only viable as long as it was never mentioned.

GIP

[jarodrussell.insanejournal.com]

If nothing else, the second to last panel on the last page assures me Barbara would make a good pirate.

[bluefall.insanejournal.com]

I have to say, I've never really been that fond of Folie a Deux, Dodson art notwithstanding. The Jim-Babs team-up is cute and all (the final page is fantastic), but there's just too much inconsistency with the Batgirl history I knew best and prefer most.

(Though it does get points for not including the "Crush on Bruce" motivation that I see you neglected to include from the Secret Origins story.)

(And, of course, for not being Vanhook wannabe-Batman bullshit, but that ought to go without saying.)

[jarodrussell.insanejournal.com]

That's why I like the "Batgirl Begins" episode of The Batman so much. Yes, Barbara starts out doing it as a lark, but after she sames Jim from Poison Ivy, the last scene has her talking to Batman:

Batgirl: So, I guess you're going to tell him, right?

Batman: Not every child gets the opportunity to rescue their parent.

Since then, I've thought of Batgirl as a figure of hope. Because of Batman's inspiration, Barbara got to do the one thing Bruce can never do. *shrugs*

[bluefall.insanejournal.com]

LEGENDS was always dubiously canon, sort of like the Classified/Confidential series. The SECRET ORIGINS bit was canon, though, up until it got overwritten by BATGIRL Y1, so presumably the parts of it that don't conflict with that (like her childhood before living with Gordon, etc) are still in effect. At least for the moment - God knows what they'll do to the poor woman next. :/

[batcookies.insanejournal.com]

Some of the Batgirl jumbled history was a bit jarring, but the interactions with Jim (which really were the thrust of the story) made up for it.

And I love that bit where Batman comes out of nowhere, says "no more Batgirl" and she just automatically says "okay" followed a heartbeat later when her brain turns back on and she's all "wait, no, not okay!"

[bluejaybirdie.insanejournal.com]

Babs went to college at sixteen?! Holy crap. I'm sixteen, and definatly not ready to do that. I can't imagine...just goes to show how awesome and determined she is!

I really like how when Bats tried to go all "ScaryBatGod" controlling on her, she actually argued back and stood up for herself (and threw in some pretty damn good arguments too). This is why I love her. She's just so fiesty! <3

[sistermagpie.insanejournal.com]

I like that!

It's interesting, because I don't tend to think of Batgirl as enjoying the thrill originally so much as she enjoys the feeling that she's both made the kind of difference that feels good to her and also finding an outlet to a part of herself that society didn't encourage in her at that time. I don't like it when that second part is too emphasized, but I think the balance is important.

[nevermore999.insanejournal.com]

I saw the first one and loved it on OSD, but never seen the second one. That art is SO PRETTY! I like Dodson in general, but this is the best I've seen from him!

[runespoor7.insanejournal.com]

I agree, and I think this is why Batgirl was effectively retired even before TKJ.

She'd outgrown the role, and it's telling of the trauma TKJ made on her that she became more attached to - or more protective of - her identity as Batgirl after she became Oracle than she was when she left Batgirl of her own free will.

[runespoor7.insanejournal.com]

So, how much does Batman sneaking notes to the thirteen-year-old rock? A lot, that's how much!

Also, it fucks up with my Bat-mythology that Babs in the first wanted to become Robin. "He needs a partner, I'll be his partner!" -- Robin!

[jlbarnett.insanejournal.com]

of course Babs shouldn't be able to look up at Supergirl as a kid.

Slippery slope, Bluefall, that's what you're making here

[scottyquick.insanejournal.com]

We give points for not being Vanhookish? What's next, points for "Oh, they didn't acknowledge Cass' appearances post OYL" ?

[sistermagpie.insanejournal.com]

I continue to be fascinated by the way my own preferences for Batgirl seem to be directly opposite the way the comics improved her. It's like they looked back and said, "Wait, we forgot to make it clear that she looks up to Batman because how can she be a girl superhero if she's not spunkily complaining that he's treating her like a child (because she is one, but wants to be older, isn't that cute).

[brilliantnova.insanejournal.com]

It's been along time since I thoroughly enjoyed a post in the 2 different scans communities.
I really loved this post. The feelings that were evoked from these panels are the main reasons why I fell in love with American comics over a decade ago.

[perletwo.insanejournal.com]

I so love the art on both these. How on earth does Babs go from looking like Grownup Sexy Superhero to looking like a schoolkid in the last few scans, yet stay recognizably Babs?

[mysteryfan.insanejournal.com]

But...

She was officially retired only right before TKJ, and they didn't have any kind of grand plan for her at the time, i.e. what to do with her later. TKJ isn't even her story. She's collateral damage for her father figures. IMO. I think, based on everything I've read, the shooting (and subsequent crippling) was a spur of the moment decision by Moore and Wein.

I do think she has a weaker origin than Bruce and Dick, but I can get past a weaker origin (and how do you top Bruce and Dick's? On the other hand, Cass's origin is very, very intriguing. But then you have to take in why Batgirl even ever existed, so that's another piece of the puzzle. To make Bruce and Dick ... have a girl in their lives.) because I like her so much and she is the daughter of the police commissioner. I don't think they retired her because of a weaker origin. She was *hugely* popular. I can't quite figure out the reasoning, but I think at least partly she was retired based on the desire for a darker, loner Batman. Maybe. She was only retired right before TKJ, so maybe it was for drama?... nah. I can't give them that much thinking ahead credit. I'm still not sure why the big ol' retirement story of not good writing. But it had ads for TKJ in it. So there wasn't a huge time differential between retiring and getting shot.

Love this story? Love Batgirl? You'll love The Killing Joke! Let's shoot her, take naked pictures and freak out her father, while he's forced to wear leather fetish gear and ride a roller coaster.

I hope to god Babs is not Batgirl again, but I did love her as BG.

[mysteryfan.insanejournal.com]

This.

[mysteryfan.insanejournal.com]

Her motivation is a problem. I just ignore it. If they redo it, they'll just end up making her even younger.

[mysteryfan.insanejournal.com]

Oh! That *is* nice.