How to bring back Harper Row

[Westbats]

Harper’s certainly has had a very complicated relationship with fans, and while Snyder and Tynion have moved on to write other things for DC, I'm still hold out hope that she’ll get a second chance to impress readers and carve out a niche for herself. Personally, she’s my favourite character, but even I recognize that the Batman and Robin Eternal series did no favours for developing her for the long term.

In a previous thread I mentioned that with the current atmosphere of editorial and marketing that it’s near impossible to assert a new character without a dedicated, longterm writer and more importantly, a longterm plan.

I think that if DC were to go ahead and give her a second kick at the can, that the writer would have to follow these guidelines:

-Stick to a miniseries, either five or six issues long.
-Do not strike a character down to make Harper look better. Every character has to start somewhere, readers shouldn’t expect Harper to outperform members of the bat family who have been fighting crime for years.
-Accentuate and focus on what makes her unique.
-Scale the villains appropriately. I would’t expect Harper to go toe-to-toe with the Joker in issue one, she’s rusty (and even in her prime she still lacked experience). Heck, even Firefly might be too much from the get go.

What are your thought? How would you bring her back into the fold?

[dropkickjake]

Don't.

10char

[byrd156]

If someone has a really really great idea, sure bring her back. But I personally don't care for her and other members of the Bat-family need fixing before adding even more characters into the mix.

[Toreador]

I felt she was an unnecessary addition to the Bat family. She didn't really bring anything new and the Bat family was already overcrowded with so many characters (Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, Spoiler, Cassandra, Batwing and Azreal).

If someone were to bring her back locate her far away from Gotham and have little or no contact with Batman and Co.

EDIT: Oops, forgot Batgirl.

[Restingvoice]

When Harper first created, Snyder, wanted her to be the civilian point of view of Gotham. How civilian view Batman, how the villains affect them, and why they stay in Gotham. That's what they should've been doing. Make her part of the regular cast that the heroes contact from time to time, or make a special back up issue from her point of view.

She doesn't have to be the help in a case they're working on. There are times where the heroes of Gotham hang out with people in real life, and that should be where she appears. Bring back that balance between civilian and hero life. They don't always have to be in costume.

[babybats]

I always thought it would be fun if she had some kind of mech suit. She's an engineer, so I'd rather have her do something related to that than be another street level martial artist, because we don't need anymore of those in Gotham. To keep her different from Batwing, I'd make her suit more mechanical and clunky. Maybe like DVa from Overwatch, but not as high tech.

Alternatively, I would make her a part of the Bat Team in a background capacity, like Oracle. But instead of computers, she could be an inventor, like Q, coming up with gadgets and doing repairs for heroes.

I also do think the Batfam is overcrowded as it is, though, so either bring her back in another city, or just have her there are a side character with unusual skills, like a civilian friend who sometimes helps out, as Restingvoice said. I think something that the Bat books can definitely use is more of the civilian perspective.

[Caivu]

Dr. Thompkins's death provides a perfect opportunity for this. Someone has to keep the clinic running, and that's indeed where Harper worked.

[Claude]

When Harper first created, Snyder, wanted her to be the civilian point of view of Gotham. How civilian view Batman, how the villains affect them, and why they stay in Gotham. That's what they should've been doing. Make her part of the regular cast that the heroes contact from time to time, or make a special back up issue from her point of view.

She doesn't have to be the help in a case they're working on. There are times where the heroes of Gotham hang out with people in real life, and that should be where she appears. Bring back that balance between civilian and hero life. They don't always have to be in costume.

Yeah, the character as she originally appeared had a lot of potential. It all dissolved like a rainy-day sandcastle the moment she put on a costume.

Really, I'm just coming around to the idea that Tynion being in charge of a character is a kiss of death.

[Ascended]

Honestly, I'd keep her out of the costume. The Bat-cave is already full to overflowing and not all the heroes who're active are even appearing in books right now. Last thing we need is another cape in the mix. Odds are she wouldn't get used much more as Bluebird than she does now.

However, using Harper as a civilian contractor would be cool. I dislike the notion that Alfred handles all the upkeep in the Cave, and once upon a time Bruce did have a mechanic on staff (I forget his name....he died a while back). So why not use Harper for that? She can handle the computers, make repairs to the Batmobile, and serve as a supporting character. Harper has a great dynamic with Cass and Steph and I'd rather see her used to explore the "civilian" aspects of Gotham than putting her in a costume when we already have a dozen or more Bats swinging around the city.

[adrikito]

I felt she was an unnecessary addition to the Bat family. She didn't really bring anything new and the Bat family was already overcrowded with so many characters (Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, Spoiler, Cassandra, Batwing and Azreal).

If someone were to bring her back locate her far away from Gotham and have little or no contact with Batman and Co.

Same opinion here..

I don´t want her return. The batfamily is too big..

The only N52 Bat-member that I can accept is Batwing.. Is different, with that special bat-armor..

[rev516]

Don't.

10char

Beat me to it man

[Timothy Hunter]

Don't.

10char

The words of a true poet. I couldn't agree more.

In all seriousness, If i were DC trying to revive Harper Roe as a character, i wouldn't insert her into the conventional continuity, crowding up the Bat-family even more. As an alternative I would have a title, perhaps digital only, wherein the series takes place specifically in the N52 iteration of the DC Universe.

[Westbats]

Well, it seems we can all agree that Leslie's death in Detective Comics can produce a storyline where Harper can come back in. But who'll write it? Maybe Marguiette Bennett and Scott Snyder? And Otto Schmidt on art?

[byrd156]

Well, it seems we can all agree that Leslie's death in Detective Comics can produce a storyline where Harper can come back in. But who'll write it? Maybe Marguiette Bennett and Scott Snyder? And Otto Schmidt on art?

It can sure, but killing Tompkins is a dumb idea.

[oasis1313]

It can sure, but killing Tompkins is a dumb idea.

You kinda ask yourself "Why?" It looks like just shock value to me. Thompkins was a nice lady, a kindly link to the past for several characters. There was no reason for it, and I can't see it as a reason to resurrect Harper.