Barbara Gordon: Batgirl, Oracle Appreciation 2018

[Frontier]

It's a really good design but why would she take off the helmet that can protect her while fighting.
I still like New 52 costume best because it's fully armored like Batman

Well, was it even really a helmet?

Tbqh, I don't like it. The reason is that I kind of digged the purple look because it wasn't gloomy and also if she's gonna have her hair out, at least tie it up. It's more practical.

It's a bit of subdued colors compared to the purple but I think that does lend itself well to a Batfamily member and we also have her smiling in the promo art, so I don't think it's really "gloomy."

That and, as cited in Scott's interview, it helps with stealth.

Babs always has her hair exposed as Batgirl so I don't think this should be any less practical. It's probably not tied up because they want to showcase she's older then she was when she first became Batgirl with the ponytail.

I was fine with the colors of the last one. I just didn’t like the exposed ears and how it looked less like a superhero costume and more like hipster stylized cosplay or something designed on Tumblr. IMO, there are necesarry characteristics. It should be a feminine version of Batman’s costume with dark colors, a yellow bat insignia on the chest, yellow gloves, belt, and boots, and hair let out the back of the cowl that covers the ears and the neck. So, like I said, the redesign isn’t ideal, but a vast improvement IMO.

Well, most of that is covered with this design .

And, for the record, I enjoyed Burnside, too. God for bid a book about a woman in her college years tries to cater to people in their college years, and not 35-60 year old men.

I personally think Babs, if she's going to be in the same age range and experience level of Dick and has been purported to have been Oracle at some point, should be well past her college years at this point unless it's a deliberate AU where she's younger (which I sometimes felt like Burnside should've been).

I like it, but it’s not as good as the Burnside costume. That was Babs’ best look since Batgirl: Year One. It seems this costume is arc specific, too. So, I’ll enjoy it while it’s here.

I thought that was her Arkham Knight costume, personally.

All I know is a lot of the young comic book fans/websites/podcasts that I follow, love the current Batgirl. If those women enjoy it and have a character they can relate to, then I feel Burnside was a success. I happen to enjoy the stories myself, but even if I didn’t, I’d still be happy that another demographic has a character they can relate to. Not every character needs to be geared towards 30-60 year old males.

I don't expect Scott to write towards 30-60 year old males with her run, but I foresee her bringing back a bit of an edge and seriousness to the title as it shifts away from Burnside.

If you read the article I posted on the last page, it seems this “new” direction is temporary. Only reason she’s wearing this costume is because she left Burnside in a hurry and this is the only suit she had in Gotham.

Poor Babs constantly being stuck with makeshift costumes .

[MajorHoy]

. . . Anywho it sounds like her arc is gonna have some meat to. Glad it's not a tech villain at least. It definitely sounds dark, though they've implied Babs won't be a dark character, I do look forward to the change in tone. I would love for them to experiment with some horror tropes . . .

I just roll my eyes when I read about how they're planning to update Grotesque:

. . . Created by Gail Simone and Ardian Syaf, Grotesque was “originally, this sort of adrenaline junkie who liked to steal the finer things in life,” according to Scott, “but he got sent away to Blackgate. Now he’s back and we learn that his time in prison has really changed him.”
“Changed” might be a bit of an understatement here. Grotesque’s new M.O. is no longer just trying to steal fine art — he wants to make it. Brutally. Batgirl uncovers a string of grizzly “art pieces” constructed out of human body parts at the scenes of various crimes.
“Things like Perseus with the Head of Medusa, but maybe it’s got a real person’s head. Or a still life, but made up of human hands,” Scott clarified with a grin, “He’s still stealing things, of course, but it’s different now — he’s escalating. And Batgirl has to stop him.”

https://www.polygon.com/comics/2018/...stume-redesign

Didn't we just have a similar type of "artist" as villain in Mother Panic? (And does anybody remember Muse in Charles Soule's recent Daredevil run within the past two years?)

[Frontier]

Personally, looking at the title and direction, I think Scott's run is shaping up to be what Batgirl Rebirth should've been.

Although with sales as they are now, I kinda feel like they should just relaunch the book at this point.

[Maxpower00044]

I just roll my eyes when I read about how they're planning to update Grotesque:https://www.polygon.com/comics/2018/...stume-redesign

Didn't we just have a similar type of "artist" as villain in Mother Panic? (And does anybody remember Muse in Charles Soule's recent Daredevil run within the past two years?)

I remember Muse. Best new villain from either company in a long time.

[Vinsanity]

But in the middle of a crisis? How does that make any sense?

You would honestly be surpsied.

[Maxpower00044]

Well, was it even really a helmet?

It's a bit of subdued colors compared to the purple but I think that does lend itself well to a Batfamily member and we also have her smiling in the promo art, so I don't think it's really "gloomy."

That and, as cited in Scott's interview, it helps with stealth.

Babs always has her hair exposed as Batgirl so I don't think this should be any less practical. It's probably not tied up because they want to showcase she's older then she was when she first became Batgirl with the ponytail.

Well, most of that is covered with this design .


I personally think Babs, if she's going to be in the same age range and experience level of Dick and has been purported to have been Oracle at some point, should be well past her college years at this point unless it's a deliberate AU where she's younger (which I sometimes felt like Burnside should've been).

I thought that was her Arkham Knight costume, personally.

I don't expect Scott to write towards 30-60 year old males with her run, but I foresee her bringing back a bit of an edge and seriousness to the title as it shifts away from Burnside.

Poor Babs constantly being stuck with makeshift costumes .

- Yeah, but DC made a decision to de-age her. I don’t see any problem with her current status and trying to identify with a specific demographic. I can see why it’s not for everyone. I also can see why this could’ve been assigned to one of the younger Batgirls pre-new 52. I don’t even usually go for this kinda stuff, but I thought it worked.

- The Arkham Knight suit is good, I just really thought the Burnside suit had a great look to it. I like how the Burnside suit was less sexualized and she wasn’t drawn with a DD chest.

- Yeah, I don’t think she will, either, but it seems most of the gripes about her de-ageing come from our 30-60 year old male demographic. I say ‘our’, because I’m 37.

[Maxpower00044]

Personally, looking at the title and direction, I think Scott's run is shaping up to be what Batgirl Rebirth should've been.

Although with sales as they are now, I kinda feel like they should just relaunch the book at this point.

To be fair, the Rebirth era was a little more serious than the DC You era. There’s some really good stories in the Rebirth era. Really great art, too.

[millernumber1]

Congrats to Babs for 100 pages! (Also, I was pretty sure the new costume would push her over that hump!)

If you read the article I posted on the last page, it seems this “new” direction is temporary. Only reason she’s wearing this costume is because she left Burnside in a hurry and this is the only suit she had in Gotham.

I don't think that's what the article is saying. To me, the interview read like "This is the new direction, and here's the story justification we're creating for it." That is, after all, how the new costume for Burnside was created, too. But it all depends on what the sales and critical response to Scott's run are.

All I know is a lot of the young comic book fans/websites/podcasts that I follow, love the current Batgirl. If those women enjoy it and have a character they can relate to, then I feel Burnside was a success. I happen to enjoy the stories myself, but even if I didn’t, I’d still be happy that another demographic has a character they can relate to. Not every character needs to be geared towards 30-60 year old males.

I agree that we need lots of different types of readers - but we need buyers. The sales for Burnside (all runs) have not demonstrated that at least on a floppy level, there's a market that's going to support this trend. You can (and many do) argue that trades are supporting this - but that's why I keep bringing up a hope for DC Super Hero Girls Batgirl series - either single issue ongoing or OGNS - because I agree that that audience is out there, and deserves to be served - but the current series doesn't really seem to be reaching them at a buying level, at least on the individual issue level. And I haven't heard anything except "DC should eat those costs" as a response to the fact of the Batgirl sales are so low.

The black I guess and the fact that it came from White Knight.

Hmm. The dominant colors I see are light grey, yellow, blue, and red from her hair. There's a bit of black, but it seems pretty light overall. And White Knight wasn't really that dark - some serious stuff happens, but Joker's not a mass murderer like he is in main continuity.

[The Dying Detective]

You would honestly be surpsied.

If ti's all the same to you if the goal was to appeal to a different type of audience what kind of message does that send to the readers about heroes also happy 100th pages of appreciating the woman who would not let a wheel chair bound her and keep her from fight crime.

[Caivu]

I remember Muse. Best new villain from either company in a long time.

Also, Gala from Mother Panic.

[9th.]

Gonna miss her Burnside suit

[Frontier]

- Yeah, but the made a decision to de-age her. I don’t see any problem with her current status and trying to identify with a specific demographic. I can see why it’s not for everyone. I also can see why this could’ve been assigned to one of the younger Batgirls pre-new 52. I don’t even usually go for this kinda stuff, but I thought it worked.

I mean, DC de-aged everybody with the New 52, but Rebirth seems to have been walking back from trying to make every hero "young and hip," with Batgirl seemingly still left alone because of the popularity of Burnside.

And it's also inconsistent when you have some writers re-establishing her history as Oracle while other writers have her as a big member of the Batfamily who can put Bruce in his place, which I don't think jives wit the Burnside direction.

I understand DC trying to appeal to a different demographic and I've liked a few Burnside stories, but I don't think it was the right decision to continue down this road with the main continuity Barbara Gordon.

- The Arkham Knight suit is good, I just really thought the Burnside suit had a great look to it. I like how the Burnside suit wasnless sexualized and she wasn’t drawn with a DD chest.

I think visually the Burnside outfit was nice and well-designed, I just don't think it fit her in the main continuity or as a fully-fledged Batgirl in the DCU.

The new costume doesn't look very sexualized, even if it is back to being a traditional skintight spandex outfit, and Bab's still seems to have a modest figure per Murphy's art. But that's always going to be a dependent on the artist thing.

- Yeah, I don’t think she will, either, but it seems most of the gripes about her de-ageing come from our 30-60 year old male demographic. I say ‘our’, because I’m 37.

Well, I'm in my early 20's, but I have also had various complaints about how DC has been handling Babs the past few years, and the de-aging has definitely been one of them.

Congrats to Babs for 100 pages! (Also, I was pretty sure the new costume would push her over that hump!)

New costumes tend to inspire a lot of discussion .

[billee0918]

From artist Travis Mercer, via Twitter, his take on the new look

559328B7-D0B9-47B9-90AE-111972092B6D.jpg

[sorboares]

Great art BUT she still needs a full cowl

[Frontier]

From artist Travis Mercer, via Twitter, his take on the new look

559328B7-D0B9-47B9-90AE-111972092B6D.jpg

Kinda looks like military gear there...