Barbara Gordon's future in the DC Universe (aka: is it time for a change?)

[RedQueen]

And I don't see that looking going away as it's being used in toys and DC superheros line.

I don't myself either. I have two items of Burnside Batgirl merch because it's pretty easy on the eyes. One thing I'll say is that Barbara back in purple does make her easily pop and eye catching.

[Flash Gordon]

I love the Batgirl of Burnside. I think it fills a niche the DC needs filled, and is a good one to keep away from event tie ins and to push in TPBs.

I can't tell you how jarring it was to read Vol. 1 of Batgirl of Burnside and then immediately get Vol. 2 with that weird status quo of Taxi Driver Commissioner Gordon in Robot Batman armor. They really need to think that stuff through.

[MajorHoy]

. . . I can't tell you how jarring it was to read Vol. 1 of Batgirl of Burnside and then immediately get Vol. 2 with that weird status quo of Taxi Driver Commissioner Gordon in Robot Batman armor. They really need to think that stuff through.

I think that version was more the creative team of Batgirl having to react to changes dictated elsewhere by Batman scribe Scott Snyder and others in the main Bat-books. The only other choice may have been to ignore what was happening elsewhere in the rest of the Bat-universe.

[SixSpeedSamurai]

I have not really read anything since before New 52. I have always thought the Burnside costume was garbage. Reading this thread and a few wiki's, seems they did a lot of unneeded things to her. I would 1) have her be the same or near in age to Dick. 2) pick up life for her pre-Flashpoint. Her whole history with Dick, Killing Joke, Oracle all happened. She's in her mid 20's, out of college, she's got the experience of Batgirl and Oracle.

Like a lot of stuff in the DCU, it wasn't broke, but they tried to fix it anyway.

[nightbird]

I have not really read anything since before New 52. I have always thought the Burnside costume was garbage. Reading this thread and a few wiki's, seems they did a lot of unneeded things to her. I would 1) have her be the same or near in age to Dick. 2) pick up life for her pre-Flashpoint. Her whole history with Dick, Killing Joke, Oracle all happened. She's in her mid 20's, out of college, she's got the experience of Batgirl and Oracle.

Like a lot of stuff in the DCU, it wasn't broke, but they tried to fix it anyway.

She is the same age as Dick. Around 21-22, I believe.

[TheSeaDragon]

I dont know. At the end of the day, Oracle was just a glorified supporting character , and i feel that people wants her so someone else can have the Batgirl Mantle. Besides , in this era ahe where anyone is a coMputer genius, and these kind of characters are everywhere, she would not feel as special . not mention how ridiculous is in an universe where people came back form the dead and stuff everytime, she had to be stuck in a wheelchair . She could not be crippled and have a similar role , tought, but i dont see a reason for her no not fight crime physically if she is able to do. Im not big fan of Kate , tought if it wasn ot for her existence babs would graduate and calls herlself batwoman and steph or Cass could be Batgirl ..

[adrikito]

Seems that Burnside is less popular now..Yes, is time for a change.. BUT the rebirth should end for see DC making this..

Although.. Since the first moment that I see Burnside I believe this.. We need one AWESOME barbara.

[JBatmanFan05]

I would 1) have her be the same or near in age to Dick. 2) pick up life for her pre-Flashpoint. Her whole history with Dick, Killing Joke, Oracle all happened. She's in her mid 20's, out of college, she's got the experience of Batgirl and Oracle.

Like a lot of stuff in the DCU, it wasn't broke, but they tried to fix it anyway.

So well put and I agree. Them thinking Oracle was a broken idea/dead end is...ok whatever fine, but why DC felt the need to fix everything else about Babs when none of that was broken was beyond me as well. Her Pre-FP life and history was full and rich.

[Godlike13]

So well put and I agree. Them thinking Oracle was a broken idea/dead end is...ok whatever fine, but why DC felt the need to fix everything else about Babs when none of that was broken was beyond me as well. Her Pre-FP life and history was full and rich.

But that was the new 52 in a nut shell was it not.

[JBatmanFan05]

But that was the new 52 in a nut shell was it not.

Whatever balance they with New 52 were trying to strike with keeping her past pre-FP history just wasn't enough for me. She felt off and felt even more off with Burnside. Keeping Killing Joke as canon wasn't enough to feel like pre-FP's history and life experience and her connections to the Batfam were in tact.

[Grayson - The Dark Heir]

Wouldn't it just make sense to take both the 20K selling Batgirl and the 20K selling Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, and basically combine the two books?

A new, relaunched Birds of Prey book with a more recognizable creative team would work really well for the book. If DC is still doing twice monthly books, they should definitely make this one of them. If I was DC, I'd definitely do it after Rebirth is over and the next initiative starts so that it gets attention as it relaunches.

I'm not sure if they should call it Batgirls or something else that's more apt, but a book starring Babs, Cass, and Steph makes a lot of sense for DC and should have happened a long time ago.

[JBatmanFan05]

A new, relaunched Birds of Prey book with a more recognizable creative team would work really well for the book.

Now you have dreaming of a Chick Dixon / top artist BoP book.

EDIT: On second thought, I think I'd prefer a Batgirl book done by Dixon. I do prefer Batgirl solo vs BOP.

[MajorHoy]

Wouldn't it just make sense to take both the 20K selling Batgirl and the 20K selling Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, and basically combine the two books?

A new, relaunched Birds of Prey book with a more recognizable creative team would work really well for the book. If DC is still doing twice monthly books, they should definitely make this one of them. If I was DC, I'd definitely do it after Rebirth is over and the next initiative starts so that it gets attention as it relaunches.

I buy Batgirl.
I gave up a while back on Batgirl & the Birds of Prey.
Depending on who would handle a book combining the two, I might go for one to two books a month, or I could just as easily go to zero books featuring Batgirl.

And, by the way, if one title sells about 20K copies and another title sells 20K copies, combining the two doesn't automatically mean any increase in sales. It depends on how many people buy one title and not the other, and if those people will now buy both issues that hadn't already been doing so.

[batsgrayson]

Wouldn't it just make sense to take both the 20K selling Batgirl and the 20K selling Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, and basically combine the two books?

A new, relaunched Birds of Prey book with a more recognizable creative team would work really well for the book. If DC is still doing twice monthly books, they should definitely make this one of them. If I was DC, I'd definitely do it after Rebirth is over and the next initiative starts so that it gets attention as it relaunches.

I'm not sure if they should call it Batgirls or something else that's more apt, but a book starring Babs, Cass, and Steph makes a lot of sense for DC and should have happened a long time ago.

The thing is, I don't think any big name writer or artist would want to do Birds of Prey.

[MajorHoy]

The thing is, I don't think any big name writer or artist would want to do Birds of Prey.

Doesn't matter as much as finding a good creative team.
(All those "big names" had to start somewhere.)