Should They Do Something Different With Barbara Gordon?

[Castiel]

So I have no idea what's going on with her lately but from what I gather she's hardly really fleshed out much or really had much done with her. I mean I feel like the character is too old to be Batgirl and I'm sure she can't be Oracle. Honestly I think it would be good if she became Huntress like the current one died and Barbara after experiencing a terrible loss went so mad with grief she turned against Bruce and the majority of the Batman Family.

As for the loss maybe she could get pregnant by Dick(I mean they've always been a popular pairing) and decide live a civilian life only to become collateral damage in a super-villain or super hero brawl or what have you and for her to lose her kid and for that loss to fill her with an unending and unyeilding rage. I can see her becoming so filled with hate that she just develops a very spiteful personality towards Batman (like blaming him for well fueling Gotham 's super hero/villain culture) and hating Dick Grayson for taking Bat Family code moral high road.

I can see her going to Jason as he's likely the one person who'd help her kill someone that Bruce and Dick choose to send to prison over killing. I also would not mind them hooking up and Dick having to deal with that. Especially if she actively tried to hurt him as a way of punishing him.

I honestly would like her as Huntress because the original was a villain not a vigilante and I'd like Barbara to become like a hybrid and in between vigilante and villain. Like maybe a mercanary /assassin that only kills criminals and other super heroes (since vigilantes are in fact criminals) when her price is met. I can even see her having a loophole for herself by only accepting contacts from the government or something which could make her completely on the side of the law in her eyes and I'd love to see her dad react especially if she turned cold towards him for not understanding her need (or rather her need to blame)to kill all things super hero/villain. I can see her showing him nothing but disdain for continuing to help Batman and thereby dishonoring the badge but despite what she may say abut hating him for her to still show up to save.him when he'd need help as a way of showing there's still some of the old her in there even if buried under lots of pain and anger.

I came up with this idea after watching the animated episode where Barbara "died" and Jim just lost it even going to Bane. So I'd them to something similar but with bit of twist. Though I think Jim would probably keep himself neutral and I can see Batman respectfully keeping a distance from Barb's family if something that bad happened.

[Assam]

First off, there's already a thread for this topic (Still on the first page too): http://community.comicbookresources....for-a-change-)

Second, uh, no. Sorry, but these ideas are dreadful for a multitude of reasons. Helena dying so Babs could be Huntress? That wouldn't piss off Helena's fanbase at all. Dick and Babs getting together, having a kid, and the kid dying? In addition to sounding like a bad fanfic, it'd mean that every single one of the original 5 Teen Titans has had a child die.

And the rest of that...I'm not sure you understand Barbara Gordon as a character. At all.

I don't like Babs at Batgirl in the slightest, but she's not leaving the role any time soon, and even if she were going to, having her become a murderous anti-hero would be one of the worst possible ways, as everyone would immediately hate whoever her replacement was.

[Godlike13]

What did i just read, lol.

[Caivu]

First off, there's already a thread for this topic (Still on the first page too): http://community.comicbookresources....for-a-change-)

Second, uh, no. Sorry, but these ideas are dreadful for a multitude of reasons. Helena dying so Babs could be Huntress? That wouldn't piss off Helena's fanbase at all. Dick and Babs getting together, having a kid, and the kid dying? In addition to sounding like a bad fanfic, it'd mean that every single one of the original 5 Teen Titans has had a child die.

And the rest of that...I'm not sure you understand Barbara Gordon as a character. At all.

I don't like Babs at Batgirl in the slightest, but she's not leaving the role any time soon, and even if she were going to, having her become a murderous anti-hero would be one of the worst possible ways, as everyone would immediately hate whoever her replacement was.

All of this. There's "doing something different" and then there's "doing something completely off-the-wall and character-derailing". This is the latter.

[darkseidpwns]

Huh? oh well I actually wouldn't mind a version of that Futures End one shot Simone wrote. Not with that silly name or hideous costume but a Babs who's grizzled, tough, mean and has a powerful physique plus Bane association/training. Kind off like Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor from T-2.

[Carabas]

So I have no idea what's going on with her lately but from what I gather she's hardly really fleshed out much or really had much done with her. I mean I feel like the character is too old to be Batgirl and I'm sure she can't be Oracle. Honestly I think it would be good if she became Huntress like the current one died and Barbara after experiencing a terrible loss went so mad with grief she turned against Bruce and the majority of the Batman Family.

As for the loss maybe she could get pregnant by Dick(I mean they've always been a popular pairing) and decide live a civilian life only to become collateral damage in a super-villain or super hero brawl or what have you and for her to lose her kid and for that loss to fill her with an unending and unyeilding rage. I can see her becoming so filled with hate that she just develops a very spiteful personality towards Batman (like blaming him for well fueling Gotham 's super hero/villain culture) and hating Dick Grayson for taking Bat Family code moral high road.

I can see her going to Jason as he's likely the one person who'd help her kill someone that Bruce and Dick choose to send to prison over killing. I also would not mind them hooking up and Dick having to deal with that. Especially if she actively tried to hurt him as a way of punishing him.

I honestly would like her as Huntress because the original was a villain not a vigilante and I'd like Barbara to become like a hybrid and in between vigilante and villain. Like maybe a mercanary /assassin that only kills criminals and other super heroes (since vigilantes are in fact criminals) when her price is met. I can even see her having a loophole for herself by only accepting contacts from the government or something which could make her completely on the side of the law in her eyes and I'd love to see her dad react especially if she turned cold towards him for not understanding her need (or rather her need to blame)to kill all things super hero/villain. I can see her showing him nothing but disdain for continuing to help Batman and thereby dishonoring the badge but despite what she may say abut hating him for her to still show up to save.him when he'd need help as a way of showing there's still some of the old her in there even if buried under lots of pain and anger.

I came up with this idea after watching the animated episode where Barbara "died" and Jim just lost it even going to Bane. So I'd them to something similar but with bit of twist. Though I think Jim would probably keep himself neutral and I can see Batman respectfully keeping a distance from Barb's family if something that bad happened.

And maybe Batman should become a hobo who beats random people to death with a baseball Bat.

seriously, have you ever even read anything at all with Babs in it?

[Manda-Panda]

I sort of feel like any opinion that starts with "I have no idea what is going on with x at all, but I heard that..." is probably not going to be worthwhile.

What they should do differently with Batgirl is have her date Supergirl btw... There I said it

[MajorHoy]

Or we could have it turn out that "Barbara Gordon" is really Miss Martian with amnesia?

[millernumber1]

Huh? oh well I actually wouldn't mind a version of that Futures End one shot Simone wrote. Not with that silly name or hideous costume but a Babs who's grizzled, tough, mean and has a powerful physique plus Bane association/training. Kind off like Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor from T-2.

I would be on board with that - but what we we call her, since Batwoman is already taken?

[Alycat]

I'm sorry but all of those ideas sound terrible. You know what Babs needs? Better writing. Her niche can work but either writers or editorial keep making terrible CW drama. Actually. Its worse than that at times. Give her support cast more personality than the one thing they have. Stop with a new boy every arc. Point out some of the silliness of Burnside. She can stay in the area and interact with the family without acting like a judgemental teenager, just write it better.

[millernumber1]

I like these ideas, obviously, but I agree with you, Alycat, that the fundamental problem is that Babs has not had really strong writing for a very long time. Supporting cast desperately needs personality - instead of trying to give a love interest of the arc a personality (which is failing anyway). I think Son of Penguin had a bit of Batgirl pointing out the hipsterism of Burnside, but it was drowned out by the silliness of Ethan/Blacksun.

Birds of Prey, much as I enjoy it, is just a fun romp - it's not something that's going to really reinvigorate the character. I am very loyal to it, especially over the "main" Batgirl title, but I don't hold it up as "this is the best Babs ever."

[Judge Dredd]

And maybe Batman should become a hobo who beats random people to death with a baseball Bat.

seriously, have you ever even read anything at all with Babs in it?

Batman being homeless, drugged out in purple and yellow, and beating people with baseball bats was awesome. However this does not seem like a good game plan for Babs.

[darkseidpwns]

I would be on board with that - but what we we call her, since Batwoman is already taken?

Batbane?

.....

[oasis1313]

Maybe they should make Barbara Gordon black.

[Babs]

Maybe they should make Barbara Gordon black.

Maybe they should not? People don't just randomly change race. If you want more diversity, this is NOT the way to go.