'Batgirl: A Celebration of 50 Years'.
So glad I finally got my hands on this! A collection of stories featuring the "best" of my favourite superheroine dating back to her debut in the early sixties all the way to her modern incarnation.
My initial thoughts on finishing this big, colourful tome are: Oh, Batgirl really does get a great number of help from men, doesn't she? Even nowadays there are a lot of men at the center of her world. And sexism is harder to combat than costumed adult criminals. But I still enjoyed most of the issues, ranging from kickass to weird and confusing. Barbara Gordon continues to be a nuanced, three-dimensional, strong and dedicated character, who has been through so much and yet never stops fighting for what's right, even when she gives up the cape and cowl of Batgirl.
Another noteworthy thought is: Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown are pretty cool, too.
I'll do mini-reviews of each of the 17 issues included in this collection, starting with:
'"Bat-Girl!" BATMAN #139 (1961)' - The first "Batgirl" was Betty Kane, the blonde niece of Batwoman, who at the time was just another of Batman's love interests, Kathy Kane. It's fun and goofy, as you'd expect from sixties superhero comics. I like that Betty was inspired by her aunt to fight crime, and she is smart, not just a pretty, young, naive student. She really does help Batman, Robin and Batwoman save the day.
'"The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl!" DETECTIVE COMICS #359 (1967)' - The first appearance of Barbara Gordon. She's a mousy librarian (I keep forgetting that detail about her, so cool!), who wants to fight crime like her father Commissioner Gordon's friend, Batman. Though she causes more harm than good, and has to be saved a lot. It's funny when Robin remarks that she makes bad puns, then three pages later he says, "It'll be a pleasure, I "moth" say!". It's as good as you could expect from a character who was originally introduced just to dispel accusations of homoerotic tension between Batman and Robin. Yep, never mind pedophilia; in the sixties, "no homo" took precedence over everything else. I cringe at Batgirl's old nicknames, "Dominoed Daredoll" and "Bat-Beauty".
'"Batgirl - Year One Part 4: Cave Dwellers" BATGIRL: YEAR ONE #4 (2003)' - Already reviewed this comic, moving on.
'"Batgirl's Costume Cut-Ups" DETECTIVE COMICS #371 (1967)' - This is just insulting, even for sexism in the sixties. It's not necessarily Batgirl being too feminine and vain to fight crime properly that's the problem, but that everything that happens here is hardly her fault or has anything to do with worrying about her appearance. Oh her mask got eschewed; maybe she is putting it right again to protect her identity! And her scream at seeing Batman and Robin nearly getting killed from behind by a crook - they should thank her for the warning and distraction! She saved their lives! In the end she proves her worth as a woman by deliberately ruining her tights and flashing her legs at some generic baddies to distract them so that Batman and Robin can better kick their butts. At least she got a punch in at the end too. Femininity has its strong points, yes, but not for the pleasures of men. How misguided of you, sixties.
'"The Unmasking of Batgirl"/"Candidate for Danger"/"Batgirl's Last Case" DETECTIVE COMICS #422-424 (1972)' - Barbara runs for congress in her father's place, when she doesn't think she is effective at stopping crime as Batgirl when she is foolishly betrayed by some guy. Her intelligence and detective skills are showcased quite a bit here, however. A little commentary on elections and politics. However once again Batgirl is outshone by men, even those we don't care about, and the ending is way too rushed for both the story and for any political climate subtext to be effective. Oh and Babs' dad knows she's Batgirl in this continuity.
'"Startling Secret of the Devilish Daughters" BATMAN FAMILY #9 (1977)' - Barbara is a congresswoman in a politician-hating world (nothing is really highlighted on her being a female politician as a reason for the backlash against her). A woman is running around pretending to be daughters of Batman's various rogues gallery - cool! But, wouldn't you know it, Batgirl herself is rather useless - she keeps letting bad guys get away in these stories - and a man, Robin, is given more of an arc and more to do. This comic talks about gender equality "these days" too, by the way. Oh and there's something about a stolen plaque that Batgirl easily recovers. Who cares?
'"He with Secrets Fears the Sound"/"When Velvet Paws Caress the Ground" DETECTIVE COMICS #518-519 (1982)' - This is much better. Batgirl gets to be as badass as Batman, while still being her own unique self. She's smart and crafty, I love it. It was written by a woman, too - awesome. But Batgirl's habit of letting the baddie get away from her easily is still prevalent. The ending is unclear and resolves nothing overall. Also what kind of name is Velvet Paws for a villain? Why do the ladies always get the short end of the stick when it comes to a rogues gallery? The expressive artwork is great, as well.
'"The Last Batgirl Story" BATGIRL SPECIAL #1 (1988)' - Like a proto-'Killing Joke' story arc for Barbara. This is her overcoming her fears and appreciating what she has in life without an identity as a caped crusader out on deadly escapades. There is a female friendship with a woman named Marcy (whoever she is). But I feel the story could have been explored a lot deeper and reached further in its potential. There is a female serial killer called Slash who is targeting men exonerated for violent crimes against women. There is something here to really highlight the treatment of women in society, perhaps become one of the earliest stories in the eighties to recognize rape culture, if unintentionally. This is especially amazing to see in a comic aimed at a male audience. But Barbara the superheroine is only concerned with the killing-is-not-justice side of the argument. Even when she is a victim of a man's violent threats, she has no sympathy for Slash the rapist killer whatsoever. I don't think the writer has any sympathy for her, either. We never even find out her true identity. But there features an abused wife enacting her revenge in the sidelines. The pacing is rushed and Batgirl gives up a little too easily in the middle of the comic. "The Last Batgirl Story" has a lot of hits when it comes to female empowerment, like female friendships, but also a lot of misses in that regard. Similar to the previous issues, Batgirl is shown fighting her own battles without any help from Batman and Robin. She even reflects how there are so many superheroes around now that she can afford to retire and return to her normal life. Hints of future Batgirls for Babs to take under her wing are on the last panel.
'"Oracle - Year One: Born of Hope" BATMAN CHRONICLES #5 (1996)' - An end of an era, and a new one begins. This issue is about how Barbara becomes Oracle, after the tragic event of her spinal cord being shot out by the Joker in 'The Killing Joke'. It effectively invites you into the mind of this traumatized woman, and her coping with a life of never walking again. The artwork is dark, sharp, muddled and creepy, reflecting Barbara's psyche beautifully. Admittedly Batman still helps her out constantly (I like when she shuts him down over him laughing with the Joker over some private joke; she asks, "Tell me -- was it me?"), men continue to dictate her life, and the villain is a woman. Nothing is mentioned about the implied sexual assault by the Joker in Alan Moore's so-called "magnum opus" either. The message of hope in the end is nice, however, and the story is quotable to boot.
'"On Wings" BIRDS OF PREY #8 (1999)' - A sweet Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson story. I don't even mind the "Babs' life is made easier by men" in this one, because she and Dick have great chemistry. It reminds me of their Gotham landscape dance together in Batgirl's New 52 reboot. Nightwing is incredibly hot, the sneaky so-and-so. The art is fantastic, and there are touching little details everywhere. "On Wings" is like reuniting with family and revisiting family photos after so many years. It's melancholic and bittersweet, but lovely all the same.
'"Assembly" LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #120 (1999)' - An introduction to Cassandra Cain joining the Bat family. Nothing special, just the beginning to a much bigger 'Batman' story after a previous one, 'No Man's Land'. Nothing is made clear to comic newcomers, but Barbara as Oracle is given her due as an important contribution to Batman and his team. Again, great artwork. But who the hell is Azrael? Why is this colourful out-of-place nobody a member of the Bat family?
'"(No Title)" BATGIRL #8 (2000)' - Awesome. That is all. Okay, I will mention that Cassandra is an unrelenting badass, and so is her rival, Shiva. This apparently nameless story is about their 'Mortal Kombat'-type, Mano A Mano fight, and pitting their values and wit against each other. Who will win in the end? Cassandra's strength as a character is put to the test - it's just her and Shiva, nobody else. It's so gratifying to see an Asian-American heroine be spotlighted like this.
'"Soul" BATGIRL #45 (2003)' - Another awesome Cassandra Cain story. We see her interacting with Barbara, and in her own way questioning her mentor on what it means to be Batgirl. We even see Cassie interact with Alfred. The lost girl develops an inferiority complex and starts wearing Babs' old Batgirl costume to fight crime. I love that the story shows how impractical high heels are in a superhero getup. Robin, as seems to be the tradition, can't help pointing out how hot Batgirl is, even during a fiery riot in a city. Neither the time nor the place, Boy Wonder! "Soul" is also a kind of drug PSA. Barbara as a mentor and big sister to a new Batgirl is always wonderful to see. Excellent.
'"Batgirl Rising: Field Test" BATGIRL #4 (2009)' - Now we see Stephanie Brown take the mantle, and Babs mentoring her as she fights crime. Steph is a great girl with lots of energy, quips and bad puns for a college student, and the story shows her inspiring young girls as Batgirl. I am introduced to Wendy "Proxy" Harris, and Batgirl goes up against the 'Superman' villain Livewire, winning too easily, I might add. Includes a sweet mother-daughter relationship to go with everything else.
'"Trust" BATGIRL #13 (2010)' - Yet another entertaining Batgirl issue. It's Stephanie Brown vs Clayface as he robs a bank. There's an annoying romance going on with a secretly-tortured cop (why do all these generic male love interests keep popping up in Batgirl's stories?). Proxy fills in for Oracle as Batgirl's inside-girl. On finally reading about Stephanie, I can't understand why DC would callously erase her from existence in their reboots (until much later after some backlash), and of course she'll become a victim of torture and sexual assault later on. She's a good character, but as I've said, ingrained sexism and misogyny are harder to overcome than any in-universe superhero struggles. Get your act together, DC.
'"A Fire in the Heavens" BATGIRL #0 (2012)' - Barbara Gordon's Batgirl origin is rebooted. Now instead of her attending a masquerade party, she's a student being interviewed for a job in her father's Gotham police station - all a ruse so she can eagerly find out more about the mysterious Batman. Character details about her life as a police commissioner's child in the most crime-infested city in America are added in and explored. Lots of foreshadowing (including her younger brother's very strange behaviour), and I absolutely love the artwork. Unfortunately the reboot still has Babs' life revolve solely around the men in her life, and her only being able to defend herself when men help her out before and after her change into Batgirl. (In her first outing as Batgirl she steals the replicated Batman costume from the police headquarters.) Still, it is Gail Simone, and the stakes are high and intense throughout. The last panel of this prequel says it all. It is a shame that her time as Oracle barely if at all gets an honorable mention.
'"Burned" BATGIRL #35 (2014)' - =sigh= It is also a shame that this celebration collection of Batgirl's best times ends on this. The first issue of Cameron Stewart's run where Babs moves to hipster Gotham city and gets a hangover, fights with Black Canary, is obsessed with her phone, doesn't backup her computer thesis, gets a dating app profile, goes to a rave and fights a villain who literally speaks in hashtags. The lameness and pandering do not end there and only get worse, sadly. Not an impressive end to a highly interesting and emotional journey. But no Batman or Robin, or intruding male love interests (yet), and at least there is the start of beautiful female friendships.
Final Score: 3.5/5
P.S. Because this is topical and I love to date my own work, I'll say what I think of the news of Joss Whedon writing and directing an upcoming 'Batgirl' movie. First: Holy shit a 'Batgirl' film is happening in my lifetime! Second: Why oh why wasn't a woman chosen for the job? Was one even considered at all? Third: I am of the camp that thinks that Joss Whedon is overrated, or at least isn't as feminist as he is so widely thought of in popular culture. I think, like all straight white cisgender men, he seriously needs to check his own privilege and support women a lot more - behind the scenes as well as onscreen. Self-awareness is key. He definitely tries, but he also stubbornly refuses to admit to and learn from his mistakes; another typical trait of privileged men. Forth: When a common shrug and slide of this news is, "Well, at least he isn't Zack Snyder", it isn't a comfort. And Fifth: Leading to my concern of the line of botched films that DC has released in 2016. It is a reason, a defining factor, for why I am reserving no expectations for the 'Wonder Woman' movie (despite having a female director at the helm and that it is about damn time), or the 'Justice League' movie. Oh well, anything is possible, DC and Whedon can learn from criticism and redeem themselves yet, and the future can be bright.
EDIT: Upon hearing the news about Kai Cole's email, I really, really don't know if I want to go see the superheroine movie of my dreams anymore, for what I have, in a way, suspected for years has been confirmed: that Joss Whedon is scum. I'm torn about giving my money to yet another man who uses his power and privilege to abuse and manipulate others, especially women. And I know it would be too much to ask to have someone else write and direct the 'Batgirl' film, preferably a woman. As always, only time will tell what's going to happen.
On the bright side, I enjoyed the 'Wonder Woman' movie.
EDIT 2: So Whedon has left the project, and there just might be a woman to write the 'Batgirl' movie now. I've learned never to get my hopes up for these sorts of things. This will be the last time I update on this subject. In the #metoo revolution, Hollywood needs to get its shit together and fast.
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