DC's 'The New 52" is here and we are witnessing our favorite characters once again for the first time. This week marks the return of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. We are all on the edge of our seats wondering how she will regain the use of her legs after getting shot through the spine by the Joker. This month also marks the return of Kate Kane as Batwoman.
Scott Snyder has said several times that the Batman Universe will remain pretty much unchanged although there will (obviously) be some minor changes. With some tweaks to the timeline and ages of the characters, the roles of some may be changing slightly.
There have been several Batgirls and Batwomen in the past comics. Now we are going to have one of each and ironically, they are both red-heads. It's inevitable that the two will eventually meet up and the big question will be on what terms? Will there be enough room in Gotham for two red-headed Bat-women?
== TEASER ==
From the preview of Batgirl #1, Barbara Gordon is in college. There's mention that she was shot three years before what we assume to be the present time. That means she was probably shot when she was around 18 or so. That also would have been two years after the events in last week's Justice League #1.
Out of all this, another question is, how long did she operate as Batgirl? At what age did she first put on the costume and fight along side Batman and Robin? Basically the question here is how much experience as a superhero does she have? If she spent three years in a wheelchair, it's possible she spent those years as Oracle so those stories could technically still hold. It just doesn't seem she is going to be the experienced former Batgirl we knew before.
Batwoman now is older than Barbara. In the preview for Batwoman #1, her story is pretty much untouched. We will have to wait and see whether or not it's addressed how long she's been dressing up in a bat-themed costume. In Detective Comics # 860, we saw that Kate got started around four years ago. Barbara may have spent the last three years in a wheelchair and Kate could have spent the last three in action as Batwoman.
This changes the dynamic of their potential first encounter. It is possible they have interacted several times already, especially if Barbara was acting as Oracle. There may not be any reason for the two to clash in their first meeting but this is comic books we're talking about. Heroes practically always fight over a misunderstanding when they first encounter each other.
If Batwoman has more experience in a costume and cape, that could change the outcome. I think we would all place our bets on Barbara but if she is younger and less experienced, she'll really need to use her wits if this ever happened. Batwoman is a great character. There is a lot of potential in her and it's so good to see that she is being given the spotlight in her own title. But Barbara/Batgirl is the girl we've known for years. She's already won our hearts time and time again. Batwoman is still working on that.
Then again, because Gail Simone and J.H. Williams III don't have to rely on clichés to tell a story, there might not be a clash between the two. I am just really curious to see how they would interact with each other. Who would be taking who under their wing? Who is the better caped crusader?
There is indeed room in Gotham for two female Bat-characters. This just shows that the Batman Universe is so rich in characters. Each character's book is likely to focus mainly on the individual character in the beginning. It has to be established where they stand in the "New 52." Hopefully we will see the two fighting side by side.
Whether we see a catfight between the two (or should I say batfight?) remains to be seen.