One of the biggest stories to come out of the new DC Universe and DC Comics' 52 new ongoing titles is the return of Barbara Gordon to the role that made her famous -- Batgirl. The movie is definitely a controversial one, as many die hard Barbara fans would agree that comic characters evolve, and the crippling of Barbara in fact evolved her character and added a new dynamic to her role in the DC Universe as the only superhero that could fight crime behind closed doors. Her role became essential to the Bat family's detective skills, and she organized her own team of crime-fighting women, the 'Birds of Prey.'
Barbara Gordon had not allowed the wheelchair to hold her back, and many fans would agree it made her stronger. She became the mentor first to Cassandra Cain, who would take her place as Batgirl, and then to Stephanie Brown, the current Batgirl. Now this September, Barbara will return to her roots and to her past, and to the cape and cowl as she once again swings across the rooftops of Gotham City. This is certainly an exciting time for Babs, but what will that mean for the 20 plus years of character history since she was first shot by the Joker in 'The Killing Joke'? Until now, fans weren't sure how much of Barbara's character would keep and pass over into the new 52, but a revealing exclusive 6-page preview of the first issue of Batgirl in the New York Post answers a lot of unanswered questions.
"It’s tremendously exciting to see her smiling on the cover of her own hit book finally, ready to kick ass against Gotham City’s worst monsters," said the series’ writer, Gail Simone.
Batgirl, which is being written by Gail Simone may not be a hit book, yet -- but if pre-orders are indicative of anything, many of the DC's big 52 titles already have hit over 100 thousand pre-orders, and in the case of Justice League, 200 thousand. Needless to say, people are definitely going to be reading DC Comics this fall -- and that includes Batgirl comics.
The big reveal in this short preview, however, has to be the fact that DC is acknowledging the fact that Barbara had been shot in Alan Moore's 'The Killing Joke' and for a while, had been in a wheelchair. The big question remains, however, will her years as Oracle, when she fully came into her own as a strong, empowered, intelligent female character remain in continuity? Is the moment when tragedy struck (Babs getting shot by the Joker) nearly as important as how she dealt with the tragedy afterward? I never thought so. Check out the 6-page preview of Batgirl #1 which is due to hit stores on September 7th, 2011.
Source: New York Post
BATGIRL #1
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by ADAM HUGHES
Yes, it's really happening!
Barbara Gordon is back as Batgirl – and she's going to have to face the city's most horrifying new villains as well as the dark secrets from her past. You won't want to miss this stunning debut issue from fan-favorite BIRDS OF PREY writer Gail Simone!
DC Universe 32pg. Color $2.99 US
On Sale September 7, 2011
