InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "No disassemble Number Five!!"

batcookies (batcookies) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-04-21 17:06:00

Entry tags:

char: batgirl/oracle/barbara gordon, char: batman/bruce wayne, char: jim gordon

The Origin of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl

Now, I love Babs as Oracle, and Cass as Batgirl, but that doesn't mean I have no love for Babs' time as Batgirl. Especially these stories.

This first story is Flawed Gems (Secret Origins #20), by Barbara Randal. It's an old friend. We go way back (It's also a very large comic, also including the origin of the original Dr. Mid-Nite, so I've kept the pagecount kosher)

This second story is Folie a Deux, from Legends of the DC Universe 10-11, by Kelley Puckett and Terry Dodson. It's a recent find, one I bought just a few weeks ago, and I'm kicking myself for not knowing about it sooner.

Cutting out a lot, much about Jim starting to have suspicions about what Babs is doing with her free time... he's not an idiot. He pretty much knows, he's just not sure how to feel about it. It's a slightly different take on her background, so Babs is starting some "Batgirl" stuff while still in college.

The private lessons seem to be going well, but Jim finds out about them, and decides it's finally time to speak up and put an end to things.

But then he gets shot while trying to stop a robbery... while Batgirl's watching...

The bad guys seem to have an inkling that things have gotten out of hand, and settle for tying up our heroes.

She does it, using everything Batman taught her about misdirection, and then carries Jim to a hospital herself... then "Batgirl" vanished.

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mysteryfan
2009-04-21 11:47 pm UTC (link)

I think it was two years. That she hadn't been written. Her second to last story *may* have been in 1984 or '86, then her *last* last story was in 88? (Where she retired.)Then her *really last* story: The Killing Joke was also in 1988, too. So she had a year or two off from crimesolving, then officially retired (badly) then got ~~killed~~ crippled both within months of each other. I need spreadsheets. Also, it's kind of amazing she didn't just die, versus survive. Except that injured survivor is more of a ... something to the real heroes of TKJ. Who are not her, even though... you know. She's the one who suffered.

And she was the last of Batman's partners to relinquish the role as Batman's partner.

Seriously need spreadsheets.

But Dick was Nightwing by then, right? After a big old break-up with Batman. And Jason was dead and it was pre-Tim. Batgirl was the last one to get rid of. To make Batman alone. Dun Dun DUNN!!! He's such a loner. So personally, I do believe it was about Batman.

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	bluefall 2009-04-21 11:55 pm UTC (link)
	Reasonably sure that Babs was shot before Jason was blown up, as she's in a chair at his funeral. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfan 2009-04-22 12:00 am UTC (link)
	When the hell did Jason die, then? Oh. 1988. A bad year for the BatFamily. So they killed her at the same time as they axed Jason. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	mysteryfangirl 2009-04-22 12:07 am UTC (link)
	Freudian slip. I mean shot. Shot her, not killed. (Reply to this) (Parent)

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