Batgirl Gets New Costume, Creative Team

[MarlaDesat]

Batgirl Gets New Costume, Creative Team

Newcomer artist Babs Tarr and writers Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher will take over the series in October after Gail Simone's departure.

With Gail Simone leaving Batgirl for a yet-unannounced project with DC Comics, Barbara Gordon is getting a brand new creative team. MTV News revealed [http://www.mtv.com/news/1864359/batgirl-exclusive-dc-comics/] the new team today, along with a first look at Batgirl's new costume. Writers Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher will write the ongoing series beginning with issue #35, set to release October 8. This is the first collaboration between Stewart and Fletcher, whose previous work with DC includes Batman, Inc. and Wednesday Comics, respectively. Newcomer artist Babs Tarr rounds out the creative team.

"Being approached to do Batgirl and being met with such open arms toward my art style and ideas has just been beyond my wildest imagination," says Tarr. "Batgirl will be my first comic, and I could not be more honored and excited about the challenge!" Stewart, who also works as an artist, worked with Tarr to redesign [http://www.mtv.com/news/1864359/batgirl-exclusive-dc-comics/] the Batgirl costume. The new costume emphasizes practical crime fighting, replacing Batgirl's classic spandex look with a leather jacket and removable cape.

In the first issue from the new creative team, a fire leaves Barbara looking to replace everything she owns, including her costume. Barbara assembles the new costume herself, recycling and modifying clothing from thrift stores and boutiques. "It also reflects her youth and style," says Stewart. "Unlike Batman or Batwoman, she no longer needs to stay in the shadows, and in fact learns to embrace the spotlight." Barbara also gets a change of scenery, moving away from the core of Gotham. "Just prior to the start of our story she's pushed to the breaking point and decides that she's had it with misery and darkness and wants a change," says Stewart. "She wants the opportunity to have some fun and live the life of a young, single girl in the city, so she packs up and moves to Burnside, the cool, trendy borough of Gotham, to focus on grad school." Batgirl will be facing new opponents in Burnside, a change from the classic Gotham rogues gallery. "These stories stand on their own, existing within continuity, of course, but not directly influenced by events in other books," says Fletcher. "Our first issue is the perfect jumping-on point for new readers."

Barbara certainly takes a better selfie than Batman [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/135868-DC-Comics-First-Selfie-Variant-Cover-Stars-Batman-And-Superman]. What do you think of the redesigned costume? It looks downright comfortable. I can hear the quickened heartbeats of cosplayers everywhere.

Source: MTV News [http://www.mtv.com/news/1864359/batgirl-exclusive-dc-comics/]


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[Dragonlayer]

So how exactly did her spine fix itself? As for the costume itself, it's quite retro looking to my uneducated eye: probably the bright yellow on dark blue colours.

 

[synobal]

What does her summer costume look like?

 

[Dragonlayer]

So how exactly did her spine fix itself? As for the costume itself, it's quite retro looking to my uneducated eye: probably the bright yellow on dark blue colours.

Retcons mothafucka!

I think the costume looks good. It has a very DIY feel, which makes sense since she doesn't seem to be getting any kind of financial support from Wayne.
I always meant to get back into the new Batgirl books. I read the first few, and while I liked her character, the villian they had her going up against was pretty bland. Hopefully the new writers give her something more interesting to do.

Retcons: mightiest of all magicks!

But seriously, I thought she was established as the information provider/computer expert/support specialist for the rest of the Batclan? I read one of the New 52 with her in it where she was moping about how she wasn't worthy of the medical advances that cured her paralysis, and the entire character was written as a generic action chick, which I'm sure are dime a dozen in the DC universe. Why not keep Barbara as Oracle? I mean, isn't there already an Asian Batgirl (whose name escapes me right now)?

 

[Objectable]

No more Gail Simone?
But that was, like, one of the three good comics in the New 52! God damnit...

 

[Falterfire]

Retcons: mightiest of all magicks!

But seriously, I thought she was established as the information provider/computer expert/support specialist for the rest of the Batclan? I read one of the New 52 with her in it where she was moping about how she wasn't worthy of the medical advances that cured her paralysis, and the entire character was written as a generic action chick, which I'm sure are dime a dozen in the DC universe. Why not keep Barbara as Oracle? I mean, isn't there already an Asian Batgirl (whose name escapes me right now)?

Because, as you know, the best way to get new readers invested is to throw out continuity every so often. And to make it as simple as possible, you have to keep some (but not all) existing continuity with no particular rhyme or reason. For bonus points, erase well liked characters (such as Cassandra Cain) while reversing the character development on existing characters.

In other words: I don't know, but I want Oracle and Cassandra Cain back.

 

[Anachronism]

I just want to go on record as saying I love this costume, and I'm an outspoken critic of the New 52's overall aesthetic. It's a really gorgeous design, and it really looks like something a young woman who is also a superhero might make for herself. It's clean, elegant and stylish: I particularly like the Converse sneakers. If it weren't for the thigh pouch it would be pretty much perfect, and even that's on a belt that works as part of the costume.

The fact that they retconned one of the most prominent disabled characters in comics is still a bit dodgy, but at least the New 52 now has at least one costume that isn't an embarrassment born of design sensibilities from 1993.

 

[Dragonlayer]

So how exactly did her spine fix itself? As for the costume itself, it's quite retro looking to my uneducated eye: probably the bright yellow on dark blue colours.

Retcons mothafucka!

I think the costume looks good. It has a very DIY feel, which makes sense since she doesn't seem to be getting any kind of financial support from Wayne.
I always meant to get back into the new Batgirl books. I read the first few, and while I liked her character, the villian they had her going up against was pretty bland. Hopefully the new writers give her something more interesting to do.

Retcons: mightiest of all magicks!

But seriously, I thought she was established as the information provider/computer expert/support specialist for the rest of the Batclan? I read one of the New 52 with her in it where she was moping about how she wasn't worthy of the medical advances that cured her paralysis, and the entire character was written as a generic action chick, which I'm sure are dime a dozen in the DC universe. Why not keep Barbara as Oracle? I mean, isn't there already an Asian Batgirl (whose name escapes me right now)?

Yeah they caught a lot of flak for that one, as I recall. I guess they figured the "Triumphant Return" of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl would push more copies. It probably also helped reinforce that this was a new continuity separate from the old.

I'm not that fussed about continuity in a superhero universe, because the word is effectively meaningless in that context, but it was my understanding that Barbara being paralyzed, coming to terms with it and becoming tech-whiz extraordinaire was one of the most pivotal events in DC, *and* was one of their better arcs. Not to mention all the diversity points they won for it!

 

[exobook]

Because, as you know, the best way to get new readers invested is to throw out continuity every so often. And to make it as simple as possible, you have to keep some (but not all) existing continuity with no particular rhyme or reason. For bonus points, erase well liked characters (such as Cassandra Cain) while reversing the character development on existing characters.

In other words: I don't know, but I want Oracle and Cassandra Cain back.

weird thing is they didn't throw most of the bat-verse continuity away, only compressed it into a stupid timescale.

 

[Dragonlayer]

Retcons: mightiest of all magicks!

But seriously, I thought she was established as the information provider/computer expert/support specialist for the rest of the Batclan? I read one of the New 52 with her in it where she was moping about how she wasn't worthy of the medical advances that cured her paralysis, and the entire character was written as a generic action chick, which I'm sure are dime a dozen in the DC universe. Why not keep Barbara as Oracle? I mean, isn't there already an Asian Batgirl (whose name escapes me right now)?

Because, as you know, the best way to get new readers invested is to throw out continuity every so often. And to make it as simple as possible, you have to keep some (but not all) existing continuity with no particular rhyme or reason. For bonus points, erase well liked characters (such as Cassandra Cain) while reversing the character development on existing characters.

In other words: I don't know, but I want Oracle and Cassandra Cain back.

Hmmm! I like the way you think: want to work on my dynamic reimagining of Batman as not a crime fighter at all?

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Hm...I actually like her new costume. It looks more main-streamed and practical. It manages to keep her looking like Batgirl (unlike Power Girl's new outfit) but still looks updated. I think it works nicely. I wonder of Kotobukiya will end up making a figure out of this one. I would certainly buy it.

 

[RandV80]

I like it aesthetically but man for the purpose of concealing ones identity that 'mask' is practically useless.

 

[fight me in space]

Well, whatever she does, it couldn't possibly turn out worse than Simone's run on Batgirl.

Color me cautiously optimistic.

 

[Eleuthera]

So... does anyone know when the new 52 will finally end and we can go back to the real DCU? I stopped collecting comics before the new continuity began, but would occasionally still pick up interesting stories, but this whole retcon just doesn't interest me at all.

[small]Probably never I know, but I can hope/complain[/small]

 

[hermes]

I like it aesthetically but man for the purpose of concealing ones identity that 'mask' is practically useless.

Most of them are. Unless its a mask that covers most of their head and all their hair (Batman, Flash, Deadpool), they just work because comic book logic (people complain about Superman glasses and change of hairstyle, but things like Green Arrow "mask" are not really that much better)

 

[Mike Hoffman]

I love love love this. She was great as Oracle, but "New 52" and all and I love what Simone has done with the book.

No more Gail Simone?
But that was, like, one of the three good comics in the New 52! God damnit...

She's getting a new DC project that will be revealed soon (last I heard).

 

[Scarim Coral]

I like it, very casual looking as in it look like regular clothing but the Batman cymbol and the utility belt nicelt printed onto it.