About Barbara and the new Batgirl title
I'm tired of people bashing the new title because a) they don't like that Babs is back as Batgirl or b) they liked Cass or Steph better. Like really really tired.
How can you dismiss something you haven't read yet? I'm going to re-post a comment I left at shobogan's lj here to explain my feelings.
My mother had an accident when she was 27 and was handicapped. She died, years later because of the complication of that accident. I never knew my mother before her accident; she was 39 when she had me. To me, my mother was like any other mother; to her she was less. I couldn't give a fuck when my mother couldn't play with me like the other moms did. That was my life and I was happy. She was happy too. She had a kid when everone else thought it would take a miracle and it did take a miracle; she had 5 miscarrieges before having me.
My mom before her accident loved to swim. Loved it! After her accident she couldn't. If my mother could take a 'fix' pill she would. If I had the power to make a 'fix' pill I would. My mother, all the 22 years I had with her, wanted nothing more but to be able to swim like she used to even for 5 minutes.
My mother never get the chance. Barbara running again, to me, it feels like my mom swimming.
Yes, I'm bias. I wanted Babs to walk for years! I had fights in the DCU Forum because of that. People called me everything from 'cripple hater' to 'idiot' and a lot more. I'm sorry you guys, but I've seen the way my mother used to smile when she talked about her 'before days' and how much she loved to watch me swim and I can't share your feelings.
I never wanted Babs to be Batgirl. I wanted a recovery story that would show her struggle with rehab and everything and having her decide that she wanted to keep doing what she was doing. I don't know if will get that-the recovery story not the keep doing what she's doing. But she's my favorite and I can't understand why a lot of you won't even give her a chance.
I'm sorry about Cass and Steph-especially Steph. Cass has a new ID now and probably is going to survive the reboot. I'm sure Steph will do the same. I'm sorry about your favorite characters, but why don't you at least try to have an open mind?
Ye, it sucks that DC is losing one of the (very) few handicapped heroes, but why you never bitched about the luck of them? Why you didn't send letters to DC when Bruce got his spine fixed asking them to keep him in the chair? Why you didn't do the same when Batwoman had her spine fixed when Dick throw her in a Lazarus Pit?
'Cause I did! I love Kate and I love Damian, but I did! And I've been called names because of that. I was asking for more handicapped heroes and you know what the fans answer was? We have one! You have one? And you are feeling okay with that one? Seriously? You scream for diversity yet you're okay with one?
Like Gail said, it's not fair to put all the weight to one character. Ask for more! Send those letters to DC to show that you are against Babs!Batgirl book, but also send a letter to ask for more black/gay/handicapped characters.
'Cause if you're only bitching about Babs and you're unwilling to have your favorite character (Kate, Bruce, Damian, Dinah...) suffer the same consequences as Babs did when the Joker shot her, well then... Yeah, better not go there.
I guess what I'm asking in a not so very nice way is to give Barbara a chance. Read her old Batgirl comics if you can and you will see that the character you are afraid to lose is there. Everything that makes her such a great character is there. I'm not going to say that she's better as Oracle because to me it doesn't matter if she calls herself Oracle or Batgirl.
I fell in love with the character of Barbara Gordon and she's both. She's Oracle and Batgirl and there is no difference between those two. She's the same character. There is no Oracle and no Batgirl just one Barbara Gordon and she's awesome whatever you say.
And she will keep being awesome because she's a great character and she doesn't need me or Gail or anyone to say so; just read her stories.
Also, keep in mind that Babs fans said the same when Cass became Batigrl and Cass's fans said the same when Steph became Batgirl and they were all wrong! Both Batgirl runs where great and had amazing moments and gave us things to talk about.
So say what you want to say, send whatever you want to send to DC, but give the book a shot. If you don't like it then you don't like it.
But at least read it before having an opinion.
How can you dismiss something you haven't read yet? I'm going to re-post a comment I left at shobogan's lj here to explain my feelings.
My mother had an accident when she was 27 and was handicapped. She died, years later because of the complication of that accident. I never knew my mother before her accident; she was 39 when she had me. To me, my mother was like any other mother; to her she was less. I couldn't give a fuck when my mother couldn't play with me like the other moms did. That was my life and I was happy. She was happy too. She had a kid when everone else thought it would take a miracle and it did take a miracle; she had 5 miscarrieges before having me.
My mom before her accident loved to swim. Loved it! After her accident she couldn't. If my mother could take a 'fix' pill she would. If I had the power to make a 'fix' pill I would. My mother, all the 22 years I had with her, wanted nothing more but to be able to swim like she used to even for 5 minutes.
My mother never get the chance. Barbara running again, to me, it feels like my mom swimming.
Yes, I'm bias. I wanted Babs to walk for years! I had fights in the DCU Forum because of that. People called me everything from 'cripple hater' to 'idiot' and a lot more. I'm sorry you guys, but I've seen the way my mother used to smile when she talked about her 'before days' and how much she loved to watch me swim and I can't share your feelings.
I never wanted Babs to be Batgirl. I wanted a recovery story that would show her struggle with rehab and everything and having her decide that she wanted to keep doing what she was doing. I don't know if will get that-the recovery story not the keep doing what she's doing. But she's my favorite and I can't understand why a lot of you won't even give her a chance.
I'm sorry about Cass and Steph-especially Steph. Cass has a new ID now and probably is going to survive the reboot. I'm sure Steph will do the same. I'm sorry about your favorite characters, but why don't you at least try to have an open mind?
Ye, it sucks that DC is losing one of the (very) few handicapped heroes, but why you never bitched about the luck of them? Why you didn't send letters to DC when Bruce got his spine fixed asking them to keep him in the chair? Why you didn't do the same when Batwoman had her spine fixed when Dick throw her in a Lazarus Pit?
'Cause I did! I love Kate and I love Damian, but I did! And I've been called names because of that. I was asking for more handicapped heroes and you know what the fans answer was? We have one! You have one? And you are feeling okay with that one? Seriously? You scream for diversity yet you're okay with one?
Like Gail said, it's not fair to put all the weight to one character. Ask for more! Send those letters to DC to show that you are against Babs!Batgirl book, but also send a letter to ask for more black/gay/handicapped characters.
'Cause if you're only bitching about Babs and you're unwilling to have your favorite character (Kate, Bruce, Damian, Dinah...) suffer the same consequences as Babs did when the Joker shot her, well then... Yeah, better not go there.
I guess what I'm asking in a not so very nice way is to give Barbara a chance. Read her old Batgirl comics if you can and you will see that the character you are afraid to lose is there. Everything that makes her such a great character is there. I'm not going to say that she's better as Oracle because to me it doesn't matter if she calls herself Oracle or Batgirl.
I fell in love with the character of Barbara Gordon and she's both. She's Oracle and Batgirl and there is no difference between those two. She's the same character. There is no Oracle and no Batgirl just one Barbara Gordon and she's awesome whatever you say.
And she will keep being awesome because she's a great character and she doesn't need me or Gail or anyone to say so; just read her stories.
Also, keep in mind that Babs fans said the same when Cass became Batigrl and Cass's fans said the same when Steph became Batgirl and they were all wrong! Both Batgirl runs where great and had amazing moments and gave us things to talk about.
So say what you want to say, send whatever you want to send to DC, but give the book a shot. If you don't like it then you don't like it.
But at least read it before having an opinion.