Silver Age Batgirl or why Barbara's Batgirl is the closest thing to Batman.

[modestroad]

I'm very lucky in my life. I have friends both here and in RL that I can talk about comics without feeling like the outsider. I'm not getting weird looks when I say that I ship Babs/Dick or Jean/Emma (a couple of my ships), but there are few times that a conversation turns into an argument and I wish I had my computer with me

Comments

[withpins]

Oh, so much word on this. One of the things I love about that origin story for Babs is the fact that it shows pretty naturally how much tragedy and loss has been an intricate part of her life from the beginning, and yet it's also clear that it's far from being her one and only motivation for crime-fighting. She'd already suffered immense adversity even before she lost the use of her legs, and yet none of those losses ever became her life. She's as good as she is because she works so damn hard for everything. It's compelling

[modestroad]

She'd already suffered immense adversity even before she lost the use of her legs, and yet none of those losses ever became her life. She's as good as she is because she works so damn hard for everything.

I can't agree more with that. Bruce, Dick, Cass, they had a reason to fight. Barbara just wanted to fight for what she thought was right. I'm not saying that she's better than Bruce or Cass, I'm just saying that she did it because she wanted it and didn't had something to prove.

But you know, I really do think that Barbara also suffers from pre-crisis syndrome, just as Dick's Robin does to a degree.*nods* There aren't many Batgirl stories with Barbara post-crisis. I love BYO because it kept most of her origin, but Barbara never wanted Batman's (or Jim's in the BYO case) approval. What was that 'I want to be a cop/daddy doesn't let me be one' crap? Babs always knew what she wanted to do and did it at the end

[modestroad]

one of the things I like the most about Babs is her heavenly flawed human nature, and as Lyraeinne says, the fact that she works hard.

So true! She worked hard to be Batgirl and she worked even harder to be Oracle. I just don't get why it's okay for a man to do that but for a woman it's silly or even ridiculous.

If I remember correctly the creator of Cass said that he found Babs!Batgirl ridiculous because she didn't had any training before (unlike Cass). I'm wondering if he has the same opinion for Bruce since neither him had any training before.

Once Barbara (like Bruce) realized what she wanted to do she started training, pretty much what Bruce did. Yet, no one is calling him ridiculous.

[bradygirl_12]

Oh, the fanboys! Sexism lives! :)

I loved Barbara as Batgirl and she's 'my' Batgirl. No offense to Cass or Stephie, but I just dig Barbara.

All-Star Batgirl? Don't hold your breath? They've been talking about All-Star Wonder Woman for about four years. Female characters...always dissed!

[modestroad]

Sexism lives and is bigger than ever! Yet, they have no problem with Cass being a 'killer machine'. Not that Cass was ever a killer machine, but she was raised to be one.

Oh, I know. I just wish they did something already. I just can't stand to watch Babs as a supposting character...again. I have no problem with BOP 'cause BOP was her book as much as Dinah's, but to Stephanie? That I can't and won't accept!

[reginalibintia]

Well I'm sure you know how I feel on the subject. I love them all for different reasons. I agree fully with your ideas that Babs is the closest to being like Bruce, and I think that's why she's able to stand up to him the way she does, and others are frightened to do. She's walked the road, and he wasn't her teacher the entire time. He wasn't her savior throughout it all. She needed him, and learned from him, but she came into it as a strong, independent woman.

Cass is an amazing Batgirl. Cass had amazing skills, but Cass had to learn to be human, not be the Bat. So, she worked the opposite path that Bruce did, although, if you go by the standards of what Bruce is today, I would say he is more like Cass. He learned how to not be human, while she grew her emotions etc...

And well, Steph still has to prove herself to me. I don't even want to get into it.

[modestroad]

I know how you feel and I feel the same. I love Cass, but sometimes she was too perfect for me. And Stephanie has a lot to prove and since she's only Batigrl for 5 issues I give her the benefit of the doubt.

[bradygirl_12]

She's walked the road, and he wasn't her teacher the entire time. He wasn't her savior throughout it all. She needed him, and learned from him, but she came into it as a strong, independent woman.

I always thought that was cool about Babs' Batgirl: she worked with Batman and Robin but was what I call an independent contractor, on her own but willing to ally herself with the Dynamic Duo.

She was always pretty independent despite all the strong male personalities surrounding her (Jim, Bruce, Dick).

[modestroad]

Apperantly some people can't accept that a woman can train herself to be a superhero. But they are okay when a man does it.

Unfortunately for Cass, DC hadn't forgotten her. They way she gave the Batgirl costume to Spoiler...*goes to puke*