I grew up a Batman kid. My Dad bought me all the toys, I grew up watching the movies and the cartoons and damn was it a good time to be a child. 90's kids know what I'm talking about. Because of my connection to Batman and the Batman Family I often saw them as another family of my own. Granted I have like four separate families now, but what I'm getting to is that I hate to see that family tarnished. Ladies and gentlemen, Barbara Gordon has been tarnished.
Barbara Gordon was created by William Dozier, Julius Schwartz, and Carmine Infantino in 1967 to be a progressive female character within the pages of Batman comics which-at the time-lacked that kind of character. Barbara was the daughter of police commissioner Jim Gordon and as the Batman/Gordon partnership evolved over the decades so did Barbara's role. As Batgirl she worked side-by-side with Batman, her father, and Dick Grayson/Robin, the boy who would become the love of her life. Just like Robin, Batgirl was a symbol of hope for the Batman lore. She was a sign of better things to come while also being her own character. It was stated multiple times that Batgirl could have been the replacement for Batman in Gotham City. In 1988, writer Alan Moore wrote "The Killing Joke" which saw The Joker visit Barbara's home-she had retired from being Batgirl at this point-and shoot her through the waist. At the end of the story Babs survived, but she was left paralyzed for the rest of her life. Tormented, disabled, and depressed Barbara was numb to the compassion of her father, her mentor, and her childhood sweetheart. But just as readers expected, she got up. Figuratively. In 1989 Barbara began her career as The Oracle, superhero tech-support. Through her, members of The Justice League, The Batman Family, and her own team The Birds of Prey received quick and informative intelligence on their cases. She opened doors, unlocked secrets and made crime-fighting easier for the people around her. When Barbara was Oracle it redefined her role as a powerful character. Sure Professor X had been crippled for decades, but this was Batgirl we're talking about. In the 80's you more often saw heroes get killed than get crippled and just keep going. For many fans it cemented the necessity of Barbara Gordon. Anyone could have been Batgirl, but nobody else could be Barbara Gordon.
In 2011, DC Comics rebooted their universe with The New 52. Starfire became a slut, Harley Quinn looked like an idiot, and Barbara got up again. Literally. Thanks to surgery or some such nonsense Babs went back to being Batgirl, making her experience in "The Killing Joke" and her time as Oracle a footnote in her life. The Gail Simon run of the book was fantastic and helped ignore the change with good story and compelling character development, the Cameron Stewart run was a step backward and really made the character seem immature, and her newest runs as part of DC Rebirth have promising potential. But the books aren't my issue. Pun. You see after Babs was The Oracle we got two more Batgirls later on and both were unique and fresh takes on the mantle. But they were ignored in favor for undoing one of the most thoughtful characters in DC Comics. Standing Barbara up again might have seemed easier than drawing a wheelchair or writing for a handicapped person. I guess all I'm saying is that even after five years I still don't like that change. The Batman Family had such a good place before 2011, everyone felt like they had a role and a history and all those experiences combined made them feel more like a family and less like people in costumes running around. Essentially my issue with Babs is like my issue with Jason Todd sticking around as Red Hood or my issue of Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown being redone for the New 52. I liked the roles these characters played and it was erased by writers who wanted to tell their own stories without any obstructions.
Now the final nail, and its the one everyone is talking about. In the animated adaptation for "The Killing Joke" we see Barbara's time as Batgirl. Yay, right? Wrong. We also see Batgirl and Batman engage in intercourse on a rooftop. When did Batman and Batgirl ever have sex in the comics? Never. In "The Killing Joke"? Never. It was an original idea by Bruce Timm and Brian Azzarello. "False profits" I call them. They say a romance was always implied, they say it gives Batman more motivation to stop The Joker, they say it gives Barbara a reason to retire before she was shot.
They are wrong. These two writers who make more money and have more clout than I have? These two men who have been in the business before I was potty trained? Yes, they are wrong. Consider this. Barbara is Jim Gordon's daughter, she's in her early twenties. Jim Gordon is older than Bruce Wayne, they work together and respect each other. I'd go as far as to say Batman and Gordon are good friends. Batman has sex with his daughter. How about this, Babs and Dick Grayson are like this (I'm twisting my index finger and middle finger together). They've been partners, lovers, friends, almost a married couple. Dick loved her even when she was in a wheelchair, Babs loved him even when he was bopping Starfire. They're about the same age and they've always been in love with each other. Dick is Batman's adopted son. Batman has sex with his son's girlfriend. By trying to give Batman more motivation for fighting The Joker you've made Batman an asshole. Granted he isn't the nicest guy in the room, Batman has morals. If we can expect him not to kill we shouldn't have to see him defile someone who is essentially his daughter-in-law. Bruce and Brian made Batman creepy.
And the other reason. Retirement. Their idea was that the awkwardness of having sex with Batman drove Barbara to retire. Yes, that's a great idea. In a story that already makes Barbara a damsel-in-distress victim go ahead and made her subjugate to a man. Screw all that progressive women's lit crap, let's be honest. Barbara's whole motivation in that movie is to screw Batman and when she doesn't get the happy ever after of her dreams she quits. You turned an honest and upright character into a desperate fangirl. Barbara retired in the books because (ready? this is hilarious) she wanted to. Crazy right!? A young adult deciding of her own free will to stop fighting crime? Oh my God! You're telling me someone would want to stop wearing tight leather, risking their life in a murder and rape filled city, and stop lying to their own father's face? Unreal.
Considering all this, I trust Barbara in the hands of comic book writers before I trust studios and companies and editors. But even then you can't undo this. "The Killing Joke" animated movie will still have ignorant fans, the comics won't put Babs back in the chair out of fear of ridicule, Barbara Gordon will never be The Oracle or the strong individual I remember her as. That's gone. It was taken. The Batman Family was broken, changed, and taken from us at it's purest form. Not taken by some naked blue man. Taken by people who want the easy way out. Taken by people who want to draw a sexy young woman without wheels at her side. Taken by people who want to profit off of a creative property that was worth more back when it was good than it will ever be again. The Joker didn't shoot Barbara Gordon. The industry did.
Thanks for reading.
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