Batgirl, like Aquaman, Supergirl and some other titles, has been cancelled, for now. But, there’s no reason to think Batgirl is going to be unpublished for long. What do you think the future holds for Babs and the rest of the Batgirl universe? What would you like to see happen?
I think we will get a new Batgirl title in the spring or summer, but I do think this will be different kind of series. Both Batgirl #50 and the most recent issue of Batman seem to be hinting that Barbara is going to dedicating more of her time to being Oracle than Batgirl. In Batman, she talks about directling Cass and Stephanie in the field. In a short story at the end of Batgirl 50, she sends Huntress, Black Canary, Orphan and Spoiler out to respond to an emergency while she directs them. I think we will see a title either as BoP or Batgirl, in which Babs doesn’t completely hang up the cape but spends most of her energy as Oracle directing an all-female team.
I hope this happens. In her personal life, I hope they drop her working for a member of congress because it eats up time with the writer thinking they’re saying something about whatever and in a greater sin it’s deadly boring. Jason Bard can also take a long walk off a short pier as far as I’m concerned, because he commits the same boring sin. Babs doesn’t always need a dude in her life (Simone’s neck snake tattoo boy being the worst) to make her life interesting.
So, what you got?
What I would like to see is a “Batgirls” title with Barbara as Batgirl mentoring Stephanie as Spoiler and Cassandra as…any name other than Orphan.
I also think, considering how they talked about focusing on digital and having exclusive titles with DCUI, I would not be surprised if some Batgirl content isn’t one of those titles.
The Babs/Cass/Steph book was exactly what I was thinking until I read Batgirl 50 today which made me think a larger team. If DC wants synergy a regular BoP title (including all Batgirls) and a digital title that focuses more on the individual members but ties into the main title.
Yes, Orphan name goes.
“Cass, you’re not an orphan you’re our sister. You’re our Batgirl Number 3.” (Just a working name for now)
I hope they do a spinoff to do Oracle, Have the Batgirl series end in a cliffhanging when Barbara get shot by the Joker, and begin Oracle series with Barbara recovering and begin her crime fighting as Oracle, working behind the scene whether it’s Batman or the start of the new Birds Of Prey.
I don’t want Barbara to regress back to Oracle again, but if she must, then I want it to be because she thinks it’s the best option, not because she is forced to.
As for a name for Cass, I remember during Tynion’s Detective run there was a moment where Cass was being told an old folk’s tale about a protective shadow, which made me think that maybe Shadow would be a good new codename for Cass.
I imagine she couldn’t get her own ongoing with “Shadow” in the name (much like how then Captain Marvel couldn’t have a title with his actual superhero name), but she has in the past went by the name Black Bat, which was another similar golden age pulp hero, so I think it’s possible.
I think that works with the Green Lanterns because that’s not an identity but a job description. Much like there are thousands of people who call themselves police or firefighters, there are thousands of Green Lanterns, who’s job is to protect their sector of the galaxy.
Well, there are also three Flashes, two Atoms, and frequently more than one Batman. In the 90s, we had 4 Supermen. Future State will bring us 2, possibly 3 Wonder Women. I don’t see why one character needs exclusive claim on a title.
I like Barbara as Batgirl, but I love her as Oracle. I think Batgirl being a mantle to pass along to young female heroes is how it should be, either Cass, Steph or even someone new! Batgirl is an idea, not a single person.
