COLUMNS
DC Nation: Spoiler Bat-endings.
September 16, 2009
Well, if you were wondering who the new Batgirl is but haven't read the first issue of her new series, I suggest you skip this column. But, if you did read it… please, by all means, continue.
For several months we've teased you about our plans to launch a new Batgirl series, but we never said who'd be inside the costume. And there was much speculation on who might actually wear the cowl. Barbara Gordon might have seemed a logical choice; after all, Hal Jordan and Barry Allen were back in costume, so why not Barbara? And then there was talk of Cassandra Cain. She was the reigning Batgirl and was back to being a hero. Why not leave her in the costume? Even Misfit (from Birds of Prey), Wendy (from Teen Titans), and Bette Kane (of Flamebird fame) were thrown into the mix, just for fun. But as you now know, that group didn't make the cut. Instead we went with a character who just recently returned to the land of the living, the former Robin, current Spoiler, and now, future Batgirl, Stephanie Brown.
Choosing the new Batgirl was not an easy decision, and strong arguments could be made for most of them. At one point we were sure it would be Barbara (she was as close to being Batgirl again as Nightwing was being dead) but after long discussions it was agreed that Oracle had become such a strong character, there was no sense going back. And since we wanted to a make a change, Cassandra no longer seemed right for the role. (Not to worry, Cassandra fans; plans are afoot, in a very big way, for our favorite non-lethal assassin in 2010.) As for Wendy, Bette and Misfit, none felt strong enough for the position. That left us with the one choice we all agreed on, Stephanie Brown.
Now me and Stephanie, we go way back. As a fan I followed her story in ROBIN comics, and when I first got here at DC, agreeing to her "death" was one of my first "controversial" decisions. After all, I was the one who suggested making her a Robin before killing her, so her death would seem to have more meaning. Heh. Who knew?
From the time of her death, to the outcry for a memorial, and ultimately, to her return, there is no denying that her character had connected with a portion of our fanbase and, more important, connected to the Bat-family. It just seemed to make sense that she was the one, and given her history and ties to all the members of Batman's world, the potential is there to make this new Batgirl the one fans will be speaking about for a very long time. I hope you agree and give her a try. We have a great creative team in place with Bryan Q. Miller and Lee Garbett, and I think you are going to enjoy the ride.
To be continued.
DD
