Now that the well received Batman: White Knight has come to an end, which you can read our review of the latest issue, writer and artist Sean Gordon Murphy has his sights set on Batgirl. With writer Mairghread Scott and artists Paul Pelletier and Elena Casagrande leading this new Batgirl story that starts in Batgirl #26, Murphy is the one who designed the character’s new look.
Barbara Gordon has been sporting the purple jacket look since 2015 when she was soft rebooted in Batgirl of Burnside. Barbara’s new look brings the costume back to its roots with some modern modifications.
Writer Mairghread Scott had this to say:
“This is supposed to be a version of the costume that she was working on when she still lived with her dad. That’s why it looks so much like her original Batgirl: Year One outfit – like, she’s with her dad. She can’t get out back to Burnside, and this is like the emergency. So the version that she was working on [back in the day] that she had stashed here just in case. It helps us with the story a little bit too, because it’s a little less bright – we wanted her to be more stealthy, and we want her to be able to integrate some more tech with the belt.”
Returning to Batgirl, all the way back from her New 52 run, is the villain Grotesque. No longer content with just stealing art, he wants to make it. When Batgirl finds Grotesque’s new “art” from body parts and it’s up to her to stop him. However, in an encounter with the villain, she suffers a bad injury.
“The implant that allows her to walk is shorting out. But when that happens, [Babs’] is just like, ‘Oh, okay, my legs aren’t working, I can deal with that. It’s fine.’ Because she was Oracle for a long time, you know? She knows how to operate without the chip.”
Although Barbara is probably equally known to many fans as Oracle as she is Batgirl, Scott does say not to expect her to return to that position anytime soon. “That’s kind of a spoiler, I guess, but I want to get ahead of that. We don’t want to tease people with that.”
Scott continues:
“We’re absolutely not looking to go grimdark. I love hopeful Babs, but I think, to me, leaving that hope untested is worth less than putting that hope through the fire. Batgirl learned some amazing lessons in Burnside, and now we want to continue that arc in a natural progression like a real person would.”
Batgirl’s newest adventure begins in Batgirl #26 and Batgirl Annual #2 on August 22 and 29. It will continue in Batgirl #27 on September 26.
Batgirl Annual #2
What do you think of Barbara’s new outfit? Personally, I like the more traditional costume rather than the motorcycle jacket one we’ve had the past few years.