While Barbara Gordon is probably the character most recognized as Batgirl, due to her appearances as such in various television shows, in the comics she hasn’t held the mantle since the ’80s. That will all change very soon, however, as DC looks to reboot Batman and other staple franchises.
“It’s tremendously exciting to see her smiling on the cover of her own hit book finally, ready to kick ass against Gotham City’s worst monsters,” said the series’ writer, Gail Simone.
Barbara Gordon was famously paralyzed by the Joker, and has since assisted Batman as computer hacker and information broker Oracle. This made her a prominent hero to the disabled community, being one of the only prominent characters in mainstream comics that’s confined to a wheelchair.
“For me personally, she’s always been such an inspiration,” said writer and comic book fan Jill Pantozzi, who has muscular dystrophy. “Seeing a character who’s similar in some ways is an important thing,” Pantozzi said. “Everyone wants someone they can look up to.”
While Barbara Gordon is taking a more pro-active role in her crime-fighting, the time she spent as a paralytic will remain part of her past. “We thought when you see her recovering from that, it would continue to add nuance and depth to the character,” said co-publisher Jim Lee.
While Pantozzi is disappointed in the chance, she says she’ll give the relaunch a chance. “Barbara Gordon’s an awesome character no matter what she’s doing,” she said.
Source: New York Post
