You’re invited to an unholy union! Barbara Gordon’s wedding to the Joker in this week’s Batgirl #16. The Death of the Family storyline hits Batman #16 and Batman and Robin #16 this week too.
The Gordon family is on hand to watch the nightmare nuptials. As you can see in this Comics Newsarama preview the Joker has plenty of “best men” to back up the ceremony. Can Barbara save her family and escape the Joker’s bizarre plot? Gail Simone has been building towards this moment since the new series started.
Batgirl #16 courtesy DC Comics
Will Barbara get revenge against the villain who crippled her and can she survive the enemy in her own family?
“Batgirl of San Diego” & Gail Simone at GeekGirlCon 2012, photo by ComicsBlend
I’m surprised and sad that Gail Simone is off Batgirl. I picked up the book because I love Simone’s writing and I will always love Barbara Gordon. I stayed because it was thrilling and equally moving.
The New 52 Barbara wasn’t just a hero because she wore a cape and mask. Barbara was a survivor.
During her Batgirl run Simone created strong rogues for Barbara. These new villains were dark reflections of DC’s iconic heroes. Bruce Wayne could have turned into Knightfall. These rogues were like Barbara but she took a different path and fought to overcome the trauma instead of being identified with it.
I was honored to listen to Gail Simone at this year’s GeekGirlCon in Seattle where she thanked and empowered her fans. Simone is a source of creativity and inspiration – and she’s a riot on Twitter!
I would love to see Gail snapped up by a rival (or even better) get her own creator owned series at Image. If Gail writes it – I will try it!
The Joker’s is attacking and shocking Batman’s allies in Death of the Family but in this week’s Batgirl #14 Gail Simone crafts a killer revelation I didn’t see coming. Barbara’s mother has been kidnapped in a way design remind the heroine of last life changing encounter with the Joker. The villain’s creeps come after her but this is a very different Batgirl. After a year of fighting damaged enemies Barbara sees a chance to really let loose on the kind of criminals that choose to follow a madman – and it’s sweet to see her in action.
I love this issue’s waves of action and emotion. Barbara is crushed by a mysterious caller and flashes back to her worst nightmare but rallies to face the Joker. Barbara’s goodbye to Alysia is symbolic of the end of her life as we know it.
Barbara is no longer a victim but will she take a dark turn in her showdown with the Joker? Could she kill him? Could this be the real meaning of Death of the Family ?
As Batgirl confronts the Joker she learns the real enemy that set her up. This is a huge reveal for fans of the series. Simone takes this long running plot thread, wraps and tugs hard. The biggest twist comes in the form of a sick move by the Joker in the final panel.
Batgirl Annual #1 features a first time meeting and a deadly reunion for Barbara Gordon this week! Batgirl and Catwoman will cross paths for the first time in The New 52! Will Barbara and Selena Kyle connect or clash?
That’s not the only potential threat!
In Batgirl #9 Gail Simone wrote one of my favorite tie-ins to the Batman: Night of the Owls crossover. The Talon Barbara faced on the Night of the Owls is back with a vengeance in this issue too!
Gail Simone delivers a gripping showdown with a new villainess and sets the stage for Barbara Gordon’s “reunion” the Joker in Batgirl #13 this week. Knightfall is Simone’s most twisted of the the new rogues gallery she’s crafted for Batgirl. Knightfall is in many ways the kind of vigilante Bruce Wayne could have easily turned out to be. Part of Simone’s brilliance is that all the enemies she’s created this past year are damaged just like Barbara.
Batgirl suffers in this issue. She’s beaten, gutted and bleeding but Barbara won’t back down. The Batgirl/Knightfall fight is brutal. What I love is that Barbara is determined but not cocky. Batgirl knows she could be one slip away from dying but Barbara knows if she can save a victim it’s worth the suffering.
This issue is a prelude to Batgirl’s role in the Death of the Family crossover. In a scene that’s eerily similar to that horrible moment in The Killing Joke, a member of Barbara’s family is attacked by the Joker’s enforcers.
Barbara’s reunion with the Joker will be chilling and thrilling but Simone is looking beyond that showdown as we seen all the new enemies from the past year gathered into what could be Batgirl’s own version of the Sinister Six.
Batgirl #13 features a first time meeting and a deadly reunion for Barbara Gordon this week! Batgirl and Catwoman will cross paths for the first time in The New 52! Will Barbara and Selena Kyle connect or clash? Artist Ed Benes joins Gail Simone for the latest chapter.
In Batgirl #9 Gail Simone wrote one of my favorite tie-ins to the Batman: Night of the Owls crossover. The Talon Barbara faced on the Night of the Owls is back with a vengeance in this issue too!
With or without costume Barbara Gordon is just an amazing character and hero. Gail Simone proves it in Batgirl #0. Simone is on fire in a thrilling scenario showing Barbara’s birth as a crime fighter and foreshadowing the villains in her future. It’s been hinted that James Gordon Jr is alive and chilling seeds are sown in this origin story. The final panel is a knockout and leaves you excited and scared for Batgirl’s potential reunion with the Joker in the upcoming crossover Death of the Family.
Simone and Ed Benes create a compelling stand-alone story demonstrating why I love Barbara and why Batgirl is a symbol of motivation and inspiration.
The Joker returns in October’s Batman #13. DC Comics released the Batman family book solicits for November with new images of the Joker and his plans for Batman in the Death of the Family crossover. Batman #14 shows a chilling image of the Joker in his own makeshift Batcave-like control center watching his targets.
Batman and Robin #14 courtesy DC Comics
Batman and Robin #14,Catwoman #14 and Batgirl #14 will tie-in to Death of the Family as the Joker plots against Selena Kyle, Damian Wayne and Barbara Gordon.
Catwoman #14 courtesy DC Comics
The most haunting image is for Batgirl #14. As discussed this past weekend at GeekGirlCon, Gail Simone has made Batgirl a story of overcoming trauma. Barbara has come so far – it will be gripping to see her face the criminal that left her paralyzed in their last encounter and threatens her real family now.
Batgirl #14 courtesy DC Comics
The November issues set the stage for Death of the Family affecting Nightwing and Red Hood and the Outlaws in December. By Editor
