Showcase Presents: Batgirl, Vol. 1 (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

It's Spring of 1967. The novelty of ABC's live-action comic book, Batman, is beginning to wane. Producer William Dozier is desperate for a third season. Clocking in at 94 episodes, Batman is just inches away from the 100 episode golden parachute that will, at the time, guarantee that the show will live on in syndication. 

DC Comics is also hoping for a third season. The live action series starring Adam West and Burt Ward sparked a renewed interest in DC Comics, which had been seeing Marvel Comics nipping at their heels in recent years. Bat-mania had become the source of a licensing boom of everything from toy cars to trading cards for DC. 

The idea of a new character offered hope for that third season. During initial planning stages, editor Julius Schwartz suggested that the new character be female in order to attract new female viewers. Schwartz and Dozier agreed that the new character continues with the Bat theme of the show and be known as Batgirl. However, there had already been a Bat-Girl in the pages of Batman back in the 1950s and Schwartz had buried the character for being too corny. Thus a new Batgirl would need to be created.

Legend has it that it was William Dozier who decided that Batgirl would be Barbara 'Babs' Gordon, daughter of police commissioner Jim Gordon. After viewing a concept sketch of the new Batgirl by Carmine Infantino, Dozier optioned the character for use on the series and a 7-minute long intro pilot was filmed. Along with cutting the number of shows from twice per week to just one, ABC was excited with the new character and green-lit a third season.

Batgirl was to be portrayed by actress Yvonne Craig, a veteran of a pair of Elvis films. Dressed in a sparkling purple catsuit, Craig's Batgirl debuted first on the airwaves in the September 14th episode titled 'Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin.' In that episode's closing credits, sole ownership of Batgirl was attributed to DC Comics.

To build up hype, DC Comics introduced the new Batgirl in the pages of Detective Comics #359, albeit with a new origin story. Like in the intro pilot, the first main villain Batgirl tangles with is Killer Moth. However, instead of rescuing Batman and Robin from the fiend's cocoon trap, comic book Batgirl arrives on the scene stumbling upon Bruce Wayne being kidnapped by the foe while on her way to a costume ball dressed as a female version of the Caped Crusader. Good thing she knows judo and other methods of physical defense!

Despite being advised by Batman to hang up her cowl as it's not ladylike fighting crime and all that, Batgirl eventually becomes one of the Dynamic Duo's most trusted allies. But not before testing the romantic waters with Batman! Early on, Catwoman eyes Batgirl as a barrier to her affections with Batman, turning into a heroine in hopes of wooing the vigilante. Batman then recruits both Batgirl and Wonder Woman to pretend to fall head over heels in love for the hero, in a bizarre plot to trap the serpentine for, Copperhead. 

This book sees the foundation of a decades long relationship with perhaps her true love, Dick Grayson in a 2-part murder mystery with an Edgar Allan Poe theme. Soon after, a new paramour is introduced in Babs' life; the amateur sleuth Jason Bard. Gordon will solve crimes with the young man as both an expert librarian and as Batgirl. While Bard won't put 2-and-2 together that the two fiery redheads in his life are the same woman, an important person in Barbara's life will make the connection; her father, Jim Gordon. 

While investigating the murder of a Gotham City police officer, Batgirl uncovers a plot to murder the Commissioner by framing a known radical cop-hater. When a sniper sneaks up upon Gordon, Batgirl accidentally calls out a warning to 'Dad', leading the commissioner to deduce the true identity of Batgirl. A couple stories later, Barbara reveals her secret identity to dear old dad before taking his place as candidate for US Congress. 

When Babs wins the congressional race, it's assumed that Batgirl will go in retirement. However, a year later in the pages of Superman, of all places, Batgirl returns to save reporter Clark Kent from a Washington DC based spy ring. This massive volume of Showcase Presents ends with a Batgirl/Man of Steel reunion in Metropolis before Batgirl and her BFF, Supergirl team up for the fourth time to stop a girl claiming to be Cleopatra from becoming the new queen of the United States of America.

Had DC not shut down the fan favorite Showcase Presents line of reprints, fans would have gotten to see more of Batgirl's life in the nation's capitol before beginning a series of team-ups with Robin, now a college aged man. These Batgirl adventures would appear in the anthology title Batman Family before returning to the backup feature status in Detective Comics. With 1985's Crisis, Batgirl wasn't retconned. But her importance was lessened. Many of her adventures were now retooled to have taken place with Power Girl instead of Supergirl. 1988's The Killing Joke would redefine Barbara Gordon's importance in the Bat Family, when she's left a paraplegic from a bullet fired by the Joker. Now operating in the shadows, Babs would become Batman's eyes and ears as the tech-savvy Oracle before being granted the ability to walk once again thanks to an experimental surgery using nanobot implants.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #25 (With a Female Lead Character) of the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Batman and Robin Adventures #3

Here we are! My final holiday comic review for the 2024 season. Based on the iconic Batman: The Animated Series, this comic sees the Riddler holding a prestigious gentlemen's club being held hostage during its annual Christmas party. 

First of all, when I use the term gentlemen's club, I'm not referring to the seedy nudie bar near the airport. Second, when I use the term holiday comic, I'm actually actually referring to the time of year this book is set. Otherwise, this story is one that could have been told the other 364 days of the year.

Christmas is basically just a prop. The Riddler does cause a fire at the club by turning all of the Christmas tree table decorations into incendiaries. However, the fiend could have set the blaze with any sort of decor. The Riddler's scheme could have happened during the club's annual Easter banquet, Fourth of July fete or Thanksgiving feast. 

This is no Christmas With the Joker.

I also had trouble with the ending. Riddler's escape hangs upon dumb luck. Somehow after escaping Batman's clutches, the villain dons a Gotham City SWAT team uniform. He manages to flee the scene when Commissioner Gordon orders the Riddler's SWAT team 'officer' to request fire and rescue and in order to do that, he's got to get inside a transport vehicle to get on the horn to make the inquiry. How would the Riddler have planned to have escaped if Gordon didn't pick him to contact the GCFD?

The ending really rests on a 'hand of fate' decision. The Riddler's heists are too well planned to the finest detail that having this escape step of his scheme hangs on random selection is just too implausible to me. Considering how perfect Paul Dini's Batman: TAS stories are, he really got a little sloppy with this plot. A Riddler caper has to be like clockwork and I'm not talking about using a sun dial. 

Ty Templeton's art work was flawless. So clean and so screen accurate. It really steals the show... Uh, comic. 

Not a true Christmas story. Not the most well thought out Riddler story. But some darn fine artwork. 

Rating: 6 out of 10 stars.

Batman: The Long Halloween Deluxe Edition, Dark Victory- The Sequel

The Long Halloween continues. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale expound on the story of the Holiday killer with Dark Victory, given the deluxe treatment with this 2022 re-release.

A couple of years have passed. Jim Gordon has been made Commissioner of a police force that still has its fair share of dirty cops. On the home front, wife Barbara took their son James and are now living separated in Chicago.

The Falcone crime family is now headed by daughter Sofia, who languishes as a cripple in a wheelchair while trying to reunite the truce with the Maronis. Harvey Dent/Two-Face is an inmate at Arkham, as is Alberto Falcone; the troubled young man who confessed to being Holiday despite looming evidence to the contrary. Dent's wife Gilda went into hiding and hasn't been seen or heard from since. 

Despite accidentally putting Sofia Falcone in her wheelchair, for which the new mob boss has vowed vengeance, Catwoman has agreed to a $1 million bounty to locate the stolen body of Don Falcone and to enact revenge against the perpetrator of the crime. Hopefully, this will eliminate the large bounty that still rests over the jewel thief's head.

There's a new District Attorney; the fiery blonde Janice Porter. She reopened the case against Alberto and is pushing for his release, citing police brutality at the hands of Batman. 

As for Batman, along with Gordon, he's trying to solve a new series of holiday themed deaths. This time, the targets are current and former Gotham City Police with ties to Harvey Dent. Each victim is hanged with a Hangman's puzzle affixed to them. The will they/won't they romance of Batman and Catwoman gets even more complicated when she leaves suddenly for Italy after always seemingly having his back during Falcone involved altercations. As for Bruce Wayne, he's a date with destiny at the next performance of Haly's Circus.

I don't know about you, but my favorite Batman stories are when he's playing detective. There are numerous stories where the Dark Knight has to defuse gang wars or fight through a gauntlet of villains. They're good stories, mostly. But I prefer a more toned down noir story where Batman has to solve the unsolvable. Don't get me wrong. There's a slew of villains from Batman's Rogue's Gallery in this book and they play pivotal roles. Only, at the heart of this story is a mystery and I love it!

The art, while still kinda primitive, has improved dramatically. The Joker seems to have a lot of teeth. Just not as many. Probably because Batman's knocked a few out over the years. Plus, Tim Sale manages to draw several characters similarly in a way to make you think that perhaps one or more players aren't who they really are. I really fell for several red herrings in this book and was nowhere close to solving the mystery! Make that mysteries.

Everybody talks about how great the first Long Halloween miniseries is I think Dark Victory is a forgotten classic and a must read!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Detective Comics #627

From 1991, this deluxe sized issue commemorates the 600th appearance of the Dark Knight in Detective Comics. The idea of this issue is pretty novel. To begin, it reprints the very first story of which Batman appeared in Detective Comics #27. In a story titled 'The Case of the Chemical Syndicate', Bruce Wayne is alerted to the death of a pair of businessmen while accompanying Commissioner Gordon on a case. In the guise of the Bat-Man, the vigilante hero determines who the killer is, ushering forth a gritty sense of justice with dark undertones unparalleled in comicdom. 

Readers then are gifted with a reprint of a story from Batman's 30th anniversary appearance in Detective Comics (#387), circa 1968. Editor Julius Schwartz commissioned Mike Friedrich, Bob Brown and Joe Giella to retool that first appearance to reflect the more modern time period. This reboot includes Robin the Boy Wonder in a story that focuses on the generation gap, which was a subject that DC Comics seemed to have very little knowledge in. It's an odd tale in which Robin is sure that the son of one of the deceased is the killer' to the point that it's Batman who keeps a level head while the teen sidekick literally says 'Kids these days...'

There are 2 more stories in this anniversary issue. Both of which retell 'The Case of the Chemical Syndicate' to reflect the early 90s. The first story introduces a new character called Pesticyde. Unfortunately, it's the character's only appearance. But it was a darn good one! Written by Marv Wolfman, with art by Jim Aparo, it blows that 60s reboot out of the water!

90s retool #2 is a bit more complex. Half of the story focuses on Batman trying to solve the murders of those businessmen; half focuses on a drunken homeless man claiming that his buddies have been killed. You might think that the two plots have nothing to do with each other. Yet, Alan Grant does a masterful job stringing both story lines together. This story has some great art by Norm Breyfogle, who along with letterer Todd Klein, sneaks in the names of dozens of past Batman artists and writers. The cool thing about all this is how each matches the art style or signature of the creators. 

I'm co-leading a comic book club this school year. Our first assignment is to read a Batman comic book. Any Batman work is allowed. I was going to read an issue of Detective from 1970 that reprinted several of Batman and Robin's most unusual cases. Unfortunately the book was coming apart at the seams. At first I thought I had bought the book without a back cover. Then I saw that the missing section was still inside the bag. I then began seeing how the front cover and other back pages were beginning to peel as well. As much as I really wanted to read that book, I didn't want to bring it to school and let it get further damaged. Hopefully I'll read it sometime in the future. 

Detective #627 was an interesting experiment. It started in the 60s and continued 30 years later. I wonder if this test was ever continued in another anniversary issue? If yes, I'd be really interested in getting those issues if DC ever did. And if they haven't, maybe it's time to do it again! I'd buy it!

As much as I wanted to show my students an old comic book, I'll have to do with this book. Though if you were to ask those guys, they'd probably comment that 32 years of age is old. 

Sheesh...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Batgirl: New Hero of the Night (Backstories Series) (Family Comic Friday)

    For this week's Family Comic Friday, I stretched the rules about. Instead of a graphic novel, I choose to write about a superhero themed chapter book for young readers. Hope you'll still enjoy...

    DC Comics and Scholastic join forces to bring you Batgirl: New Hero of the Night. This 2017 offering is the latest in the two publisher's Backstories series. This junior novel by Matthew K. Manning (The Batman Files) really surprised me pleasantly. 

    Being a chapter book for readers grades 2-5, I was afraid that New Hero of the Night would be some very hokey story that puts Batgirl in some more age appropriate challenges. Stories like 'Oh No! Somebody stole my cell phone!' or 'Gee, How can I balance being a student while also being Batgirl?' Instead, this book dives into the very troubled and dangerous career of Batgirl.

      In her about 50-year history in the DC Universe, Batgirl has been shot by the Joker, paralyzed, and fought her way back into fighting shape. She's even had to deal with her share of homicidal maniacs such as her own baby brother. While not being gruesome, this book has done a very good job at chronicling Barbara Gordon's life as a superhero with sugarcoating. It's as if R.L. Stine wrote a biography of Batgirl with only putting about 75% of his signature chill factor into it. 

     New Hero of the Night is like a scrap book of Batgirl's career. Along with providing highlights of her exploits, there are timelines, in-depth looks at allies and enemies, and other fun stuff. There's even some very cool educational segments that blends in vocabulary words with the legends of the DCU. Mind you, this is more of the New 52! DC Universe (which has recently been replaced or updated with DC's Rebirth storyline) but it's still educational and fun to read.

     I also really enjoyed the artwork by Sonic Sega Series' Patrick Spaziante. His penciled sketchbook style looks like a police artist from the Gotham City PD drew up a file on Batgirl for Commissioner Gordon's eyes only. I just hate that several of these pictures are recycled throughout the book. Spaziante's work is so good, I felt cheated out of completely new and different art on every page.

    An enjoyable quick read. There's several more books in the Backstories line-up including volumes on Batman, Harley Quinn, and my favorite- Supergirl. At $5.99 each, they're a very good price for over 120 pages of superhero excitement. Make these awesome books a part of your child's library today!

    Worth Consuming!

    Rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars.

Batman, Volume 9: Bloom (The New 52!)

   

There's a terrifying new villain in Gotham City. Calling himself Mister Bloom, this new enemy is supplying the gangs of Gotham with bio-engineered 'seeds.' In reality, these seeds are a sort of nanobot steroid that are turning the criminal element into superhuman powerhouses. Claiming to be the Joker to Jim Gordon's Batman, Mister Bloom just might have what it takes to destroy the Bat and his city forever.
    Meanwhile, the fate of Bruce Wayne is revealed. But what about the Joker? Did he too survive Endgame?
    Bloom is a brutal character and I quite like him. Despite being Gordon's Joker, he's the direct opposite, if anything. Mister Bloom seeks order in the face of chaos where as the Clown Prince of Crime is quite the opposite. Refreshing- though I wish Bloom's identity would have been revealed- or was it I missed all the clues?
    As for the return of Bruce Wayne- I like how he's basically got a new lease on life. Of course, you know he's eventually going to return to the mantle of the Bat, but for right now having a completely reborn Bruce Wayne without the scars and wounds of years as a vigilante hero, is pretty awesome. Plus, the theory of how a Bruce Wayne Batman can continue on for decades to come is perhaps the most unique twist on the future of the Dark Knight mythos since the introduction of Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Batman, Volume 8: Superheavy (The New 52!)

   In the wake of Endgame, the threat of the Joker is over but Batman has fallen. Without its protector, the citizen's of Gotham City are in peril from the scores of gangs and members of the Dark Knight's Rogue's Gallery that are fighting for their piece of the pie.

      Enter the Powers Corporation, a conglomerate that has the crazy idea to fashion a new Batman. Combining the latest technology and the best of Gotham City Police Department's finest, Powers Corp hopes to create the ultimate Dark Knight. But when the members of the force wash out, the company's CEO has her wackiest idea yet- make Jim Gordon the new Batman!

       When it was revealed a few years back that Commissioner Gordon would be the next Batman, I felt like Gordon did: it was the stupidest idea I've ever heard! But writer Scott Snyder did a fantastic job explaining away how it was possible a 45-year old man, who smokes a pack a week, could get himself in shape to become the ultimate physical specimen, Batman. 

    Short answer: lots of implants, surgery, and intense training.
    Another classic segment of one of the few shining spots in the New 52. Superb writing. Excellent art by Greg Capullo. And tons of action and adventure.

    Worth Consuming

    Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Batman: Earth One, Volume 1

   Convinced that there's a massive cover-up behind the death of his parents, Bruce Wayne becomes a costumed vigilante in hopes of bringing down the corrupt Mayor Cobblepot. Welcome to the world of Batman: Earth One. Here Detective Jim Gordon has been so beaten down following the murder of his wife, that he's a shell of the cop he once was. Harvey Bullock is a Hollywood cop newly transferred to Gotham in hopes of solving the Wayne murders and restarting his TV career, and a sadistic killer called the birthday boy is kidnapping young girls in hopes of reliving his first kill.

   Written by Geoff Johns, if this isn't the blueprint to the FOX TV show, Gotham, I'll eat my hat! Johns is DC's chief creative officer for its TV programming and there is just so much of Gotham in Earth One just as there is oodles of Earth One in Gotham. I love Gotham, it's an amazing show and I am in love with Batman: Earth One.

   Now here's where things get tricky for me. I've read volume one of Superman: Earth One, now I've read this volume as well- but what do either have to do with the New 52! universe? In the New 52!, there's an Earth 2, which houses most of the Justice Society heroes. Thus, I'm assuming that the red underwear-less Superman and the Jim Gordon Batman operate on Earth 1! Is there a difference between Earth 1 and Earth One besides spelling? 

   This kind of multiverse overlap is perhaps my biggest problem with the New 52! DC. It doesn't keep me from enjoying these stories but it does detract from my understanding of them. Perhaps the Earth One books are set aside much like the Ultimate universe was apart from the Marvel-616 one? But eventually, they both crossed over... So who really knows!

   Regardless, with excellent writing by Johns and killer art by Gary Frank, I am on board with this new take at the Dark Knight.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Gotham Underground #1

Oh, there's Batman!
That's the only place you'll find him in this issue though!

   

  With the Batman MIA, some heavy hitters are moving in and within  Gotham in hopes of carving their piece of the action. The Penguin, Scarecrow, and others in the Dark Knight's Rogue's Gallery are fighting amongst themselves to the brink of a gang war, especially with a newcomer from Metropolis named Tobias Whale claiming all of Gotham as his turf. Those who refuse his gracious terms are known to disappear and it's proving that there's no honor amongst thieves in a city without its protector. It will take the combined might of Commissioner Gordon, Robin, and the rest of the Batman Family to keep the peace in the Caped Crusader's absence.

   As they say "when the bats away, the rat will play."

   This premier issue to this 2007 9-part series was fantastic. Lots of great action and with many a classic Batman story, it's got a great mystery. This puzzle just happens to be "Where's Batman?" Fantastic art byJim Califiore along with what should be a really engrossing story by  Frank Tieri. I hoping for 8 more great issues.

   Worth Consuming

   Rating: 9 out of  stars.

Detective Comics, Volume 5: Gothopia (New 52)

    There's a lot going in this collection. First, in concordance with the Zero Year storyline is a tale about the early days of Jim Gordon and the GCPD. Then we shoot forward six years as Batman teams with Manbat to bring an end to Lady Manbat's reign of terror (see Detective Comics Volume 3 & 4 for more information.) After the conclusion of that adventure, the Dark Knight returns to the Bat Cave only to be confronted by his partner, Catbird!

   Huh???

   In the course of just two pages, gritty Gotham City has turned into Gothopia, a utopia where crime is virtually non-existent, none of the Robins ever died, and Oswald Copplepot's umbrella bears the mantle of Mayor Penguin. Has Batman entered a parallel universe, has he suffered a mental breakdown or is there something more nefarious behind this panacea?

   Lastly, the origin and 75 years of Dark Knight legends combine in a reprint of last year's 'Detective Comics #27 Special Edition.' There are some unique looks at the Batman and his lengthy cast of friends and foes. With an all-star list of contributors ranging from Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Scott Snyder, Brad Meltzer, Mike and Laura Allred, and many more. You may not like every story in the 'Special Edition', but it's the tribute that the Caped Crusader deserves; filled with his highest highs and lowest lows.

    I loved this volume, but the Jim Gordon story was my favorite. I really enjoyed the series 'Gotham Central' from 2003-06, which focused on the crime fighters and detectives of Gotham who wear a badge instead of a cape. Gordon's story captures the spirit of that great series. I'm also a big fan of the FOX show 'Gotham.' I would not be surprised if the writers and producers of that program didn't use this tale for some sort of inspiration.

    Worth Consuming.

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Legends of the DC Universe #11 (The 160-Character Review Challenge)

The Bat trains Barbara 2b batgirl under promise not 2 go it alone till ready. Babs must defy orders when robbers hold Gordons hostage. wc 9/10

Legends of the DC Universe #10 (The 160-Character Review Challenge)

Though Babs calls Jim Gordon 'dad'- he's actually her uncle. We get 2 see the seeds of that relationship. Later inspired 2b batgirl. wc 9/10

Batman: Turning Points

Turning Points is a five issue series that highlights the strange friendship between Jim Gordon and the Dark Knight. Taken from their earliest encounters, we see the strange evolution of begrudging trust mold into a symbiotic guardianship of Gotham City. Unwavering partnership was never the final destination of these two. As long of Gordon never really knows whose under the cowl, there will be the slightest doubt as to the Caped Crusader ability to not cross the line from vigilante into ruthless criminal.

Each issue features a famous artist and writer duo from the past 70 some odd years of Batman’s career. I loved issue one very much as it was a return to Frank Miller’s Batman: Year One storyline. Though, I wish they’d got Miller to do the writing or at least the plotting. Other issues involve Gordon going up the GCPD ranks from Lieutenant to Captain to ultimately Commissioner while Batman goes through a number of partners and gains members of the Batman family.

I do wish that the fourth issue wasn’t set when Azrael was the Batman. I know that that issue highlighted the doubt that will forever linger in the back of Gordon’s head like I mentioned earlier. I just wish that all five chapters could’ve involved the Bruce Wayne Batman. Also, I think a sixth issue epilogue would’ve been great. That one could’ve been set during the Dark Knight Returns timeline and maybe in a twist featured the Batman: Beyond Caped Crusader rising to ranks as the new protector of Gotham City.

While that story would’ve been awesome, the final chapter is a unique and heartwarming ending to events that unfold in issue 1. Thus a cycle of what is old is new again is complete. So, despite my fan boy dream team, I think Turning Points ended as strongly as it began a fantastic tribute to two of the DC Universe’s most trusted crime fighters.

Worth Consuming.

Rating:

Issue 1: 10, Issue 2: 10 Issue 3: 7, Issue 4: 3 Issue 5: 9

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

Catwoman: Guardian of Gotham #2

   As wedding bells chime for the newlywed couple of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, things get even more deadly between their alter egos. With all of Gotham’s villains destroyed by Batman, the only thing Gotham City PD has left to do is apprehend him. Yet, in very un-Batman like fashion, a raid on Commissioner Gordon’s offices proves that this isn’t your grandpa’s Dark Knight.

    Some great plot twists and turns. It’s a pity (and probably too late) that DC never made a sequel to follow up the great shock ending. The art continues to amaze and the writing just keep getting better and better making for one heck of a closing chapter in a very awesome Elseworlds tale.

   Worth Consuming.

   Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.