Warning: Spoilers for Birds of Prey #11!
Summary
Her latest “cavewoman” makeover is exactly whatBatgirlhas needed for years. In DC lore, Barbara Gordon is the original Batgirl, and rightfully so. She may not bethe best fighter of all the Batgirls, but she’s showcased a level of genius, grit, and determination to make herthe best part of Batman’s legacy.
The only thing Batgirl has been missing, apparently, is a cavewoman appearance, which she debuts inBirds of Prey#11 by Kelly Thompson, Robbi Rodriguez, Javier Pina, and Gavin Guidry. When the Birds' latest adventure launches them into the prehistoric era as they hop from pocket dimension to pocket dimension, this dimension gifts Batgirl with a new wardrobe to fit the era, equipped with a stone-age ax to match.
While the new costume preserves the classic cowl and Bat-symbol, she also gets a pelt cape and bandage-wrapped accessories on her wrists and shins. Not only does this finally give Barbara a signature weapon of her own,but the “costume” symbolizes a ferocity that Babs has been hiding for years.
Batgirl’s Genius New Weapon Idea Proves Once and For All Batman Isn’t Her Boss
One of the biggest Bat-Family rules is NO GUNS, but Barbara Gordon has never really followed the family rules — and this new weapon proves it.
Batgirl Debuts a Cavewoman Costume that Perfectly Symbolizes Her Savagery
Art by Javier Pina
Batgirl is often depicted as one of the more level-headed members of the Bat-Family, butshe’s also been depicted as harboring a hidden rage and intensity that she tries to keep in check. After all, she has plenty to be enraged about as a hero who briefly had to retire her cape afterbeing shot by the Joker, completely changing her legacy in the process. It took years beforeBarbara Gordon got revenge on the Joker, and even then, it wasn’t in a way that makes them even.
A new costume like this allows Barbara the opportunity to unleash years worth of anger that she’s kept under a lid for far too long.
The closest Barbara Gordon comes to getting revenge is the non-canonicalBatman:Three Jokersminiseries by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok. InThree Jokers, Babs kills the Joker through complicity, but more importantly, the series gets to the root of an intense rage that Babs keeps bottled up inside so as not to unleash her own savage, killer instinct. As a cavewoman in the prehistoric age fighting off dinosaurs, though,a new costume like this allows Barbara the opportunity to unleash years worth of angerthat she’s kept under a lid for far too long.
Batgirl Finally Has a Signature Weapon - Will It Last?
Just Like Her Other Family Members
Most members of the Bat-Family have a signature weapon or object of choice that they carry into every battle. Batman has his Batarangs; Nightwing has his twin escrima sticks; Tim Drake’s Robin has his bo staff; Red Hood has his guns; and the list goes on. But Barbara Gordon never had such a weapon to call her own. An ax, though, might be the perfect weapon of choice for her, even as she exits the prehistoric era. It doesn’t need to be a big stone ax as depicted in this issue, butBatgirlwielding an ax of some sort would help set her apart from the other Gotham heroes.
