39,327
edits
Batgirl (2009 comic book): Difference between revisions
m
Mass update links
(Import from TV Tropes TVT:Comicbook.Batgirl2009 2012-07-01, editor history TVTH:Comicbook.Batgirl2009, CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported license) |
m (Mass update links) |
||
Line 7:
''Batgirl'' was an ongoing monthly comic-book series written by Bryan Q. Miller with pencils and inks done by Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott. Running from 2009 to 2011, this series features Stephanie Brown as [[Batgirl (Comic Book)|Batgirl]], [[Legacy Character|the third person to bear the title]], while she simultaneously attends Gotham University. This is the second ongoing series to be named after and feature the [[Batgirl (Comic Book)|Batgirl]] character; the previous series focused on the preceding Batgirl, Cassandra Cain.
Stephanie Brown herself is a teenager with what can only be described as a complicated relationship with the world of crime and superheroics in and around [[Batman|Gotham City]]. The daughter of the Cluemaster, a B-List [[Criminal Mind Games|Riddler knockoff]], Stephanie came to despise her father and crime in general because of the traumatic childhood his escapades created. She adopted the identity of 'the Spoiler' and, true to her title, went around and [[Spoiler|spoiled]] her fathers crimes. Soon she began fighting criminals apart from just her father and became one of the numerous costumed vigilantes operating in Gotham City. However, unlike the ''other'' vigilantes, [[Overshadowed By Awesome|she put the 'normal' in]] [[Badass Normal]]. Stephanie did not have the [[Crimefighting With Cash|technological support]] or [[Training From Hell|lifetime of training]] that Batman and Robin did and, despite her best efforts, she never quite earned their respect or their acceptance. She did eventually enter a romantic relationship with Tim Drake, the third Robin, but this was likewise dampered by their professional friction. When Tim briefly stopped wearing the Robin uniform Stephanie broke into the Batcave and demanded that Batman accept and train ''her'' as the new Robin. Stephanie then [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|instigated a massive gang war in Gotham]] and was brutally tortured and murdered by the Black Mask, and it was later revealed that Dr. Leslie Thompkins, one of the oldest recurring characters in the Batman mythos and personal friend to Bruce Wayne, [[Out
After the ''massive'' fan revolt began to die down [[DC Comics]] recognized that they had made a mistake [[
When it was decided to launch a new self-titled ''Batgirl'' series, [[Dying to Be Replaced|the executives decided not to use the currently-existing Batgirl as its star]]. In the first issue, Cassandra Cain, who had worn the mantle of [[Batgirl]] since the [[Bat Family Crossover]] ''[[Batman No Mans Land]]'' in the 1990's, retired as Batgirl in the wake of the death of Batman. Stephanie, who had an established friendship and even a pleasant working relationship with Cassandra, [[Legacy Character|decided to use the costume and assume the mantle of Batgirl]]. Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl, found out about this and at first tried to stop her, but after seeing [[Determinator|a demonstration of her bravery]] vows to guide and help her. The series is [[Lighter and Softer]] than many of the other Bat-related titles currently being published by DC, but is an embodiment of the [[Tropes Are Not Bad]] ideal: Its [[Plucky Girl|upright and cheerful protagonist]] still faces the same horrors and challenges facing any hero, but perseveres without ever losing her positive outlook.
Line 20:
* [[Action Girl]]: Stephanie herself, as well as [[Handicapped Badass|Barbara and Wendy]].
* [[Alpha Bitch]]: Jordanna, who might actually count as a friend of Stephanie, is also rude and teases anybody she thinks odd.
* [[Animal
* [[Always Someone Better]]: When [[Supergirl]] guest-stars in issue #14 she is better than Batgirl at seemingly everything. Apart from her natural superpowers, she also has a greater zest for college life than Stephanie ever had and can easily follow the [[Techno Babble|explanation for rampaging Draculas]] because she is of the science guild. However, unlike most examples of this trope, Stephanie likes her all the more because [[The Ace|she is just so awesome]].
* [[And the Adventure Continues]]: The final line of the series is Stephanie's narration as she swings into the Gotham night for her next adventure.
Line 30:
* [[Battle in The Center of The Mind]]: Oracle and Calculator face off within Barbara's subconscious.
* [[Blue Eyes]]: Stephanie has classic, beautiful blue eyes.
* [[B
* [[Buffy
* [[But I Digress]]: Stephanie has, on occasion, digressed from her own internal monologue.
* [[Calling the Old Man Out]]: In her ''Bruce Wayne: The Road Home'' one-shot, {{spoiler|Steph slaps Bruce after finding out he was secretly testing her and blows up at him for everything she had to put up from him over the years. They reach an understanding by the end of the issue}}.
Line 60:
* [[Death Is Cheap]]: "I've just been worried that if you ever popped up again - and I mean, who ''really'' stays dead nowadays anyways, right? You missed the zombies, by the way."
* [[Determinator]]: Despite everyone telling her to quit, despite everything bad happening to her, she keeps going. Especially evident in the fear gas scene.
* [[Did I Just Say That Out Loud?]]: When Stephanie met Detective Gage for the first time in her civilian identity, having already formed a working relationship and [[Precocious Crush|infatuation]] with him under the guise of Batgirl, she absent mindidly comments on how awkward the situation is. It is only when he asks her what she means that she realized she said it out loud instead of in her inner monologue.
* [[Disabled Love Interest]]: A subplot of the series is Barbara's potential relationship with Detective Gage. Her father sets them up on a date early in the series, and it closes with Batgirl recommending that he give her a call.
* [[Dracula]]: What is worse than Dracula [[Television Portal|jumping off a film screen]] and attacking the audience? ''Twenty-four Draculas'' leaping off the screen!
* [[Dressed in Layers]]: [[Supergirl]] [[Clothing Damage|rips off her shirt]] to reveal her uniform beneath it and asks if Stephanie is going to do the same. "[[Les Yay|Not unless you wanna see my bra]]."
* [[Drugs Are Bad]]: "Don't do drugs" is the advice Stephanie shouts as she runs away after having beaten up a gang of thugs who jumped her one day.
* [[Dual
* [[Dying to Be Replaced]]: Cassandra Cain does not die, but the series was conceived with the intention of Stephanie being Batgirl and, as such, they had Cassie renounce the identity and costume in the first issue. It was later revealed that [[Batman Gambit|this was all part of a plan by Bruce Wayne]] that ultimately lead to Cass taking up the Blackbat identity.
* [[Ephebophile]]: Commissioner Gordon finds it somewhat off-putting when he notices that teenage-Batgirl and one of his thirty-something detectives appear to have something of a flirtatious relationship (Don't worry, it is pretty much just [[Precocious Crush|a harmless crush on her part]]). When the detective complains that nobody says anything when he talks to Batman, Gordon responds that "[[Crowning Moment of Funny|I'm pretty sure Batman's]] ''[[Crowning Moment of Funny|legal]]''!"
* [[Faking the Dead]]: The series makes reference back to the ''War Games'' crossover and Stephanies subsequent "death," [[
* [[Familiar]]: Klarion the Witch-Boy ([[Insistent Terminology|dum, dum, dum]]) and his cat familiar Teekl appear in a Valentine's Day issue when Teekl goes on a murder spree after Klarion the Witch-Boy ([[Insistent Terminology|dum, dum, dum]]) kept him away from his true love.
* [[Fantastic Racism]]: Batgirl asks Supergirl if referring to aliens as "your kind" is considered offensive.
Line 103:
** Barbara originally refused to call Stephanie "Batgirl" for a variety of reasons, both personal and professional, and it was when she finally did that helped Stephanie accept that she had earned the name.
** Klarion the Witch-Boy...[[Sting|dum, dum...]]'''''[[Sting|dum]]'''''
* [[Instant Awesome, Just Add Ninja]]: Wendy remembers the night that she and Stephanie first met (During a [[Crossover]] with ''[[Red Robin]]'') as the night with the ninjas. Stephanie herself simply describes them as "assassins."
* [[It Makes Sense in Context]]: The regular use of [[In Medias Res]] often means that the initial scenes of an issue can not be explained using information that readers currently possess, forcing them to wait for later panels (Or even ''issues'') to provide the proper context.
* [[I Want My Beloved to Be Happy]]: As Batgirl leaps out of a helicopter in issue #23, she tells Detective Gage (Who she has had a crush on for the entire series) to give Barbara Gordon a call and ask her on a date. In an interview, Bryan Miller explained that he felt that scene was indicative of real growth in Stephanie's character; not that she would recognize she and Gage could never have a relationship, but that she would actually think to recommend he get involved with somebody else.
Line 113:
* [[Kryptonite Factor]]: When Supergirl was injured by one of the [[Refugee From TV Land|twenty-four Draculas]] that she and Batgirl are chasing, Batgirl is surprised, since she thought only Kryptonite could injure a Kryptonian. Supergirl goes on to explain that other things can injure them, including magic and robots, [[Humongous Mecha|if they are big enough]].
* [[Lampshade Hanging]]: Stepanie comments on almost every trope that she experiences or expects to experience, extending to actual quotations of maxims like [[Chekhov's Gun]].
* [[Laser
* [[Legacy Character]]: She picks up the immediate mantle from Cassandra Cain, becoming the third "real" Batgirl in current continuity, but she also struggles with the even larger burden of living up to Barbara's original legacy. This is exacerbated by the fact that Barbara [[The Obi
* [[Lighter and Softer]]: A stark contrast to the [[Darker and Edgier]] stories we normally get from Gotham, helps that Steph is such a [[Plucky Girl]] and good person.
* [[Lotus Eater Machine]]: The [[For the Man Who Has Everything|Black Mercy]] makes an appearance in the series finale, issue #24.
* [[Medium Awareness]]: The narration captions seem to at least semi-realize they exist in a fictional story, as they occasionally refer to locales and events as they fit into the larger story.
* [[
* [[Metaphorgotten]]:
{{quote| '''Stephanie:''' "But seeing as how Proxy already has load of abandonment issues and none of my [[Plucky Girl|can-do]], [[The Determinator|Devil-May-Care]], [[The Pollyanna|Pollyanna]]...uh...unsinkable..."<br />
Line 125:
* [[Mind Rape]]: Barbara points out that Calculator loses a lot of credit in the "I'm not a monster" department since he has "[[Obviously Evil|his hands around my neck while he Mind-Rapes me]]."
* [[Mistaken for Gay]]: When Klarion the Witch-Boy ([[Insistent Terminology|dum, dum, dum]]) appears and moans that "he" is out of control and violent, Batgirl thinks he is referring to an ex-boyfriend. Klarion quickly corrects her that "he" refers to Teekl, his cat familiar.
* [[Mythology Gag]]: The issue "Field Test" of the first arc of the series, ''Rising'', pit Stephanie against the villain [[Shock and Awe|Livewire]], a [[Canon Immigrant]] from the [[DCAU]] that first appeared in ''[[Superman the Animated Series|Superman: The Animated Series]]''. Livewire had also guest-starred in an episode of ''[[Batman:
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: You could rename this trope Pulling a Stephanie Brown.
* [[Not Allowed to Grow Up]]: Averted. The series follows Stephanie after she graduated from High School and moved onto college, with relevant social adjustments. [[Comic Book Time|Of course, she does remain a freshman student despite the series being published for several years]].
* [[The Obi
* [[Obviously Evil]]:
{{quote| '''Calculator:''' "I'm not a monster!"<br />
Line 150:
* [[Refugee From TV Land]]: Dracula. ''Perfect''.
* [[The Resolution Will Not Be Televised|The Resolution Will Not Be Serialized]]: The last pre-''[[Flashpoint (Comic Book)|Flashpoint]]'' story involving Stephanie Brown, which was originally going to be published in issues #8 and #9 of the ongoing ''Batman, Inc.'' series, has been collected into an oversized one-shot and will be published as ''Batman, Inc.: Leviathan Strikes''.
* [[Ret Canon]]: "The Gray Ghost" [[Show Within a Show|was a show featured in]] ''[[Batman:
* [[Rule of Cool]]: The [[Hand Wave|explanation]] for [[Refugee From TV Land|twenty-four Draculas]] running around campus does not make sense, but it does not matter since it is [[Cool vs. Awesome|Batgirl and Supergirl fighting Draculas]].
* [[Secret Identity]]: Batgirl is really Stephanie Brown, freshman at Gotham University and formerly the Spoiler and Robin. Oracle is really Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl and current leader of the [[Birds of Prey]]. Proxy is really Wendy Harris, formerly of the [[Super Friends]] (By way of the [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]) and daughter of the Calculator.
* [[Secret Test of Character]]: According to revelations made in the one-shot crossover with ''Bruce Wayne: The Road Home'' the''entire'' series has been a test set up by Bruce Wayne to see if Stephanie can grow as a crimefighter and as a person. When Stephanie discovers this [[What the Hell, Hero?|she is extremely upset and]] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|slaps him across the face]].
* [[Ship Tease]]:
** When one of Barbara Gordon's male sudents sends a text message to Jen, the girl siting next to him in class, commenting that Barbara is hot, Jen clutches her phone to her chest and says "Yeah, she is."
Line 162:
** "Okay. So, barring us running into "[[Star Trek the Next Generation|Moriarity]]" or "[[Futurama|Evil Lincoln]]" or anyone else that [[Holodeck Malfunction|escaped the Holodeck...]]"
** When fighting a super-powered foe that can become invisible, Batgirl (and later Oracle and Proxy) refers to him as [[Casper]].
** Stephanie's mom, growing concerned that her daughter is spending too much time at school and 'work study,' advises her "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you'll miss it." Stephanie then informs her that that is from [[Ferris
** When Stephanie is challenged to a [[Wizard Duel]] her opponent asks her what spell she would prefer to start with. Her response is "[[Harry Potter (Literature)|accio fist]]," though she admits afterwards that "[[Talk to The Fist|accio face]]" would be the more accurate description.
** "Strictly for rapport purposes--what is a plucky heroine in need of [[Witty Banter|banter]] supposed to call you? Pretty sure [[Batman and The Outsiders|Black Lightning]] is already taken."
Line 171:
'''Stargirl:''' "What's the 'blank' for?"<br />
'''Bombshell:''' "I'll let you know when I'm done [[Fantastic Four|clobberin']]." }}
* [[Show Within a Show]]: Stephanie and Kara watch a [[B
* [[Shut UP, Hannibal]]: What she does with Scarecrow
* [[Shut Up Kiss]]: Stephanie forcibly kisses Klarion the Witch-Boy ([[Insistent Terminology|dum, dum, dum]]) in order to distract him and keep him from turning Jordanna into a frog. Stephanie, apparently, [[Tastes Like Purple|tastes like Christmas]].
* [[Simple Staff]]: Stephanie's [[Weapon of Choice]] is a collapseable staff that she wields to bruising effect
Line 178:
* [[Spoiled Brat]]: Damien Wayne had a childhood of horror based around combat training and lethality, but he is ''still'' a spoiled little twerp who does not seem to realize that Batgirl does ''not'' have to automatically bow down to his obvious greatness.
* [[Squee]]: Stephanie herself squee's relatively often, as she is a teenager who has managed to remain [[Plucky Girl|light-hearted and chipper]] despite the traumas in her own life. When the possibility of a team-up with the [[Birds of Prey]] comes up she is ''ecstatic''. When Detective Gage says that he trusts her, she actually ''says'' the word "Squee"...okay, she only ''thinks'' it, but it was the exact word.
* [[Stalker With a Crush]]: The train hijacker Stephanie beats up in issue #9 begins asking her out midway through his beating, and he reappears in later issues in pursuit of her affections and calling himself "[[Batman:
* [[Stealth Hi Bye]]: "The Grey Ghost" has been "[[Stalker With a Crush|tracking]]" Batgirl for a week now, thinking that he had her totally unaware.
{{quote| '''Batgirl:''' "Peek-a-boo."<br />
Line 216:
* [[Utility Belt]]: Stephanie's tenure as Batgirl is assisted by the usual assortment of gadgets and gear, but her costume actually seems to have enough pockets to carry it all. Unlike Batman, Robin and the previous Batgirl's, [[Hyperspace Arsenal|who managed to fit all their gadgets into a single belt]], Stephanie Brown's costume has numerous gadget-belts. These include the traditional waist-belt, but also a ring of pouches that wrap around her leg.
* [[Waking Non Sequitur]]: "[[Crowning Moment of Funny|...Kill you]] [[Abraham Lincoln]]..."
* [[Wangst]]: In-universe, in the [[B
* [["Well Done, Son" Guy|"Well Done, Daughter" Girl]]:
** Stephanie spends the early issues just looking for some validation and appreciation from Barbara, which she finally gets in issue #3. In that same issue, Scarecrow's fear gas revealed Stephanie's deep-rooted fears of being a failure as a superhero (to Batman) and as a girlfriend (to [[Robin|Tim Drake]]). In the Batgirl/Red Robin crossover in issue #8, her fears are assuaged when Tim tells her he is proud of what she has become.
** She looked up to Batman during her tenure as Robin, and even asked him for validation during her death scene in War Games. When Bruce returns, however, [[What the Hell, Hero?|she lets]] ''[[What the Hell, Hero?|him]]'' [[What the Hell, Hero?|have it]] instead of looking for his approval, as she recognizes that he was not a very good mentor/father figure.
** Damian Wayne's [[Comedic Sociopathy]] and hostility with Stephanie is clearly all driven by his desire for approval and acceptance from Batman, ''either'' Batman, and he views her as a clear threat to that approval. What makes it so painful, especially to Stephanie, is that he clearly has no clue that his efforts are just driving his father figures further and further away, as he constantly tries to impress them with violence and aggression when all ''they'' want is for him to learn compassion.
* [[What Could Have Been]]: The series finale features several scenes of Batgirl imagining what her life as a hero might be like. Several of these scenes were purely hypothetical, but in an interview author Bryan Q. Miller explained that some of them were plans that he had for future storylines and some were ideas he had for other series that he wished he could have taken part in:
Line 227:
** Stephanie Brown graduating Gotham University with honors, being attacked by the Royal Flush Gang during the graduation ceremony.
** The final two scenes were twenty years in the future, unconnected with the current storylines of the DCU. In the first, Stephanie is putting her son to bed with a wedding ring on her finger (Miller pointed out in the interview that a picture of "[[Cry for Justice|city-murdering Prometheus]]" was hung on her sons wall, implying that there had been some sort of reboot in the interceding years that turned him into hero) while the [[Bat Signal]] is seen outside her window. The second scene featured Stephanie as the crime-fighter "Knightwing," Agent of [[Checkmate]], with her own Batgirl partner. This partner is Nell, [[Ascended Fangirl|the young girl Stephanie had met throughout the series and who idolized Batgirl]].
* [[What the Hell, Hero?]]: Stephanie is ''not'' happy with Bruce's "test," and she lets him know. [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|By]] '''''[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|slapping]]''''' [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|him]].
* [[What Would X Do|What Would Oracle Do]]: She would use that joystick, that is what she would do.
* [[
* [[With Friends Like These]]: Stephanie and Damian Wayne, the curent Robin, do ''not'' have a pleasant or cooperative relationship, and it verges right on the border of [[Divided We Fall]]. Only their ability to (so far) always pull success from the ashes has kept their relationship from actually turning violently hostile, and Robin still (frequently) makes reference to wanting to kill her. Stephanie ''does not think he is joking''.
* [[Witty Banter]]:
| |||