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Batgirl (2009 comic book): Difference between revisions
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''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
After the ''massive'' fan revolt began to die down [[DC Comics]] recognized that they had made a mistake [[Author's Saving Throw|and it was revealed that Dr. Thompkins had not let Stephanie die, but had faked her death and smuggled her out of the country for her safety]]. She eventually returned to Gotham City and resumed heroism as the Spoiler, but with continued opposition from the other established masked heroes of the city.
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
The series ended in August 2011 with the [[New 52]] [[Continuity Reboot]] of the [[DC Universe]], after which a new ''Batgirl'' series was released featuring Barbara Gordon as the titular character. There has been no comment on whether or not the current story or characters will be continued in the new series, but there ''have'' been comments that indicate that Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain will still exist in the new DCU.
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* [[Animal-Themed Superbeing]]
* [[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.
{{quote| "Here we go."}}
* [[Ascended Fangirl]]: In the [[Lotus Eater Machine|Black Mercy inspired visions]] of issue #24, the final panel shows Stephanie, now an adult woman operating as Knightwing, with her own Batgirl partner. This young woman is Nell, the child that Batgirl encountered numerous times throughout the series and was her biggest fan and ardent supporter.
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* [[Batman Gambit]]: Apparently, Bruce Wayne ordered Cassandra Cain to give up the Batgirl title in the event of his death with the express intention of the costume passing on to Stepahnie, which in turn would force her to mature as a person and as a crimefighter.
* [[Bat Signal]]: Batgirl responds to the primary signal, reasoning that it is the ''Bat'' signal, not the Bat''man'' signal. However, when she is suspected of murder the police lure her in by shining the signal and ambushing her when she answers.
* [[Battle in
* [[Blue Eyes]]: Stephanie has classic, beautiful blue eyes.
* [[B-Movie]]: Stephanie and Supergirl [[Show Within a Show|go to]] a cliche'd, badly acted and cheesy ''[[Dracula]]'' film when Supergirl stops by one night for a visit.
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* [[Casual Danger Dialogue]]: Stephanie has mastered the art of the [[Seinfeldian Conversation]] while facing her own impending doom.
* [[The Cavalry]]: The [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]] are summond when Batgirl shouts "[[Shazam]]!" and arrive right in the midst of her battle with the Reapers.
* [[Character Development]]: The theme of the series seems to be growing up in both the literal and figurative sense, with Stephanie Brown going to college and also approaching superhero work with a more mature and developed attitude. Wendy continues her character development that began after her brutal mauling in the [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]] series, where [[
* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: Stephanie [[Lampshade Hanging|actually quotes the maxim]], pointing out that nobody steals a gun unless they are planning to use it for something.
{{quote| "If there's a gun in a scene, you use it."}}
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* [[Children Are Innocent]]: Stephanie is a firm believer that kids should have a chance to ''be'' kids, and Damien Wayne's upbringing and current lifestyle disturbs her to no end. When she discovers that he does not even know how to ''play'', [[Tear Jerker|apart from causing her heart to break just a little bit]], she brings him to a moon bounce so that he get a start on learning how to be a child.
* [[Clear My Name]]: Stephanie is briefly suspected of murder when one of her Batarangs is found near the corpse of a college student she was trying to protect. The fact that it was covered in blood did not help matters.
* [[Colon Cancer]]: The series itself is a single-word title, but [[Invoked Trope|within the series]] Stephanie is [[Squee|very excited]] at the possibility of a team-up with the [[Birds of Prey]]. She attempts to actually name their inevitable team-up and, after trying variations on the extremely simple "Batgirl and the Birds," settles on "Team Batgirl vs. the Birds vs. Casper the Not-So-Friendly-Tech-Thief In: [[Oddly-Named Sequel 2: Electric Boogaloo|The Lightning Saga]]."
* [[Comic Book Time]]: Stephanie started as and remains a freshman at Gotham University, despite her series being published for several years.
* [[The Commissioner Gordon]]: She works with the real James Gordon and knows him both in and out of costume, but her personal contact is a police detective whom she finds ''quite'' [[Precocious Crush|handsome]].
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'''Miranda:''' "Because we ''can''!" }}
* [[Fumbling the Gauntlet]]: While in Limbo Town, Stephanie is trying to strike up a conversation with a native witch, but when Stephanie tries to complement the witch on her bonnet and asks where she got it the witch interprets that as a questioning of her craftmanship skills. [[Sure Why Not|Stephanie says that yes, she is questioning her craftmanship skills]], provided that this will occupy at least two-minutes time. Unfortunately, the witch responds that she doubts Stephanie will ''last'' two minutes as Stephanie remembers "[[Wizard Duel|Oh. Right. Magic.]]"
* [[Fun
* [[Fun
* [[Gambit Roulette]]: The one-shot crossover with ''Bruce Wayne: The Road Home'' reveals that apparently everything that has happened so far in this series, including Cassandra Cain's rejection of the Batgirl title and its passage to Stephanie, was all planned by Bruce Wayne in the event of his death, with Cassandra Cain briefed on the details long ago.
* [[Genre Savvy]]: Stephanie really is a product of her generation, with all the TV and movie knowledge that implies. She is ever-aware of the cliches that occur, and are expected to occur, in whacky situations. This leads to frequent [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshade Hangings]], such as quoting the [[Chekhov's Gun]] maxim verbatim, and even commenting on tropes that she herself has not yet experienced.
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* [[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-Guided Amnesia]]: When Oracle and the Calculator [[Battle in
* [[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-Wan|serves as her mentor.]]
* [[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.
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* [[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 ''[[
* [[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]].
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* [[One of Us]]: Within the series, Batgirl likes Supergirl all the more because she is able to follow the [[Techno Babble]] explanation for their current crisis and has a sufficient grasp of grammar to realize that "BFF" is ''already'' plural.
* [[Our Vampires Are Different]]: Batgirl's vampires are [[Hard Light]] constructs [[Refugee From TV Land|spawned from an old "Dracula" film]] that do ''not'' stop [[Wangst|whining about their loneliness]].
* [[Overshadowed
* [[Pillow Fight]]: [[Supergirl]] suggest one to Batgirl...[[Les Yay|Awesome.]] Later in the issue, though the fight itself is not shown, Stephanies' bedroom is covered pillow feathers.
* [[Playful Hacker]]: Proxy, Wendy's new superhero identity. Oracle would also qualify if her skills and operations were not so far above the norm as to blast the "playful" title right into space.
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* [[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: The Animated Series
* [[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 [[
* [[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."
** After Wendy Harris begins to assist Oracle and Batgirl as Proxy, she begins to hallucinate seeing her dead brother Marvin, who tries to coach her through her physical and mental recuperation. Both Wendy and "Marvin" are pretty clear that this is a manifestation of Wendy's subconcious, not some sort of ghost or hologram, so when Marvin comments on how hot Barbara is Wendy can not help but wonder at what that says about herself and her mind.
* [[Shock and Awe]]: Livewire, a [[Superman]] villain that [[Canon Immigrant|originally appeared]] in ''[[
* [[Shout-Out]]:
** Barbara Gordon is simultaneously starring in both this series and ''[[Birds of Prey]]'', and Stephanie will often refer to her absences as being related to "the Birds." In a one-shot crossover with ''Bruce Wayne: The Road Home'' Stephanie [[Squee|is overjoyed]] at the possibility of a team-up with the Birds, saying "it's about time," and describing it as "Batgirl and the Birds...the Birds and Batgirl...[[Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny|Team Batgirl vs. the Birds vs. Casper the Not-So-Friendly-Tech-Thief In: The Lightning Saga.]]"
** "Okay. So, barring us running into "[[Star Trek:
** 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 Bueller's Day Off
** 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 (
** "Strictly for rapport purposes--what is a plucky heroine in need of [[Witty Banter|banter]] supposed to call you? Pretty sure [[Batman and
** "[[Evil Dead|Here's my]] ''[[This Is My Boomstick|boomstick!]]''"
** In issue #23, Batgirl summons the [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]] assistance by shouting "[[Shazam]]!"
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* [[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
* [[Stealth Hi Bye]]: "The Grey Ghost" has been "[[Stalker
{{quote| '''Batgirl:''' "Peek-a-boo."<br />
'''Clancy Johnson (The Grey Ghost):''' "Gah! (''Drops binoculars'') Those were expensive!" }}
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* [[Suspiciously Specific Denial]]: When Batgirl wakes up in a hospital, being tended to by her own mother.
{{quote| "Thank you...registered nurse I've never met."}}
* [[Talk to
* [[Tastes Like Purple]]:
{{quote| '''Klarion the Witch-Boy (dum, dum, dum):''' "You taste like Christmas."<br />
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{{quote| '''Nell:''' "I'm Nell, what's your name?"<br />
'''Robin:''' (''While undercover'') "It's...I'm new...er...my name is...[[Batman|Bruce]]."<br />
'''Batgirl:''' (''Internal monologue'') My heart just broke for him a little. I must ''never'' let him know...[[With Friends Like These...|unless it keeps him from killing me one day]], [[But I Digress
* [[Teleporters and Transporters]]: Clancy Johnson, "The Grey Ghost," apparently has some sort of teleporter that makes him vanish in a flash of light.
* [[Television Portal]]: Isn't it just like [[Dracula]] to leap off the movie screen and start attacking audience?
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* [[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:
** Batgirl fighting the Queen of Fables with the [[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]], which would potentially have had its own story arc in this series if it had not been cancelled.
** Batgirl, Robin and Oracle as [[Green Lantern
** Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon and Cassandra Cain (All as Batgirl) in a photograph with the [[Blackhawk|Blackhawks]] taken in 1944 with Skeets floating above them, having all traveled back in time to find a missing [[Booster Gold]].
** 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.
* [[Who's Laughing Now?]]: Dr. Newton first appears exclaiming that he will "Show them all!" and he "Won't go back!" but when his invention actually begins to act up he just stares at it in surprises and says "[[Oh Crap|Balls]]." [[Subverted Trope|Then he helps Batgirl and Supergirl fix everything]].
* [[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''.
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{{quote| '''Batgirl:''' "Strictly for rapport purposes--what is a plucky heroine in need of banter supposed to call you?"}}
* [[Wizard Duel]]: When Stephanie unintentionally insults the bonnet-making-craftmanship of a witch in Limbo Town she is challenged to a standard duel, to be conducted per the guidelines set in Alchan's Book of the Damned, Third Edition, Twice Removed.
* [[Working
* [[You Fight Like a Cow]]: [[Witty Banter]] is a necessity in any life-or-death situation, and Stephanie always remembers to prompt somebody when it is their turn for a quip.
{{quote| '''Batgirl:''' "Little late but nice effort."}}
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