The Best classic BATGIRL comics ever

[Robin Bougie]

Hey gang, my first post here... looks like a cool forum...

Ok, I've been waiting forever for DC to put out an Archive Edition of a BatGirl book collecting her most important appearances, and I'm sick of waiting...

I'm gonna buy a bunch of comics featuring her and have them bound in my own hardcover book. (I've had this done before with some Romance comics and other titles, and they look GORGEOUS on the shelf. It *really* breathes new life into old reader copies...)

Now, for modern BatGirl comics, I'm only really interested in including the really fantastic "Bat Girl:Year one" series, (unless you can reccomend a story arc that I shouldn't pass on) but otherwise I'm gonna stick to silver and bronze age appearences. Can you guys reccomend to me the best comics to include? Perhaps the Batman and related titles that feature her the most prominently?

Thanks in advance!

[Gaz]

As far as I'm aware, the Barbera Gordon incarnation NEVER had her own series, unfortunately.
Beyond that, I'm not a huge fan of the core Bat-titles, so I can't really help.

[Brack360]

You might want to include the 1988 Batgirl Special, which had Barbara retire as Batgirl shortly before "The Killing Joke." She also had several of her own stories in the 1970's title Batman Family.

[Robin Bougie]

Thanks Brack, good tips! I appreciate it.
So you're the only one in an entire message forum dedicated to the Batman Universe that knows anything about Batgirl comics?

um..
That's kind of a bummer. Maybe no one is responding because I'm a newbie. Is there a hazing process I don't know about??

[The Shadow]

You might want to include the 1988 Batgirl Special, which had Barbara retire as Batgirl shortly before "The Killing Joke." She also had several of her own stories in the 1970's title Batman Family.
Yeah that's awesome!

I'm a huge fan of the new Batgirl so I would also recommend her! I din't know trade names because I get the issues but her series has been great from issue 1!

Welcome to CBR! Good to have another Canuck on board!!!

[Captain Jim]

The Barbara Gordon Batgirl debuted in the mid-1960's and co-starred periodically with Batman and Robin in Batman and Detective Comics. During the seventies, she often had a back-up strip in Detective, and after that, Batman Family (80's?) (which was later merged back into Detective, IIRC). So the main place to look for Batgirl solo stories is in the back slot of Detective. Hope this helps.

[Robin Bougie]

So the main place to look for Batgirl solo stories is in the back slot of Detective. Hope this helps.

It totallly is helpfull! I had read some Batgirl comics as a kid but wasn't sure where or how old the comics were.

[Catatonic]

Theres a birds of Prey/Catwoman. 2 issue somewhere, i cant remember what it's called but i own it and it's pretty awesome, the first issue starts with Classic Batgirl remembering her dealings with Catwoman one time, it's worth checking out if you can find it. Good classic Batgirl Story.

[Gaz]

Theres a birds of Prey/Catwoman. 2 issue somewhere, i cant remember what it's called but i own it and it's pretty awesome, the first issue starts with Classic Batgirl remembering her dealings with Catwoman one time, it's worth checking out if you can find it. Good classic Batgirl Story.
Yes, but Selina is totally out of character in the second part.

[derekwc]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=32727&item=6538158797&rd=1

[Jeff O.]

Yes, welcome to CBR!

These timelines, one by Batman historian John Wells,

http://www.bat-hound.com/batgirl/timeline2.html

and one by Batgirl historian Mickey CT,

http://www.bat-hound.com/batgirl/timeline.html

point out issue numbers where turning points came in Barbara Gordon's life.


Right here at CBR, Oddball Comics took a look at Batgirl's appearance in DETECTIVE COMICS # 371.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/oddball/index.cgi?date=2002-01-28

[Jeff O.]

PS

For nostalgic purposes, my all-time favorite Babs story is ADVENTURE COMICS # 453. Pre-Crisis, it turned out that Babs was a heroine named Mighty Girl before she became Batgirl. So Babs experienced super powers briefly herself, before she ever met Supergirl. In fact, Babs had super powers in Superboy's time, years before Supergirl ever even arrived on Earth in Superman's time. (Of course, Supergirl had journeyed back in time to Superboy's days on other occasions, and Superboy had met Supergirl many times in Legion stories before he met Mighty Girl.)

ADVENTURE COMICS # 453 is mentioned on Mickey's timeline, but here are a couple more links.

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=fullsize&issue=01436986896%20453

http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=31462

[OverMaster]

Although it is set in another continuity (the one from the animated series), you should check the Batgirl Adventures Special by Paul Dini and Rick Burchett. It also has Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy on it, and it is a great funny read.

[Mister Intensity]

Sino-Supermen, anyone?

Mister Intensity

[Jeff O.]

At the top of

http://darkmark6.tripod.com/batfamily.html

DarkMark offers synopses of Batgirl's pre-Crisis solo adventures.