Gail Simone no longer the writer of Batgirl

[Shimarenda]

Although I have been resisting picking up Nu52 I decided to buy Batgirl once it was released in TPB. This news of Gail's departure makes me question whether or not I want to still pick it up.

If the trades written by Simone sell well, it might let DC know how badly they've screwed up here.

[Shimarenda]

I enjoyed Oracle more, but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying Batgirl now.

Hey, who let a reasonable person into a Batgirl thread?!!

[The Lucky One]

If the trades written by Simone sell well, it might let DC know how badly they've screwed up here.

Maybe, but I doubt it. It's not like the regular issues are selling poorly, so this probably isn't sales related.

Besides, the last Batgirl series' trades sold out, doesn't exactly seem to have changed any minds at DC, y'know?

-D

[The Lucky One]

Who gives a flying frell about the general populace, who'd sooner drop dead than buy a comic?

I mean, DC does. The whole point of this reboot was to get those people buying comics. If it doesn't do that, they failed. And the argument about Barbara Gordon being the most iconic Batgirl/Nightwing hinges entirely on the general populace, since regular comic readers already know about and accept legacy characters.

-D

[sonicx1977]

Batgirl is one of my favorit books. With the art by syaff (or how he is spelled) it was really great.

[Ed Sizzers]

If people plan to drop the book 'post-Gail', due to how it appears she has been treated and the manner of her removal from the book, I get that.

If people plan to read a couple of issues of her replacement(s) and drop it if it no longer appeals to them, I get that too.

However, if people are planning to drop the book, simply because Gail won't be writing it any more, that really doesn't say much about the strength of Babsgirl as a character. The idea that no-one else could possibly write a good Batgirl seems surprising for a character who has been around (in one way or another) for nearly 50 years. Not to mention, if Gail's awful-to-average-to-eventually-quite-good run is the benchmark, I honestly don't think matching that, or even improving on it, is going to be a huge challenge for any subsequent writer.

[batGRRRl4ever]

Why not buy it online?

As with my being pro-union I also support local business over mega-box stores whenever I can. The LCS I go to is nearly the only one in Mid-Michigan, and they are struggling. Amazon online, not so much struggling y'know?

[Shimarenda]

Not to mention...

Yeah, that would have been for the best.

[House of Rao]

Hasn't been for ages.

If you talk to people on a street and ask who is Batman's Robin. Their answer will be Dick Grayson, also up until a year ago Dick was Robin on Young Justice, and he will be the robin the next Batman tv show without a doubt.

Who gives a flying frell about the general populace, who'd sooner drop dead than buy a comic?

Two words: New readers. I don't know about you, but I've converted quite a bit of people into comics, helped them get in. Also you'd be surprised how many Movie/Television/Game adaptions bring in new comic book readers. So no, despite your elitist claim, the quality of a reader doesn't effect dollar signs.

Well, except for the two most popular Batman games ever, in which she's Oracle.

That's a terrible attempt at deflecting. That doesn't do anything to discredit my point. Two games won't erase the knowledge of the public knowing Batgirl = Barbara Gordon.

What? How? What?
I'd like to see such an unsound,unfounded statement backed up by some arguementation.

And nostalgia can be an extremely bad thing when it keeps an entire industry shackeled to the sixties.

Emotion being one of the most important elements of story telling is unsound and unfounded? First, where is your proof on that. And IF nostalgia is making something stale, then it can be bad. But that's not the case.

[sonicx1977]

As with my being pro-union I also support local business over mega-box stores whenever I can. The LCS I go to is nearly the only one in Mid-Michigan, and they are struggling. Amazon online, not so much struggling y'know?

There should be more people like you. Thumb´s up!

[Seattle Freeze]

Writers, artists, and creative teams have come and gone from titles and companies for years; sometimes because they choose to, sometimes because they are forced to. Can the readers really know the whole stroy for why Gail is leaving? No. No more, than you get the full story for why a coworker was let go.

I read Batgirl because I like the character and I like Barbara Gordon. The current creative team has had a good run but the proof is in the pudding, not the chef. If Batgirl continues to provide good story and good art, I'll buy it, no matter who the creative team behind it is.

I am a union employee at Boeing who will probably be on strike next year because the company wants to cut our benefits and I have no problem doing so. But will airlines not buy airplanes because Boeing treats their employees like crap? No. What matters to them is the product. I've heard of people boycotting Walmart and Ikea because of labor practices. Do you really think your efforts matter? Do you think those companies care if a few people don't shop there? No. Face it, every company, government, and organization will abuse its people if it can save a buck and get away with it. Limiting yourself because of what a few higher-ups do only hurts yourself.

[carabas]

If you talk to people on a street and ask who is Batman's Robin. Their answer will be Dick Grayson, also up until a year ago Dick was Robin on Young Justice, and he will be the robin the next Batman tv show without a doubt.

I'd rather expect answers along the likes of "I don't now" and "It's Robin, who cares?".

And "Tim Drake" when asking somebody who likes cartoons.

Two words: New readers.

Not very likely to be interested in who was Robin 30+ years ago.

Also you'd be surprised how many Movie/Television/Game adaptions bring in new comic book readers.

You'd be surprised how few of those have Dick Grayson as Robin.

That's a terrible attempt at deflecting. That doesn't do anything to discredit my point. Two games won't erase the knowledge of the public knowing Batgirl = Barbara Gordon.

I don't think the public is even remotely as dogmatic about this is as the hardcore comicbook readers.

Emotion being one of the most important elements of story telling is unsound and unfounded? First, where is your proof on that. And IF nostalgia is making something stale, then it can be bad. But that's not the case.

Emotion in a story should come from strong characters, good plots... Not from warm feelings from the reader's childhood.

You think the Dark Knight trilogy made that kind of money by playing up the Adam West nostalgic angle?

[NinjaMic]

However, if people are planning to drop the book, simply because Gail won't be writing it any more, that really doesn't say much about the strength of Babsgirl as a character. The idea that no-one else could possibly write a good Batgirl seems surprising for a character who has been around (in one way or another) for nearly 50 years. Not to mention, if Gail's awful-to-average-to-eventually-quite-good run is the benchmark, I honestly don't think matching that, or even improving on it, is going to be a huge challenge for any subsequent writer.

Welcome to fanboyism.

[PsychoGoatee]

If people plan to drop the book 'post-Gail', due to how it appears she has been treated and the manner of her removal from the book, I get that.

If people plan to read a couple of issues of her replacement(s) and drop it if it no longer appeals to them, I get that too.

However, if people are planning to drop the book, simply because Gail won't be writing it any more, that really doesn't say much about the strength of Babsgirl as a character. The idea that no-one else could possibly write a good Batgirl seems surprising for a character who has been around (in one way or another) for nearly 50 years. Not to mention, if Gail's awful-to-average-to-eventually-quite-good run is the benchmark, I honestly don't think matching that, or even improving on it, is going to be a huge challenge for any subsequent writer.

Some object to the way editorial handled the situation, understandably. If writers aren't able to have at least enough advance notice to wrap up with a few issues, it's not good for us readers. We'd have a better product if Gail had known she was leaving the title earlier, and could use that info in her writing. You can still be a fan of Batgirl and object to this move, a fan isn't going to like a product no matter what because a character is in it. As for the caliber of her writing, that's all subjective and personal taste.

People could, based on their own thoughts and principles, choose not to try the next team, not being on board with the new editor etc. I'm not even in that camp myself, but it's easy to understand their are plenty of viewpoints, all valid. Can't say I'll necessarily read a couple issues though, 6-page previews are what the new team'll get to convince me, personally.

[sunofdarkchild]

Some object to the way editorial handled the situation, understandably. If writers aren't able to have at least enough advance notice to wrap up with a few issues, it's not good for us readers. We'd have a better product if Gail had known she was leaving the title earlier, and could use that info in her writing. You can still be a fan of Batgirl and object to this move, a fan isn't going to like a product no matter what because a character is in it. As for the caliber of her writing, that's all subjective and personal taste.

People could, based on their own thoughts and principles, choose not to try the next team, not being on board with the new editor etc. I'm not even in that camp myself, but it's easy to understand their are plenty of viewpoints, all valid.

That's exactly what the first thing he says he understands is, objecting to the specific move on DC's part.