Batgirl (2000—2006)

Comic book script writer Kelley Puckett originally wrote for the original Barbara Gordon Batgirl in the early 1990s when he wrote for a series of monthly "one-shots" called Batman Adventures (Gotham Adventures). Unfortunately he never favoured the character. "I always hated the character," he recalls. "Because the basic idea is that this girl with no training other than a few judo lessons at the local YMCA could put on a costume and do the exact thing that Batman does every night without getting her head blown off. Which obviously doesn't reflect too well on Batman."

In 1998 the editors at DC called on Puckett to create a new, up-to-date Batgirl to be featured in the mainstream DC canon. The character would also be starring in her own series for adults.

Puckett took the opportunity to fix the problem he'd had with the original Batgirl. He imagined a complex backstory for his new heroine, drawing on his own experience in martial arts. Batgirl's assassin-trainer raised her in a bunker in China and deprived her of speech, teaching her to read body language as others would a sentence. By age 7 she'd become a martial arts prodigy, picking up on postural nuances to anticipate her opponents' moves. Batgirl couldn't speak, but she was near-invincible in a fight.

The character received varying degrees of acceptence from the comic fans as the Batgirl series launched. By July/August 2001, Batgirl was the sixth most popular comic series in DC Comics. The series began in April 2000 and ended with 73 issues in April 2006.

Appearing on the cover of issue #97 September 1999 of Wizard Magazine Cassandra Cain was voted 2002 Superheroine fan award winner in later issues. Resulting in a special celebratory issue in Batgirl #45 where she temporarily donned the original Barbara Gordon Batgirl suit. Due to her career in her own books as well as guest appearances in others such as Birds of Prey, Robin, Young Justice, Justice League Elite, Wonder Woman and numerous Batman titles, Cassandra Cain has become a popular icon in the asian superhero niche.

Issues

1-50

51-73

Annuals

Batgirl Annual #1 (2000)

Specials

Batgirl Secret Files and Origins #1 (2002)

Collections

Batgirl: Silent Running (2001)
Batgirl: A Knight Alone (2001)
Batgirl: Death Wish (2003)
Batgirl: Fists of Fury (2004)
Robin/Batgirl: Fresh Blood (2005)
Batgirl: Kicking Assassins (2006)
Batgirl: Destruction's Daughter (2006)
Batgirl Vol. 1 Silent Knight (Collected) (2016)