A gay Batgirl?

[thewayne]

http://www.newsarama.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72016

New York Times started talking about this Sunday, interviewing one of DC's editors about the upcoming new DC lineup.

"...Kathy Kane, who, according to the article: “…is a wealthy (socialite), buxom lipstick lesbian..."

There's a reason why I stopped reading Marvel and DC comics many MANY years ago. I have no problem with Batgirl being gay. I just have serious doubts that they'll carry it off well. Will they show her going on dates with women? Will she have a girlfriend to come home to at night? Will it be just so much fluff: "Look at me, I'm gay! I like women, I don't date men!"

There have been bisexual characters in main-stream comics before, it wouldn't surprise me if there have been gay characters in them before. There's no doubt that they've been in alternative/independent comics for a long time. I just doubt that DC will carry it off well. Now, if they had a gay female writer on the script, I would consider buying it. But I don't think that's the case.

And don't get me started on the breast size of most female comic characters! Geez.

Comments

[apostate-96.livejournal.com]

I think one of the worst aspects of that was the person being interviewed first saying that her sexuality would inform her decisions and adventures and then later trying to take it back. C'mon, it's obvious this character's being spawned by an adolescent spank-bank fantasy. If he's going to put it out there like that, the least he can do is own it!!

With most superpowered women, I can't help thinking enormous breasts and incredibly strong backs are a staple part of any woman's super powers, at least based off what we see in the comics..... My favorite definition of "buxom" according to Marvel is any female character whose breasts are actually larger than her head! ;}

[magic-rat.livejournal.com]

The database with that article is down at the moment so I can't check it out, but Kathy Kane was Batwoman, not Batgirl.

The original Batgirl was Betty Kane (Kathy's daughter). She only made a handful of comic appearances back in the Golden Age.

Barbara Gordon (daughter of Commissioner Gordon who was shot and crippled by the Joker and later became Oracle) was the second Batgirl, originally appearing in the Silver Age. This was the version that appeared on the Batman tv show as well as in the various cartoon versions.

Cassandra Cain was the last Batgirl, and the only one to have her own comic series. She was my favorite, but I knew that she wouldn't last forever because eventually the editors would make the decision that a mute character couldn't be interesting as a lead in an ongoing comic series, especially since they went a step further and never used thought balloons with her character.

But that's the limit of my geekiness. I haven't read comics for the last six or seven years, so I know that there have been lots of changes in that time. But I would still find it odd that the DC editors would choose to use the name of Batwoman's secret identity for Batgirl.

[silveradept]

Well, we can use the yardstick of doom - does she sleep with anyone in the first issue?

And of what sex?

Are they attractive?

The more yes you get, the more likely you should say no to the story.

despite appearances

[paulmc.livejournal.com]

Batwoman is not Batgirl grown up. They are two separate crime-fighters.

They are specifically making Batwoman a lesbian, not Batgirl.

Sounds far more like titillation to me than any great desire to push the boundaries of gay culture into comics, but maybe they're sincere.