Never a Sidekick

For over 60 years, Batgirl--and her fans--have been vocal about her right to fight crime and thrive. In Never a Sidekick, Tim Hanley puts the spirited character where she belongs: in the spotlight. No stone is left unturned, no face left uncowled. Finally, the Batgirl history we deserve. --Jill Pantozzi, pop culture journalist Hanley, who has previously written about Wonder Woman, Catwoman, and Lois Lane, turns his eye towards Batgirl, who started out as a youthful sidekick of the caped crusader of Gotham in the 1960s. Batgirl took off in the 1970s when writers reimagined her as the adult daughter of Commissioner Gordon. Barbara was capable, inventive, even a congresswoman, but in the 1990s, Alan Moore's infamous comic, The Killing Joke, turned her into canon fodder, literally, when the Joker shot and paralyzed her to break her father. The assault sidelined Barbara until she was reborn as Oracle, who used a wheelchair and her tech skills to aid superheroes, leading others to take up the mantle of Batwoman, including Cassandra Cain, an Asian American who was one of the first female superheroes of color. On the small screen, Yvonne Craig memorably portrayed Batgirl in the seminal 1960s Batman, but on the silver screen, the cancellation of a highly anticipated Batgirl movie in 2022 sparked fan outrage. An appealing, comprehensive, and enjoyable tour of Batgirl's many iterations. Teen fans of femme superheroes, curious about the history of their favorite caped crusaders, will find much to enjoy in this accessible read. -- ""Booklist"" Batgirl is such an iconic character. Every time I chat with a fan of Batgirl at a convention, I'm reminded how important she is to so many of us. I will always be eternally grateful to be involved in the deep history of Batgirl, and I am glad to see that history preserved in this thorough, reflective work. --Babs Tarr, comic artist of ""Batgirl of Burnside""