Batgirl #49 Changes Everything

Almost a year ago to the day since the reveal of the cover of Batgirl #41 broke the internet with a cover paying tribute The KIlling Joke, Batgirl #49 also broke something. (And more than just a flying coffee cup.)

Spoilers follow

Today in Batgirl, Barbara and Frankie fought off Fugue which is essentially the downloaded brain of Barbara Gordon in a smart outfit. As Fugue takes over Frankie has to turn up the juice basically overloading her and we see some memories of Barbara that include some familiar scenes and some not such as the funeral of Jim Gordon and the failure of Jo and Alyssa to get married. We know those aren’t true memories. But wait there’s one other memory on “It’s not real…” page

Take a look at the outer panels. You know what they are from.

In other words, The Killing Joke isn’t a real memory.

If you need any more evidence well there is this.

It’s gone. It’s gone!!!

I appreciate the effort that Stewart, Fletcher and Tarr have made to move Barbara away from the darkness and getting rid of her memory of being shot by the Joker would be a huge piece of that darkness. I spoke to the creators many times about wanting to move beyond that moment of the Joker standing at the door with gun saying smile. That’s one of the reasons they were so upset with that variant cover for #41.



So The Killing Joke is no longer a part Barbara Gordon’s past.

At least in this book and under this team.

I don’t expect it to last. I can’t imagine DC Comics will every give up the chance to show Barbara being shot again and again and photographed half naked on the floor bleeding. Especially with the animated film version out this summer. There are too many people at DC Comics who will have to have Alan Moore’s book pulled from their cold dead hands.