Book Review: Batgirl and Beyond

For over sixty years, every woman who took on the mantle of Batgirl has been a powerful, independent heroine, each belying the sidekick status the name implies and connecting with a unique subset of marginalized fans. Betty Kane, the original Bat-Girl, was a hero for young girls at a time when the genre was leaving them behind. Barbara Gordon embodied the values of the women’s liberation movement and became a powerful figure in disability representation. Cassandra Cain was a woman of color in the traditionally monochromatic DC Comics universe. Stephanie Brown was a perpetual outsider, a voice for those who never belonged but kept trying regardless.

Batgirl and Beyond: The Dynamic History of the Heroines of Gotham City explores the evolving role of the Batgirls across the turbulent history of the superhero industry, as well as the importance of their fans, who pushed the genre forward to become more diverse and inclusive. Tim Hanley traces how each Batgirl dealt with a litany of mistreatment from a publisher who didn’t understand their distinct appeal and didn’t care to learn. From erasure to benchings to grievous injury and even death, the Batgirls have been subject to the genre’s worst excesses—and they havnot fared much better on television or in movies. However, Batgirl always comes back stronger and more resilient, and has remained a staple in the DC universe for decades.

Batgirl and Beyond will be published on November 19, 2024. Rowman and Littlefield provided an early galley for review.

Back in 2020, I read Hanley's Betty and Veronica: The Leading Ladies of Riverdale and enjoyed it a lot. Since I have always been a Batgirl fan (from my very first exposure to her through Yvonne Craig's portrayal on the 1960's Batman show and from various comic book appearances including the short but important-to-me run of Batman Family in the 1970's - both of which get devoted chapters early on in the book), I was certain I would find this one interesting as well.

As a long-time comic fan, much of Hanley's details were very familiar to me. I found his discussion points to be solid and well-researched. He covers key plotlines in detail, siting issues and dates and including several key cover images. Reading this also reminded me how much I hated The Killing Joke when it was released, and hearing the behind the scenes comments from editorial and the creators does little to change that view even decades later.

The periods covering later Batgirls (Cassandra and Stephanie) as well as Batwoman were less familiar to me. The book provided a nice incentive for me to go back to check out those runs.

Overall, Hanley does a fantastic job with the history; comic fans and fans of the Gotham heroines who shared the Batgirl name will appreciate his work.