I don’t read much nonfiction. I have to have a genuine interest in the subject. Batgirl fits that bill. As a little girl, I first discovered her from Batman 66 reruns. A cute redhead on a purple glittering motorcycle that was a librarian in real life? Sign me up! I was hooked. A few decades later I launched myself full force into comics. My new obsession led me to other Batgirls - not just Barbara Gordon, but also Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown.

When I became ill about a decade ago cooing with daily unceasing pain I again turned to DC. I discovered Babs had graduated after being shot to her other alter ego Oracle. My love for her grew still further. I grabbed what I could and devoured her recent return. It also reminded me when I taught myself to code. During this period I also discovered Gail Simone who created Burnside Batgirl. I have read several of her other characters for both independent companies and the other comic company but her Batgirl was a breath of fresh air. Yes she was younger but she was relatable, colorful and bright. I didn’t know how much Gail did behind the scenes until I read this book. It is not an exaggeration to say she is now a personal hero.

This book was a no brainer for me. While it isn’t the most engrossing read, it was still informative. It is obvious that Hanley is a comic collector and historian. The book is extensively researched including not just the comics themselves but also the ripples throughout other media. My comic TBR has exploded with back issues and arc I must read. Thank Goodness DC Comics now has an electronic subscription service.

In addition the book also illuminates DC editorial staff through the years. Honestly they are a mess. Being primarily a novel reader I don’t give much thought into editors or their work. With comics however it is a whole other ballgame. The editorial staff decides which characters exist. They are the gods of the industry. I never really considered how their policies and in some cases belief systems actually affected the entire comics line. I discovered to me severe disappointment that one of my favorite writers let their conservative ideas affected the treatment of some of my most loved characters. It is sad but also part of the business.

But the biggest part of the book shows exactly how the demographics of DC Comics have at times eliminated the voices of women. This breaks my heart. I had expected it in the early days, but to realize exactly how much occurred shocked me. But once I thought about it, I really wasn’t surprised. Looking at the way things are now trying to be rebuilt does indeed give me hope for their future. The EIC is finally a female. The latest plotlines seem interesting.

This book is an interesting read for anyone obsessed with Batgirl in all her many incantations. Hanley clearly lives comics and his research shows me that even if Gotham itself may always be dark, there is always a light out there somewhere. Usually in the form of a Bat,

This is the definitive history of Batgirl. Starting in the fifties, when Batwoman was introduced to quell fears that Batman seemed a little too gay (fun fact), and she brought along her niece, Batgirl, this character has been in and out of DC comics and the Batman universe in multiple iterations, for better or worse. Barbara Gordon is the most recognizable Batgirl, and this book gets into her history as Oracle as well.
It's also a larger look into the history of women and comics, as both characters and creators. The number of times and ways that Batgirl has been done wrong is really depressing, but she keeps coming back, keeps getting justice as a character, keeps being a platform for woman writers to show that they do belong in the industry. It was both depressing and uplifting. But it was a great deep dive into the character. Apparently Tim Hanley has written several other deep dives on DC ladies, so I will likely be seeking those out next.

Almost as long as there has been a Batman and a Robin, there has been a Batgirl. This book covers her history from her first appearance all the way through the cancellation of HBO's live action movie.

I haven't really dipped into comics since my college years, but I remember loving Batgirl and her various stories. Especially Barbara Gordon. Seeing her abilities, most importantly her intelligence and her skill with computers, be her strength as a superhero was encouraging to nerdy girl who sometimes couldn't see what she was capable of. And she is the first character I actively remember encountering who was a wheelchair user.

This in depth look at the various iterations of such a powerful icon, from Kate to Barbara to Cassandra to Stephanie, makes me want to return to the comics I used to love. Yes, there were some bad runs. There were writers and artists who only saw her as a prop to Batman and Robin's stories, but she perseveres. And even better, the this book gives me specific titles to look up. I haven't read the Birds of Prey comics before, and I can't wait to dive into them.

This is a must read for any fan of strong female characters in comics, and I look forward to purchasing a copy to sit next to Wonder Woman by Regina Luttrell.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield for this ARC!

I need to get this out there: I liked Alicia Silverstone’s Batgirl. I think their biggest misstep was not making her Barbara Gordon daughter of commissioner Gordon. I’ve been a fan for a long time of Batgirl in film and TV.

This book is a granular, yet expansive look at her history in comics, film, and TV. I enjoyed the subject, and would recommend it to anyone who wants to deep dive in everything Batgirl or Batwoman.

Thank you, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, for this ARC.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for this history and appreciation of one of the most maligned superheroes in comic history, who like the song when knocked down, gets up again, because nothing is gonna keep her down.

I have been a comic reader for a very long time. I have seen things that people wouldn't believe. Single issue comic books becoming long epic multi-issue stories. Sidekicks killed by popular vote, only to return again later. Trinity characters dying, being reborn, and even entire comic lines Reborn. Ups and downs in the industry, an industry that seems to be a niche market no matter how many billions of dollars the movies based on these comics do. One reason for this, and has alway been ignoring half of the readers who might be interested. Women have been treated horribly in comics, and this has extended to trying to draw in women readers. I never understood this as X-Men had strong, powerful women, and nobody complained about a Storm or Kitty Pryde story taking place or stealing panels from Wolverine. DC comics though, always had a problem with women characters. Depowering Wonder Woman for one. And the treatment of a character with almost 60 years of history, and a large fanbase. Batgirl. Passed over, resigned, disgraced and disabled, reborn again. This character has faced everything that bad writers and comic creators with strange quirks can throw at her. Even a movie was erased. And yet, in every iteration, her character thrives. And this book explains why. Batgirl and Beyond: The Dynamic History of the Heroines of Gotham City by writer and comic historian Tim Hanley is a look at the character of Batgirl, the many faces in media and characters who have shared the cowl, and why even after all this time, Batgirl has to defeat more than a Rogue' Gallery of villains, but the disrespect and inherent disinterest of those who crafted her adventures.

The book covers more than Batgirl, going into the history of Batwoman, and Bat-Girl, Orphan, Spoiler, Huntress and others who influenced or even in some cases were Batgirls. The characters of Batwoman and as originally written Bat-girl, were added to the Batman comics as romantic foils for Batman and Robin, mainly because of the writings of one man in his book Seduction of the Innocent, made the Dynamic Duo seem like a gay couple. The original Bat-girl disappeared about the early 60's and it was not DC comics that brought her back, but a need to get more watchers for the camp Batman television show. A woman might bring more males to gawk, and women to watch. Barbara Gordon was introduced into the comics, and became a popular character, though she was soon pushed to the background, even missing huge comic events like Crisis on Infinite Earths and others. The book covers all these events, including cartoons, movies, television shows, and more featuring the character over the years, and how many at DC did not know what to do with Batgirl, and how her character suffered.

A really encompassing history of the characters, and the many people who have been Batgirl. What I enjoyed most that this was not a fan rah rah rah story. This was a real telling of a whole lot of misogyny in the industry, and though the characters seems to have more appreciation now, the canceling of a movie that cost close to 100 million dollars does say something. Really could it have been as bad as Black Adam? Hanley looks at the history, the creators who tried to do things, and the other people at DC who did not seem to care. I will never understand why an industry that complains and try so many stupid things does not reach out to the audience that wants to read their product, but the product is too spandex tight to break into.

This is the first book by Tim Hanley that I have read, but I really enjoyed this take, his writing style, and his research. Hanley also goes into a lot of stories, telling what to avoid, the problematic take on a few creators, and stories that one should read to understand what Batgirl is. A beacon to get up, keep going, be true to yourself, and be true to your friends. Something Batman will never be.

I read this courtesy NetGalley and Rowman & Littlefield. Reading this brought me back to another time, when female superheroes were unusual (not that they’re all that plentiful now, but certainly more than there have been). I remembered vividly how I’d search the comic books that I bought every week, looking for someone I could truly identify with. There was Wonder Woman, of course, and Supergirl, and the female members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and finally, there was Batgirl, and her predecessor, Batwoman. I enjoyed the flood of nostalgia, but was jarred by the memory of the less than fun parts when Batgirl, better known as Barbara Gordon, is crippled by the Joker. I remembered the horrendous casual callous misogyny surrounding that decision. But as I read on, I remembered the amazing character who was born of that decision, and her colorful supporting characters. This work reminded me once again of all the different kinds of Batgirls who have entertained us, and reminds me, in a way, that Batgirl, in her infinite variety, is a state of mind. Definitely worth a read.
#BatgirlandBeyond #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley, Tim Hanley, and Rowman & Littlefield for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of Batgirl and Beyond in the return of an honest review. I received an advanced reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Barbara Gordon as Batgirl/Oracle is one of my favorite characters in the DC universe. I adore her personality and various character archs throughout the years. This book is a fantastically laid out history of the women who took up the mantle of Batgirl, like Babs, Cassandra Cain, and Stephanie Brown. It also talks about how the group Birds of Prey was formed. I highly recommend this book to DC comic book fans and lovers of Batgirl.

Tim Haley's Batgirl and Beyond is a compelling look at the heroine's that Gotham City has had over sixty plus years. I was always a big fan of Batgirl, the Birds of Prey and always gave most of the titles featured at least a shot. It was eye opening to say the least finding out some of the behind-the-scenes details around many of the comics I've read over the years. It was both fascinating and infuriating all at the same time. Very well done and I can't wait to see what topic the author chooses to cover next.

Special Thanks to Rowman & Littlefield and Netgalley for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

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.

Thank you NetGalley, Tim Hanley, and Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! I’m a big fan of Batgirl and was really excited for this one to learn more about the character. I really enjoyed the book and found it really educational about her origins and different versions throughout the years. The pictures also added a lot to the story and I liked being able to see the media that was being discussed. I’ve also read this author’s book on Catwoman and found that one to be really interesting as well! If you’re interested in Batgirl, who definitely deserves more love, you should pick this one up.

I am a huge batgirl and batman fan, therefore this was such an honor to be able to read the ARC. Absolutely loved this!

As an David Batman fan this was a great guide for fans of Batgirl to learn more about this iconic character and how she came to be,