Friday, November 09, 2012
BATGIRL FRIDAY
Why We Love Detective Comics
Batgirl -- Murderer!
I got the conclusion to the "Batgirl -- Murderer!" storyline already. The cover looks like this:
It's from February 1981. And guess what? Barbara Gordon didn't kill anybody!
As you recall, someone was trying to frame Barbara Gordon for the murder of Congressman Scanlon! So Babs - as Batgirl - was investigating, and she discovered that someone in her own office - her assistant Doreen - had been leaving things on Barbara's desk so she would sign dodgy invoices and get her fingerprints on medicine bottles and whatnot. Doreen had her reasons, but now she's having second thoughts. Batgirl goes to talk with her and they are both kidnapped by generic Gotham thugs!
And that's where "Batgirl -- Murderer!" Part Three begins!
The generic Gotham thugs have wrapped chains around Babs and are throwing her off a pier! Batgirl regains consciousness just in time to think:
WHA--? I'M TRAPPED --! UHGH ... CAN'T GET FREE!
Then she's underwater!
But Babs didn't get to be the only congresswoman super-hero by not being resourceful. She's got this! Relax!
She rubs her utility belt against a rocky protuberance and her mini-laser torch is ejected. She uses this to sever the chains and she's out of there with an enthusiastic
UTILITY BELT -- :GASP!: I LOVE YOU!
Now she has to rescue Doreen from the generic Gotham thugs! She figures that the best way to track them down is to find out who might have framed her. So she breaks into the assistant DA's office to examine the phony evidence against her - and she gets just the clue she needs to break the whole case when she finds out who steered Detective Cameron to the information that framed Barbara!
She breaks into the big boss's house, beats up more generic Gotham thugs and rescues Doreen!
Meanwhile, in a Gotham City courthouse, the preliminary hearing is about to begin and Babs is nowhere to be seen! It looks bad - until Batgirl shows up with Doreen and the evidence. And the guy who did it is right there in the courtroom!
That's right! It's Perry Mason time!
Batgirl - waving some documents with Doreen right behind her - proclaims:
I HAVE EVIDENCE WHICH PROVES THE CASE AGAINST BARBARA GORDON SHOULD BE DISMISSED -- AND PROCEEDINGS BEGUN AGAINST THE REAL MURDERER OF CONGRESSMAN SCANLON --
and points to a guy with a moustache and a lavender pin-striped suit:
... MR. RANDALL F BOROWITZ!
(Who?)
Well, the dude just doesn't know that when Batgirl is pointing at you and you have a moustache and a lavender pin-striped suit, the jig is up and you need to put your head down and stick out your hands for the cuffs. You are GUILTY!
But, no, instead of confessing, Borowitz says:
WHA --!? BUT THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! CONGRESSMAN SCANLON WAS MY FRIEND!
Batgirl explains that Scanlon found out that Borowitz was funneling money from his government agency into his business. Scanlon was going to have the money transferred from Borowitz's agency to Humanities Research and Development (the agency Batgirl worked for after she left Congress). So Borowitz killed him and framed Barbara Gordon.
What a douche.
Everyone seems convinced by Batgirl's presentation. Borowitz tries to escape, but Barbara's lawyer knocks him over with a briefcase.
Batgirl disappears and Barbara saunters in moments later.
BATGIRL? I JUST SAW HER LEAVING FROM OUTSIDE! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, ANYWAY?
And all is well in the world of Batgirl!
Written by Cary Burkett. Art by Jose Delbo and Joe Giella. They don't make 'em like this anymore, and it's a shame!
I'll probably be writing about Congresswoman Bargirl pretty soon. Maybe next week. I've decided to call her Rep. Barbara Gordon, D-N.J., because she must have been a Democrat and I think that, in the D.C. Universe, Gotham City is the New Jersey part of the New York City metropolitan area. (Metropolis is the part in New York state, not including Manhattan.)
Barbara Gordon was elected to the U.S. Congress in Detective Comics #424 (June 1972) and she served until Detective Comics #487 (January 1980). So, in comic-book time, that's probably one term. I've only just started reading Batgirl in this period, but so far, I'm intrigued at how little it's about the workings of government!
See you soon! Keep reading Detective Comics!
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Batgirl -- Murderer!
I got the conclusion to the "Batgirl -- Murderer!" storyline already. The cover looks like this:
It's from February 1981. And guess what? Barbara Gordon didn't kill anybody!
As you recall, someone was trying to frame Barbara Gordon for the murder of Congressman Scanlon! So Babs - as Batgirl - was investigating, and she discovered that someone in her own office - her assistant Doreen - had been leaving things on Barbara's desk so she would sign dodgy invoices and get her fingerprints on medicine bottles and whatnot. Doreen had her reasons, but now she's having second thoughts. Batgirl goes to talk with her and they are both kidnapped by generic Gotham thugs!
And that's where "Batgirl -- Murderer!" Part Three begins!
The generic Gotham thugs have wrapped chains around Babs and are throwing her off a pier! Batgirl regains consciousness just in time to think:
WHA--? I'M TRAPPED --! UHGH ... CAN'T GET FREE!
Then she's underwater!
But Babs didn't get to be the only congresswoman super-hero by not being resourceful. She's got this! Relax!
She rubs her utility belt against a rocky protuberance and her mini-laser torch is ejected. She uses this to sever the chains and she's out of there with an enthusiastic
UTILITY BELT -- :GASP!: I LOVE YOU!
Now she has to rescue Doreen from the generic Gotham thugs! She figures that the best way to track them down is to find out who might have framed her. So she breaks into the assistant DA's office to examine the phony evidence against her - and she gets just the clue she needs to break the whole case when she finds out who steered Detective Cameron to the information that framed Barbara!
She breaks into the big boss's house, beats up more generic Gotham thugs and rescues Doreen!
Meanwhile, in a Gotham City courthouse, the preliminary hearing is about to begin and Babs is nowhere to be seen! It looks bad - until Batgirl shows up with Doreen and the evidence. And the guy who did it is right there in the courtroom!
That's right! It's Perry Mason time!
Batgirl - waving some documents with Doreen right behind her - proclaims:
I HAVE EVIDENCE WHICH PROVES THE CASE AGAINST BARBARA GORDON SHOULD BE DISMISSED -- AND PROCEEDINGS BEGUN AGAINST THE REAL MURDERER OF CONGRESSMAN SCANLON --
and points to a guy with a moustache and a lavender pin-striped suit:
... MR. RANDALL F BOROWITZ!
(Who?)
Well, the dude just doesn't know that when Batgirl is pointing at you and you have a moustache and a lavender pin-striped suit, the jig is up and you need to put your head down and stick out your hands for the cuffs. You are GUILTY!
But, no, instead of confessing, Borowitz says:
WHA --!? BUT THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! CONGRESSMAN SCANLON WAS MY FRIEND!
Batgirl explains that Scanlon found out that Borowitz was funneling money from his government agency into his business. Scanlon was going to have the money transferred from Borowitz's agency to Humanities Research and Development (the agency Batgirl worked for after she left Congress). So Borowitz killed him and framed Barbara Gordon.
What a douche.
Everyone seems convinced by Batgirl's presentation. Borowitz tries to escape, but Barbara's lawyer knocks him over with a briefcase.
Batgirl disappears and Barbara saunters in moments later.
BATGIRL? I JUST SAW HER LEAVING FROM OUTSIDE! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, ANYWAY?
And all is well in the world of Batgirl!
Written by Cary Burkett. Art by Jose Delbo and Joe Giella. They don't make 'em like this anymore, and it's a shame!
I'll probably be writing about Congresswoman Bargirl pretty soon. Maybe next week. I've decided to call her Rep. Barbara Gordon, D-N.J., because she must have been a Democrat and I think that, in the D.C. Universe, Gotham City is the New Jersey part of the New York City metropolitan area. (Metropolis is the part in New York state, not including Manhattan.)
Barbara Gordon was elected to the U.S. Congress in Detective Comics #424 (June 1972) and she served until Detective Comics #487 (January 1980). So, in comic-book time, that's probably one term. I've only just started reading Batgirl in this period, but so far, I'm intrigued at how little it's about the workings of government!
See you soon! Keep reading Detective Comics!
