Batgirl Adventures #1

Today we're looking back at Batgirl Adventures #1!

This one debuted way back when in Feb 1998 and is credited to Paul Dini and Rick Burchett with colours by Rick Taylor.

Right away the cover grabs your attention, it's the classic Batman Animated series red sky and stylised city scape.
Batgirl is her usual exuberant self, leaping into action with the shadowy figures of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy looking on.

The only thing that detracts from this awesome cover is Batgirl's ridiculously small feet. I mean, really, what is this foot binding Barbie crap?

Oh right, it's just some Bruce Timm artwork. Say no more.












We open on civilian Barbara Gordon walking along after buying her Christmas goodies and nearly getting mowed down by a literal clown car. If America is anything like Australia, then yes the pedestrian has right of way,  but in the clown car's defence Barbara wasn't even looking at the road and did not check both ways. Barbara encourages inappropriate vigilantism and road rage by going to beat up the clown car driver, and is for some reason, surprised to see a a cannon emerge from the car.

Babs, you live in Gotham, why does literally ANYTHING surprise you anymore? I mean, a clown car in Gotham never just means the circus is in town (although to be fair the circus never seems to leave town either) it means that it's either the Joker or some other super villain up to no good. 

That, or the registration standards for vehicles in this town is beyond a joke. 

Harley Quinn shoots out of the cannon because of course, and Babs gets changed in literally a nano-second and chases her up to the Batsignal on top of the police station. Harley is impressed with the speed of service, and so am I. 

Harley then proceeds to lead Batgirl on a goose chase through traffic, using her false arm gag. Batgirl gets judged by Commissioner Gordon because - haha he's her father, get it? 

He wouldn't judge Batman on what his parents think, and I've yet to hear an opinion on Robin or Nightwing.

Batgirl catches up to Harley at the docks.

 Harley tells Batgirl she needs help, and Batgirl callously makes a mental health joke. Not cool, Batgirl. Where did that come from? Oh right, Judgy McFather Face up there.

Poison Ivy is in trouble and Harley has asked for help the only way she knows how - by getting one of the Bats to chase her to where the situation is going down.

Crimson Fox, some random villain who looks more like a brown fox in my opinion - is trying to form a terrorist team comprised of women because terror, unlike most things in this world, is apparently gender neutral. Yay team?

Ivy says no way, hosay because of what happened to Harley.

Or she thinks something happened to Harley?


This would actually hold a lot more emotion if we didn't know Harley was fine and dandy. Actually, there's a lot of issues with Crimson Fox's plan here. She kidnaps Ivy and holds her in a freezing cargo ship to ask her to join her team? And apparently has done something to Harley. Why would this make anyone join her team? I mean, with friends like you who needs enemies, right?

The above panel is usually brought up when people want to talk about Harley and Ivy being canon. 

If you actually read it though, Harley is cheering on her friend Ivy, who has just spat poison in Fox's face. Batgirl not only tells her to shush but then goes on to make further noise by asking why she cares about someone she's not safe with. Harley responds that she is safe from Ivy thanks to a special injection, and now they can hang out all the time. 

Batgirl hears 'play' and immediately assumes these two are knocking boots but can't quite say it and resorts to finger puppets. Harley doesn't get what she's referring to at first, and then realises Batgirl's talking about what everyone has been saying about Batgirl and Supergirl! 

Batgirl's like eeew lesbians! Yeah, see, this is why people call Batman and not Batgirl to these rescues because Batman is less likely to be homophobic and also distracted from the task at hand. 

Does Batgirl think only bad girls can be lesbians or bisexual? Does she usually take an interest in her foe's sexual lives? Would she question Clayface or Mr. Freeze for example or is it just because Harley's a girl that she gets away with asking and the comic isn't banned or edited? Can two girls not be friends according to Batgirl because, hypocrite much? 

In any case, Harley is a childish crazy person who clearly has no idea what Batgirl's referring to, and simply means play as in play, Ivy is about to be beaten up and we've wasted a whole page on this shite and it's a terrible example of anything being canon unless it's homophobia from DC. 

 Batgirl FINALLY decides it's important to know what happened, so Harley relays that she and her super villain buddy were just totally minding their own business and totally not doing anything evil when the main villain and her hired goons with the goofiest faces ever burst in through.. the main door.. with nothing elaborate cooked up, and then they throw Harley through a window and..

You know, I feel this part has been glossed over in favour of the Ermagerd Lesbeirns page beforehand.

It's one thing to admit you were defeated by these two bit chumps but really? They couldn't even check out the window to make sure Harley was dead? That's bad villainy 101. Harley not being able to climb back in until after the kidnapping and ransoming? That's pretty crap for an awesome gymnast like her. What did Poison Ivy do to defend herself? Anything? Nothing? Geez.




Harley sadly explains that no hero would believe her, leading to her elaborate ruse but Batgirl gets the grumps. The two bit villains below either set up the world's worst perimeter, failed to have guards, are completely deaf, have no peripheral vision, are useless.... orrr all of the above.

Meanwhile, Judgy McCop Face Dad Gordon has been stood up. Detective Montoya.. who normally wears pants and not a mini dress ... because cop... decides that today would be the day, the snowy, cold ass day that she decides to show off her gams. Because... lady cop? Urgh.

Batgirl takes on Fox and the goons while Harley busts out of the handcuff and then busts out Poison Ivy. Ivy's wanting to blow this popsicle stand but Harley says she's made a promise to go back to jail and has to see it through. Classic Harley! This is something she would do, even though she doesn't want to because she doesn't cut and run (well, mostly). It's partly why she was such an interesting and charismatic villain to read about.

The villains (and Ivy, earlier) are all like OH MY, IT CAN'T BE?! YOU'RE ALIVE!? HOW!?

You jerks couldn't even be bothered to finish the job, why are you so surprised she's not dead? Gosh, that orange afro thug scares me. What an intense face/forehead. This time, Harley makes short (and hilarious) work of the goons and Batgirl destroys the Fox, well, until she magics herself into a copy of Harley and does the whole 'I'm the real Harley/no yer not, I am' shtick until one of them calls her Bratgirl.



A deal is a deal, so Harley accompanies Batgirl to the police station and casually trolls her. Should've checked the paper work, Bratgirl because Harley was released from Arkham with a clean bill of health days ago.

Judgy McBored Face Gordon sits in the same room but can't be bothered helping out and Harley again slips out of the cuffs and saunters out of the cop shop.

Helpful cop tells Batgirl that if she'd only caught Harley in the company of a wanted felon... like,.. oh, clutching at straws here, Poison Ivy - she'd have more of a case. Batgirl rushes out to chase Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, completely standing up her father who by now has sunk into a depression because he's judged every other friend out of his life and is totally alone.




All in all, not a bad romp. Harley is funny in both over the top and subtle ways, her accent is not smashed into our faces like so much custard pie and Batgirl's reactions to her as the straight man (pun intended?) are classic to watch.

Honestly, the plots very thin and gets glossed over straight away so if not for the character interaction, this comic would suck.
I liked the ending as well, it's nice to see that a collar from a Bat-figure isn't immediate jail sentence and the trolling from Harley is just too good.