Batgirl: Year One

Batgirl: Year One
Cover to Batgirl: Year One trade paperback. Art by Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Limited series
Genre	Superhero
Publication date	February – October 2003
Number of issues	9
Main character(s)	Barbara Gordon James Gordon Killer Moth Firefly Robin (Dick Grayson) Batman Black Canary
Creative team
Writer(s)	Scott Beatty Chuck Dixon
Penciller(s)	Marcos Martin
Inker(s)	Alvaro Lopez
Letterer(s)	Willie Schubert
Colorist(s)	Javier Rodriguez
Editor(s)	Matt Idelson (original series) Anton Kawasaki (collected edition)
Collected editions
Batgirl: Year One

Batgirl: Year One is a nine-part comic book mini-series published by DC Comics from February to October 2003, and then compiled into trade paperback form. Written by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon, with art by Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez, the mini-series shows how modern Barbara Gordon became the first Batgirl. It served as a sequel to Robin: Year One, the two mini-series were collected as a trade paperback in 2013.

Barbara Gordon is a bright and eager young woman who has already achieved much in her life but struggles to find her true calling. After graduating college in her teens, Barbara hoped to follow in her father's footsteps and serve as a dedicated officer of the law, but her plans are derailed by her father's over-protectiveness and society's prejudices. This leads Barbara to seize a different path towards her goal and adopt the vigilante persona of Batgirl. As she learns the ropes of the vigilante lifestyle, she finds herself thrown into conflict with Batman and the crosshairs of aspiring supervillains.

Barbara Gordon dressed as Batgirl, facing down the villain Killer Moth at a ball. Through narration, Barbara relates the Greek myth of the prophet Cassandra, who wore a mask to hide her shame from those who ridiculed and ignored her prophecies, even after they came true.

The story then flashes back to days earlier, at the home she shares with her father, Gotham City police captain James Gordon. Barbara asks for permission to join the GCPD as a detective, but he adamantly forbids it, saying that one cop in the family is enough. Frustrated, Barbara applies for a job as an FBI field agent, but is similarly dismissed for her youth and stature.

Seeing the traditional avenues of crime-fighting closed to her, Barbara finds inspiration in the exploits of costume vigilantes, particularly the superheroine Black Canary. Using information gleaned from her dad’s office and the assistance of computer hacking friends, Barbara breaks into the headquarters of the Justice League's sister organization, the Justice Society of America, and leaves a note asking to meet with Black Canary so she can become her apprentice, hoping that it will be forwarded to her, since she is not actually part of the organization.