Today I thought I'd let you in to a little secret. Over the past few years I've developed a huge love of all things Batman. I don't know when it started - my copy of The Dark Knight sat on my shelf unwatched for more months than I'd like to admit - despite me being over the moon that my boyfriend, Sam, had bought it for my birthday. In the end I think it was probably a combination of him getting Batman: Arkham Asylum (which I watched him play like it was a film) and finally seeing Batman Begins that made me fall in love with the Batman family.
Now, much to many people's surprise, Batman Begins is my favourite of the Dark Knight Trilogy - and so far of all the Batman films that I own. I don't deny that The Dark Knight is a genius film - Heath Ledger's Joker is amazing - but there's something about it that makes it kind of hard work for me to watch. The Dark Knight Rises is also really good but there's just something about Batman Begins that I love. Be it the origins story, or the fact that it's less dark and serious than the other films...but I've definitely seen it more times than I have the other two films in the trilogy.
As I mentioned before, when Sam got Batman: Arkham Asylum I sat and watched him play it. To some that might sound boring, but the story was so good and I got to learn so much about the world of Batman that it was genuinely like watching a film. I loved the game that much that once he introduced me to Steam last year, he also gifted me it from the summer sale, followed by Arkham City in November.
One thing to come from playing the Arkham games was my fascination with Oracle - or Barbara Gordon, daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon - who provides intelligence throughout the game. It wasn't until later that I learned that not only was Barbara Gordon Oracle, but was also Batgirl - until she was shot in the spine and paralysed by the Joker in The Killing Joke (which I'm yet and dying to read!). As a result, Barbara becomes Oracle and devotes her time to developing one of the world's most complex and powerful computer systems and sets to work accumulating information.[Source] I also liked the fact that she's ginger, just saying.
So naturally, when we found out that DC had had a reboot of most of its comics, me and the boyf decided to get in on it. While he chose to read Batman (the first two volumes of which I'm currently borrowing), Nightwing (which is next on my list), Teen Titans and Red Hood and the Outlaws; I was quite happy to stick with Batgirl. I've also branched out by reading Volume 1 of Wonder Woman that Sam bought me for my birthday in February, but I'm yet to buy Volume 2. In the 'New 52', Barbara Gordon has recovered from her paralysis and has returned to her role as Batgirl. I understand that this has caused a bit of controversy, by eliminating the later Batgirls (Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown) and by removing Oracle as a positive role model for those with disabilities. I, however, really like the series so far and after finishing Volume 3: Death Of the Family, I now feel like the series is going somewhere.
I'm definitely going to continue reading the New 52 Batgirl series, and probably all of the ones Sam has/gets in the future. I'll also try and keep an open mind about Ben Affleck's Batman, and try not to compare him to Christian Bale too much..!
I also found these really cute Batgirl pj shorts in Tesco a couple of weeks ago, which my Aunty treated me to. You don't tend to see much Batgirl merchandise around, so I was quite pleased to have found these!
