When improvement isn't or how DC hurt Batgirl by trying to save her

It's been nearly a year since DC's Batgirl last made headlines. Last March, there was a large uproar about a variant cover featuring Batgirl and the Joker, which referenced The Killing Joke.

 

On social media, the outrage machine flared up almost as soon as the cover was released. Some claimed that the image invoked sexual violence against women (saying that it can be inferred that the Joker raped Barbara in the Killing Joke, or at the very least the fact that he still took photos of her after she'd been shot was violation enough). Others objected to the fact that the image reduced Barbara to a cowering damsel in distress.

Still others objected to the image on the basis that, even as a variant, it was inappropriate for a book aimed at younger readers. The first two objections aside (I'm not looking to debate either of those points here), it was this third objection that stood out. Batgirl had made waves a few months prior with a major reboot, giving the character a new costume, new local, drastically altered personality, and a new style in art and writing.

Social media embraced the new outfit before the book premiered. Articles championed the changes as appealing to less traditional comic book readers, and specifically appealing to younger female readers. Writer Cameron Stewart proclaimed on social media that he hadn't heard a single valid criticism about his new take on the character. Outside the comic book readership, the world seemed to welcome this new Batgirl with open arms.

But among comic book readers, it wasn't quite the same reception.

When the New 52 launched in 2011, Barbara Gordon returned to the role of Batgirl. While fans objected to her newfound ability to walk (after being paralyzed in the aforementioned Killing Joke), Simone's take on the character was widely praised. Simone, who had written Barbara Gordon for years as Oracle, worked to portray Barbara as someone who had been through trauma. Her Barbara maintained her education, and arguably her age, from the prior continuity and proudly resumed the mantle of Batgirl despite in-world worries that doing so could leave her paralyzed once again.

The book had a similarly dark (but not grimdark) tone to the other Bat-books, and featured villains that played off of Barbara's worries and traumas. The events of the past were referenced, but Barbara was forced to confront them time and time again with her chin up. She demonstrated strength through her trials and tribulations (including confrontations with her brother, and the Joker). It was clearly a book for more mature readers (older teens and adults), though wasn't exclusionary to younger readers.

The book debuted at #12 in September of 2011 with 81,489 books sold. In January 2012, the book was #26 in sales selling 51,327 books. In June 2012, it ranked #38 with 47,050 books.  In January 2013, it ranked #17 with 72,470 books sold (bolstered by being part of a cross-over event). In June 2013, it ranked #52, selling 40,252 books. In January 2014 it was #42 in sales, moving 37,226 books. In June 2014, it was #30 selling 47,304. The final issues of Simone's run (one of which was part of DC's usual September event) ranked #48 (37,707 units) and #26 (59,563).

While these numbers seem to be a bit all over, a look at the general sales of the book indicate that it generally had sales of around, and usually above, 40k units a month (or more during crossover events) during Simone's run after the initial sales bump created by the launch of the New 52 wore off.

 

Upon the release of the rebooted book in October 2014, long time readers criticized the book for heavily revamping the character to the point that it felt that Stewart and company had created a new character and simply slapped the name Barbara Gordon on her. This new character acted like a college student (the old Barbara already had already obtained a graduate degree), and relied heavily on things like social media as the basis for her defeating villains (the old Barbara was a tech genius who was among the best hackers in the DCU). Additionally, contrary to the media perception that the book was aimed at younger readers, the books first issue had Barbara getting drunk and forgetting her actions the previous night. Subsequent issues featured a controversial mocking of a transgender character (Simone's run has a prominent character come out as transgender, a reveal which was ultimately treated as no big deal).

When long time readers criticized the book (mostly adult men demographically), they were told that the book was generally no longer for them, and if they didn't like the new direction, they could simply stop reading it. After all, sales are what ultimately determine the success of a books new direction.

During the controversy regarding the above variant cover, media sources continued to talk about the books increased sales since the direction change. These figures were used to bolster the notion that the new direction was not only a social media darling, but that it was selling better than Simone's take on the character. Clearly the new direction was the right move for the perpetually tone deaf DC Comics. However, this was after the book had been on sale for only a few months after a heavily publicized revamp (meaning an inevitable sales bump).

The first issue of the new Batgirl ranked at #19 moving 62,644 books, with the next two subsequent issues ranking #31 (50,247) and #33 (45,060), these were largely the sales figures cited in the articles surrounding the variant cover. Yes, these numbers do indicate higher sales than the later average in Simone's run, though they don't really surpass most of the numbers above (the first issue. the cross over issue, and the last issue).

In 2015, however, the book swiftly fell into its old sales pattern. Prior to the book's 2 month break for Convergence, the book ranked #24 (45,096), #43 (40,880), and #38 (41,729). The fact that this trend set in rather swiftly (and around the time the variant was being discussed), rebuffs the notions that the book was now a breakout success because of its new direction.  

After Convergence, the books sales continued the downward trend but much, much more sharply. Beginning with the books return in June 2015, it ranked as follows (the book did not publish in November 2015): #79 (33,220), #71 (33,168), #59 (32,079), #57 (30,654), #80 (29,276), #99 (27,591) and #76 (26,905). While an argument could be made about DC interrupting readers with its two month hiatus (with the book dropping 7k readers), the fact that the book has dropped an additional 7k readers since its return issue indicates that the initial drop can't be blamed solely upon missed issues.

It is absolutely important to bring new readers to comics. Since the 90's when comic books had their biggest boom and crash ever, comic books have been sold to a devoted niche market. While events like the New 52 brought some readers to comics, they did so in exchange for some devoted fans who rejected the changes. If this trade-off balances sales, or ideally increases them, than the push for new readers was generally successful.

But that hasn't happened here. The change in Batgirl was, without question, initially successful. While some readers walked away immediately at the tonal change, the buzz surrounding the book was enough to increase its sales above the average sales of Simone's run, once the buzz faded away the book failed to retain readership.

There could be a multitude of reasons for this departure: People who began reading the book because they thought it would be friendly to younger audiences found that it wasn't. People who were fans of the character found that she was altered beyond recognition. People who are inclined to indie books with a similar tone found it too much of a superhero title. Superhero readers who don't tend toward indie books found the book too indie for their tastes.

Whatever the reason, the readership is leaving the book. The initial assertions that this was a brilliant move by DC which attracted new readers has become entirely unfounded as the book is selling nearly 1/3 less books than the Simone run, which means that there haven't been enough new readers to compensate for the readers who left the book and the book is not maintaining new readers.

Babs Tarr's Batgirl of Burnside design was absolutely inspired. No one questions that. It's also fair to assume that no one (who isn't some sort of gamergater) questions the desire to bring in more readers, specifically female readers.

That said, however, this approach clearly didn't work. The book hasn't maintained new readers.It hasn't attracted enough new readers to make up for lost sales. It's not generating buzz among its current readers, which might lead to increased readership. It's not generating critical acclaim.

So why is DC continuing to back the current creative team?

Simply put, Batgirl is a book that needs saving. DC made poor creative choices on Batwoman, which ultimately lead to the book nose diving in sales and its ultimate cancellation. While, unlike Batwoman, this creative direction drove initial positive press, it has proven to be a similar sales disaster.

DC needs female-centric books, but it needs people to read those books. They're not reading Batgirl, not in the way they did before they re-branded the book. If DC doesn't reconsider the current direction of the book, Batgirl may go the way of Batwoman and leave the shelves with one less woman superhero with her own title.

(all sales numbers obtained from Comichron)