Gorgeous portrait of Yvonne Craig by Aadi Salman, thanks to happysorceress

Gotham Girls by gabzillaz, thanks to Stephanie Brown tumblr thepurplebat

Babs by Jeprox, thanks to Gail Simone’s Tumblr.

Batgirl: Vampire Nights” begins when Robin falls into the clutches of a vicious vampire gang. Batgirl and Catwoman forge an uneasy alliance as they try to take down the coven of vampires. The short promises to have plenty of horror, film noir and satire of the world’s hottest super heroines.

Wait, what?

See here for more, but a warning ahead of time: you may get a headache thinking about it too much.

Particularly if you imagine the vampires as sparkly.

See? Headache.

You’re Captain Obvious by now if you have to say that there’ve been a lot of changes in DC 52. When Huntress got booted off Birds of Prey, fans were concerned that she may have been erased from continuity. But she was, in fact, given her own miniseries, giving fans reason to hope again–particularly because it’s written by  one of her creators, Paul Levitz.

Well, one of the Helena Bertinelli creators.

It’s become increasingly apparent that Huntress is not Helena Bertinelli, the character we’ve come to admire and love over the last twenty years. Instead, she is Helena Wayne, Huntress’ original incarnation. According to her history, she is the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selena Kyle born on an alternate Earth — she was killed off and then rebooted with a new history two decades ago. If this doesn’t make any sense, you’re not alone — see Helena Wayne’s history and recent DC 52 appearances on DCWKA’s excellent article here. (And most DC characters have a history like this, if that makes you feel better too!)

Of course this is a travesty. Helena has become her own independent, vibrant character over the last twenty years (as well as one of my favorite heroes) and does not need to be revamped, her history thrown away to make her more “accessible”–much like undoing Clark and Lois’ marriage, getting Barbara Gordon out of the chair, dumping Secret Six, oh yes I could go on. But my own and other fans’ grievances aside, it seems more constructive to look towards the future than complain about what’s already be done.

The big question is: is Helena really Bruce and Selena’s daughter?

Well, here’s what Helena looks like:

And her possible parents:

Unless the two look spectacularly young for their age (possible but improbable), or if this is another alternate universe situation (like DC would do that this early), I’m going to say definitely no.

And more substantially, DC has bachelor-ized their leading married men: Superman and Flash. (Apparently, that’s more interesting and realistic [/sarcasm], but that’s another rant, for another time.) I highly doubt they’d make Bats a daddy at the same time.

I think, instead, Helena is a Wayne, but isn’t Bruce’s daughter. Instead, I’m willing to bet she’s his cousin–or, if DC really wants to shake things up, his sister–maybe a half-sister he never knew about (possibly an illegitimate child, given up for adoption before Bruce was born, etc). In this way, Helena is still a Wayne, while still keeping Brucie available for his many, many love interests. But at the same time it gives Bruce a new family tie to contend with, someone who isn’t his apprentice, who can challenge him in a different way.

The big question is, can DC pull off a twist that will keep new fans involved and engaged, without feeling like they’re losing their Helena–particularly when so many fans have come through this new transition disappointed and shortchanged. And how much, if any, of Helena Bertinelli’s history or past (particularly her connections with the mob) bleed over into this new version, is yet to be seen.

Thanks to BleedingCool, here are some new variants of the new DC logo, which has been popping up all over the geekosphere during the past week.

DC’s logo has evolved a lot over the years, like the organization itself, so it’s not like a logo chang has never happened. And I’m no graphic artist, but I really don’t see the logic in this one. There is just nothing aesthetically pleasing about it. A “D” peeling back, seriously? Where’s the superhero in that? And as much as I consider myself a DC fan, I can only make out the meaning behind two of these–the Watchmen and Green Lantern logos on the bottom.

Maybe most importantly, it seems so much more serious than the last couple of logos. This is a comic book company, right? I really like what GeekDad says in his article:

Gone are the campy swirl and star elements. Also gone, though, is the dynamism and playfulness. What is left is an almost uptight corporate symbol that, without the title underneath, is unclear as to what it represents…it’s clear from this logo that there is definitely a new regime in control.

I’ve been confused by DC’s tactics since the new 52, if they’re trying to be more “accessible” to new fans and not offend the old ones. While this change is perhaps unsurprising–a new look for a new line of comics–it seems like one more in a long line of unnecessary changes.

Batgirl by Jacob Bear, love her coming out of the shadows and that grin on her face. Prepare for pain!

Thanks to Happy Sorceress via Gail Simone.

Batgirl watercolor by Mike Maihack, thanks to sarbearx. Love the chibi look as well as the colours, it reminds me of Year One!

A delightful and different steampunk Batgril by Douglas Holgate, thanks to fyeahbatgirl.

Click images for links to the providers.

Batgirl: The Lesson, Bryan Q Miller, $12.84 [Amazon]

“It’s a new year and a new look for Batgirl as superstar artist Dustin Nguyen joins the creative team! Stephanie Brown’s second semester at Gotham U. starts like any other – new classes, new allies, a vigilante stalker – everything a gal could want! But what Gotham City’s Batgirl isn’t prepared for is the arrival of the mysterious “Order of the Scythe.” Who are they, and why have they set their sights on her?” This trade paperback collects the final issues of Stephanie Brown’s run as Batgirl, Batgirl #15-24 – you can’t miss it! And if you prefer digital, check out all of the Batgirl issues on comiXology!

Funko Batgirl Pop Heroes figurine, $7.99 [Amazon]

“Inspired by designer toys and stylized character collectibles the world over, Funko is back with Pop. Heroes Vinyl Figure.” This adorable collectible figure of Batgirl (Babs Gordon) is a cute addition to your desk or any countertop.

Batgirl “I’m a Night Person” T-shirt, $23.99 [Teenormous]

“Made from 100% cotton this dark navy blue junior-woman’s t-shirt features a classic image of Batgirl along side an exclamation proclaiming her nocturnal preference!” A must for any Batgirl fan looking to show off her  fandom with style, and not one of those standard Bat-logo tees.

Batgirl: Year One Motion Comics
$7.99 full series, $0.99/episode [iTunes]

“This Motion Comics animated series, adapted from the nine-issue mini-series, focuses on the origins of Batgirl, who in reality is Barbara Gordon — the daughter of Gotham City Police Chief Commissioner James Gordon.” If you’re a fan of Babs’ now-classic graphic novel, there’s no harm in giving the motion comics a try–it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of Iron Man’s Extremis, but hey, it’s Babs, so how can it be bad?

:D