Joker 'Killing' Batgirl Changed Her Legacy in the Darkest Way
In Alan Moore and Brian Bolland'sThe Killing Joke, The Joker shoots Barbara Gordon and effectively ends her career as Batgirl as her injuries were too severe for her to continue on as Batman's sidekick. Unfortunately, the public perception of Batgirl's death tarnished her legacy.
Despite her injuries, Barbara refused to let this moment cause the end of her crimefighting career. The moment directly led to her becoming Oracle. While her role as Oracle is less hands-on, it's still vital as she works as the Bat-Family's resident data broker. This, in turn, led to a complete revamp of her role in the DC Universe, most notably by leading the Birds of Prey. So, it's evident that Barbara Gordon accomplished enough to not let Joker's inflicted trauma hinder her success as a hero. However, one shadow that hangs over The Killing Joke is the public perception of Batgirl following the incident. In-universe, the civilian public never knew that Batgirl and Barbara Gordon were one and the same. Therefore, the public never got an explanation when Batgirl suddenly disappeared following Barbara's attack.
Related: Nightwing Risks His Future With Batgirl in a Shocking Comic Betrayal
The closest that readers learn of how the public perceives Batgirl's disappearance is a brief aside from Commissioner Gordon during the Blackest Night arc. In it, Gordon thinks back to his daughter's attack and recalls that although no one knew exactly why Batgirl disappeared, the general assumption was that whatever happened must have been «bad.» This puts a dark twist on what happened to Barbara, and in many ways, ironically enough, a somewhat meta one at that.
When The Killing Joke was first released, there was a fear that Barbara Gordon's character would be
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