There are more than a few fans who would label The New 52 -- DC Comics' attempt to streamline its convoluted continuity into something more modern and more approachable for a new audience -- a failed experiment. Many welcomed the new, revamped approach to the DC Universe when it arrived in 2011, while others despised it from the start. And although it started off promisingly enough, seeing sales increased across the board, and an inarguably heightened level of interest from longtime fans as well as DC newcomers, The New 52 ultimately failed to realize its promise as the start of a new, prosperous era of DC Comics history. That said, in a way it did manage to lead to something highly-acclaimed, something that many fans have become enamored with: Rebirth.
RELATED: DC Rebirth's Biggest Unsolved Mysteries
Praised for its look back at the past while pointing to the future, DC's current Rebirth initiative is a return to form for the publisher, as well as a welcome relief for longtime readers who longed for a return to the cherished and colorful past The New 52 had done away with. It's a way to honor the legacy of what has come before, while acknowledging that some things have to move forward. It's bringing heart and hope and a bit of brightness back into a world that was noticeably darker and more bleak for the past five years.
In a lot of ways, Rebirth reminds us of the approach another series took to DC continuity, seven years ago -- writer Bryan Q. Miller's Batgirl.
Illustrated by artists including Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott, the series debuted in 2009, amid the "Batman Reborn" relaunch. With Bruce Wayne dead at the time, Dick Grayson stepped into the cape and cowl of Batman alongside Damian Wayne as Robin; Catwoman, Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy became defenders of their city as the Gotham City Sirens; and Stephanie Brown discarded her Spoiler costume to strap on the bat-boots after fan-favorite Cassandra Cain decided to quit being Batgirl. Though Barbara Gordon (still wheelchair-bound at the time) strongly disapproved of Stephanie's decision, it didn't take long (Three issues!) for her to come around to the idea and decide to help this new, younger, rougher but ultimately braver Batgirl realize her potential.
The union between the original Batgirl and a character who, while already a part of DC continuity, was new to the mantle is a perfect example of what DC is currently doing under the Rebirth banner. Miller's series never shied away from Barbara Gordon's past as Batgirl. Instead, it fully embraced that history, highlighting everything and anything the character had learned in her time as a costumed crimefighter as she passed it on to a more inexperienced hero. Not only was she a wise mentor, she also proved that she was still a fighter, both literally and metaphorically. Despite the loss of use of her legs, Barbara proved that she was still a fearsome fighter, and her skills as the all-powerful, tech-savvy Oracle proved instrumental in numerous DC Comics stories. In that way, this Batgirl title was as much Oracle's as it was Stephanie's.
Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Stephanie%20Brown%27s%20Batgirl%20Made%20Those%20Around%20Her%20Better']
Putting the title's examination of the concept of legacy aside, one also has to take Stephanie Brown, the person, into consideration. Under Miller's guidance, she embarked on a new chapter of her life, one that underlined the shortcomings of her past and used that information to build an even stronger, better character. During a time when darkness surrounded much of the DC Universe, when the ghost of Bruce Wayne loomed large over the Bat-family, Stephanie was a ray of sunshine, a positive force who brought a bit of lightness to Gotham City. Much in the way Spider-Man does, Stephanie understood the gravity of any situation she found herself in, but was always able to find the time to laugh, crack a joke, and smile.
RELATED: DC Sidekicks: Where Are They Now?
Juggling her crime-fighting career with her normal life as a freshman student at Gotham U, Stephanie balanced it all while also having the time to develop a strong friendship with the like-minded Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, as well as become a big sister of sorts to the angst-filled, bratty Damian Wayne. The relationships she developed were a testament to the place Stephanie was carving for herself in the DC Universe, and it also illustrated, through the window of those she befriended, the bright, hopeful and fun influence she could have on anyone around her. In her company, Damian was never more endearing -- she managed to help him become a genuinely likable character, a perfect example of how Bryan Q. Miller's series was able to become something quite different for the line of titles published at the time. It mixed the old with the new, the fun with the sad and the bittersweet.
Sadly, the series found itself a casualty of DC's post-Flashpoint revamp. After two years of warming hearts and changing the face of the DCU, Stephanie was sidelined in favor of Barbara's return as Batgirl. Fans had to wait a long time to see Stephanie return to prominence once more, when she made her Rebirth debut in the pages of 2014's Batman Eternal series. Currently, Stephanie is back in her Spoiler identity in James Tynion IV's Detective Comics. And while she's got her hands full there, who wouldn't love to see Stephanie dust off her old Bat-costume and join Cassandra and Barbara in an all-new, all-different Batgirls series?
RELATED: The 15 Best Batgirls Ever
As DC continues to pick up the pieces of The New 52, building a Rebirthed universe that's once again adored by its fans, it continues to have a renewed focus on the brightness and hopefulness DC's heroes have typically represented. Superman may be the character most commonly associated with that approach to uplifting storytelling, but Stephanie's always been able to go toe-to-toe with the Man of Steel in that arena. With the help of her supporting cast and her strong creative team, Stephanie Brown's Batgirl flicked the switch on a signal that continues to burn bright, years -- and a rebooted universe -- later.