History ComicBook / Batgirl2009

* YinYangBomb: After Batman, Inc. upgrades Firewall, Stephanie goes crazy making custom Batarangs...including one that is somehow simultaneously incendiary and cryogenic.

* {{Ephebophile}}: Commissioner Gordon finds it somewhat off-putting when he notices that teenage-Batgirl and one of his thirty-something detectives appear to have formed a flirtatious relationship. (Don't worry, it is pretty much just [[PrecociousCrush a harmless crush on her part]].) When the detective complains that nobody says anything when he talks to Batman, Gordon responds that "I'm pretty sure Batman's ''legal''!"

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: As Batgirl leaps out of a helicopter in issue #23, she tells Detective Gage (who she has had a crush on for the entire series) to give Barbara Gordon a call and ask her on a date. In an interview, Bryan Miller explained that he felt that scene was indicative of real growth in Stephanie's character; not that she would recognize she and Gage could never have a relationship, but that she would actually think to recommend he get involved with somebody else.

* MakeMeWannaShout: Harmony of the Reapers.

* PrecociousCrush: Stephanie has become somewhat infatuated with the detective that is shaping up to be [[TheCommissionerGordon her contact with the local police]], but the age difference (and the implication that he has some serious relationship baggage) will probably preclude any sort of actual relationship.

* ShowWithinAShow: Stephanie and Kara watch a [[BMovie cliched, badly acted and cheesy]] ''Dracula'' film when they decided to go out for Friday night.

* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud: When Stephanie met Detective Gage for the first time in her civilian identity, having already formed a working relationship and [[PrecociousCrush infatuation]] with him under the guise of Batgirl, she absent mindedly comments on how awkward the situation is. It is only when he asks her what she means that she realized she said it out loud instead of in her inner monologue.
* DisabledLoveInterest: A subplot of the series is Barbara's potential relationship with Detective Gage. Her father sets them up on a date early in the series, and it closes with Batgirl recommending that he give her a call.

When it was decided to launch a new self-titled ''Batgirl'' series, [[DyingToBeReplaced the executives decided not to use the currently-existing Batgirl as its star]]. In the first issue, Cassandra Cain, who had worn the mantle since the BatFamilyCrossover ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'' in the 1990s, retired as Batgirl in the wake of the death of Batman. Stephanie, who had an established friendship and even a pleasant working relationship with Cassandra, [[LegacyCharacter decided to use the costume and assume the mantle of Batgirl]]. [[Characters/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Gordon]], the original Batgirl, found out about this and at first tried to stop her, but after seeing [[{{Determinator}} a demonstration of her bravery]] vows to guide and help her. The series was LighterAndSofter than many of the other Bat-related titles being published by DC and is an embodiment of the [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]] ideal: Its [[PluckyGirl upright and cheerful protagonist]] still faces the same horrors and challenges facing any hero, but perseveres without ever losing her positive outlook.

* BigBrotherMentor: Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl, is this to Stephanie. She mentors Steph and plays the role of MissionControl.

* HandicappedBadass: A portion of the series is focused on the original Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, and also Wendy, formerly of the ComicBook/TeenTitans, both confined to wheelchairs but still kicking ass.

* LegacyCharacter: She picks up the immediate mantle from Cassandra Cain, becoming the fourth "real" Batgirl in then-current continuity, but she also struggles with the even larger burden of living up to Barbara's original legacy. This is exacerbated by the fact that Barbara serves as her mentor.

* SecretIdentity: Batgirl is really Stephanie Brown, freshman at Gotham University and formerly the Spoiler and Robin. Oracle is really Barbara Gordon, assistant professor of computer science at Gotham U, the original Batgirl and current leader of the Comicbook/BirdsOfPrey. Proxy is really Wendy Harris, formerly of the WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}} (by way of the ComicBook/TeenTitans) and daughter of the Calculator.

* JustForPun:
-->'''Batgirl:''' ''[while imprisoning Clayface in a block of ice]'' 'Kay Mr. Policeman, quip's to you!\\
'''Detective Nick Gage:''' Uh... "Freeze!"

* OhCrap: "Balls."

* [[TheResolutionWillNotBeTelevised The Resolution Will Not Be Serialized]]: The last pre-''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint|DCComics}}'' story involving Stephanie Brown, which was originally going to be published in issues #8 and #9 of the ongoing ''Batman, Inc.'' series, has been collected into an oversized one-shot published as ''Batman, Inc.: Leviathan Strikes''.

Stephanie Brown is the daughter of the Cluemaster, a member of Batman's rogues gallery, and she began operating as the masked vigilante "the Spoiler" when her father managed to abandon his habit of [[CriminalMindgames leaving clues to his crimes]]. Guest-starring in multiple [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Gotham-based series]], Stephanie began a romantic relationship with Tim Drake ComicBook/{{Robin}} and formed a friendship with then-ComicBook/{{Batgirl|2000}} Cassandra Cain. Eventually she assumed the Robin identity herself when Tim briefly rejected the costume, but her earnest efforts to help ended up instigating a massive gang war in Gotham and she was captured by Black Mask. In [[ComicBook/BatmanWarGames the original story]] she was killed by Black Mask, but a later {{retcon}} revealed that she survived her injuries and her death had been faked to smuggle her out of the country.

When it was decided to launch a new self-titled ''Batgirl'' series, [[DyingToBeReplaced the executives decided not to use the currently-existing Batgirl as its star]]. In the first issue, Cassandra Cain, who had worn the mantle since the BatFamilyCrossover ''ComicBook/BatmanNoMansLand'' in the 1990s, retired as Batgirl in the wake of the death of Batman. Stephanie, who had an established friendship and even a pleasant working relationship with Cassandra, [[LegacyCharacter decided to use the costume and assume the mantle of Batgirl]]. [[ComicBook/{{Oracle}} Barbara Gordon]], the original Batgirl, found out about this and at first tried to stop her, but after seeing [[{{Determinator}} a demonstration of her bravery]] vows to guide and help her. The series was LighterAndSofter than many of the other Bat-related titles being published by DC and is an embodiment of the [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Tropes Are Not Bad]] ideal: Its [[PluckyGirl upright and cheerful protagonist]] still faces the same horrors and challenges facing any hero, but perseveres without ever losing her positive outlook.

The series ended in August 2011 with the ComicBook/{{New 52}} ContinuityReboot of the [[Franchise/TheDCU DC Universe]], after which a new ''ComicBook/{{Batgirl|2011}}'' series was released featuring Barbara Gordon as the titular character. A one-shot featuring Stephanie Brown as Batgirl was published in ''Batman, Inc.: Leviathan Strikes'', containing her planned ''Batman, Inc.'' crossover issues that were never published due to the reboot. Years later, Steph got some more closure (particularly regarding her on-off romance with Tim Drake) in a {{ComicBook/Convergence}} mini-series before her return in ''ComicBook/BatmanEternal'' where she became Spoiler again.

* ActionGirl: Stephanie herself, as well as [[HandicappedBadass Barbara and Wendy]]. And the Teen Titans, when summoned as TheCavalry in the penultimate issue, are all girls--ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, Miss Martian, ComicBook/{{Stargirl|DCComics}}, and Bombshell.

** The opening pages of issue #15 are draw in a SuperDeformed art style, which at the end is revealed to have been art drawn by Stephanie herself [[HowWeGotHere as she explains the history of Batman to Proxy]]. This issue onward also saw the art duties taken over by Dustin Nguyen, who has a noticeably different art style to Lee Garbbett.

* BadassNormal: Like the rest of the Bat-family, Stephanie relies on skill, training, determination (and plenty of gadgets) to triumph over creatures with abilities far beyond normal man. She also rocks the trademark Bat-Family BadassNormal willpower: she fights off the effects of not only ComicBook/TheScarecrow's fear gas, but also the Black Mercy... an alien super-hallucinogen that's previously sidelined Franchise/{{Superman}} and Franchise/GreenLantern.
* BatFamilyCrossover: One issue crosses over with the "Collision" event from the ''ComicBook/RedRobin'' ongoing, where ComicBook/RasAlGhul and the League of Assassins menace Gotham and the Bat-Family.

* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: ComicBook/{{Oracle}} and Calculator face off within Barbara's subconscious.

* BreatherEpisode: #18 takes a break from "The Lesson" arc for a {{Valentines Day Episode|s}}.

* TheCavalry: The ComicBook/TeenTitans are summoned when Batgirl shouts "ComicBook/{{SHAZAM}}!" and arrive right in the midst of her battle with the Reapers.

* ChildishPillowFight: ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} suggests to Batgirl that they have a pillow fight when they are spending the night out together, [[FanserviceFauxFight and Batgirl wonders just what kind of movies she has been watching]]. Later in the issue, though the fight itself is not shown, Stephanie's bedroom is covered in pillow feathers.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: Stephanie is a firm believer that kids should have a chance to ''be'' kids, and Damian Wayne's upbringing and current lifestyle disturbs her to no end. When she discovers that he does not even know how to ''play'', [[{{Tearjerker}} apart from causing her heart to break just a little bit]], she brings him to a moon bounce so that he can start learning how to be a child.

* DressedInLayers: ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} [[ClothingDamage rips off her shirt]] to reveal her uniform beneath it and asks if Stephanie is going to do the same. "[[HoYay/Batgirl2009 Not unless you wanna see my bra]]."

* FunWithAcronyms: ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} actually recognizes that "BFF" is ''already'' plural ("Best Friend'''s''' Forever") and "BFF'''s'''" is a tautology. This only makes her even more awesome in Stephanie's eyes.

* GenreSavvy: Stephanie really is a product of her generation, with all the TV and movie knowledge that implies. She is ever-aware of the cliches that occur, and are expected to occur, in whacky situations. This leads to frequent {{Lampshade Hanging}}s, such as quoting the ChekhovsGun maxim verbatim, and even commenting on tropes that she herself has not yet experienced.

* IncompatibleOrientation: Stephanie began to develop a crush on Francisco, one of her classmates, and viewed herself as in competition with Jordanna for his affections. However, it turns out that he is already involved with somebody else; a man. Jordanna already knew the whole story, but Stephanie only found out after she was dragged into his whacky family life as Batgirl.

* InstantCostumeChange: Kara (ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}) uses her SuperSpeed to change clothes instantly and not to be caught by Stephanie's mother when she comes to visit Steph in ''Batgirl'' #14.

** Riot, a supervillain who is hired to kill [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick!]][[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bats]],

* [[TheResolutionWillNotBeTelevised The Resolution Will Not Be Serialized]]: The last pre-''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' story involving Stephanie Brown, which was originally going to be published in issues #8 and #9 of the ongoing ''Batman, Inc.'' series, has been collected into an oversized one-shot and will be published as ''Batman, Inc.: Leviathan Strikes''.

** In issue #23, Batgirl summons the ComicBook/TeenTitans assistance by shouting "ComicBook/{{SHAZAM}}!"

'''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}:''' [[ThatsWhatSheSaid That's what she said.]]\\

* TripleShifter: Though she does more heroics in the daytime and dusk than Franchise/{{Batman}}, her primary hours of hero duty are still during the night. Since she also has a full class schedule ''and'' work-study at Gotham University this leaves her very little free time for sleeping. As with most triple shifters the severe health and psychological problems that come with sleep deprivation are not mentioned, but the comic does deal with her almost constant exhaustion and she frequently oversleeps for both school and hero activities.

** In that same issue, Scarecrow's fear gas revealed Stephanie's deep-rooted fears of being a failure as a superhero and as a girlfriend to [[ComicBook/{{Robin}} Tim Drake]]. In the Batgirl/Red Robin crossover in issue #8, her fears are assuaged when Tim tells her he is proud of what she has become.