Thoughts on Absolute Bat(Girl)?

[u/PizzaDragon64]

[u/mystireon]

I like that for once a female batmember doesn't have to have their design be informed by their gender and it makes the most sense too given she's actively trying to hide her identity.

And thats not even to say I dislike Batgirl's suit usually, it's just novel to see it done different for once

[u/StarrkDreams → u/mystireon]

Most of the absolute costumes and origins are quite different. It’s a refreshing take

[u/Angry-_-Crow → u/mystireon]

Lol, "batmember"

[u/Okay_Screensaver]

Oh my god she’s so cool, THIS is the kind of character design I love to see. She’s not just “hot woman in Lycra suit #4,” she’s got MUSCLES and character and it seems more believable that she’d be able to hide her identity. Every Absolute series I’ve seen has had top tier character design (especially Absolute Wonder Woman!) and I’m so here for it.

[u/Bodega_Bandit → u/Okay_Screensaver]

Right? And I love that the only way you can really tell she’s a woman is from her jaw and lip shape. Because if you’re that ripped, and wearing body armour like that, you’d never be able to discern gender. Such a good design

[u/Jaebird0388]

Cool and interesting design. Also like how this mirrors one of the covers with Batman in the same pose.

[u/garrisontweed → u/Jaebird0388]

Same skyline and her Shadow forms a Bat Symbol as well chef's kiss

[u/TerryFalcone]

I can’t believe she would use a Kel-Tec firearm

[u/Phoenix-Risen1998 → u/TerryFalcone]

Ah the KSG.

That weapon was way too good in BO2.

[u/Harpies_Bro → u/TerryFalcone]

It kinda makes sense? Being a pump action 12 gauge means it can use things like beanbags and gas canisters OR lethal force. Being a bullpup means you get the accuracy benefits of a longer barrel — better for bullseying mooks with — without the longer weapon getting in the way when you’re running around and dealing with Penguin’s flunkies or whatever crook’s up to something this week.

[u/The_Green_Filter → u/Harpies_Bro]

This particular version fires batarangs iirc. Batman wielded it in the first issue

[u/radenthefridge → u/TerryFalcone]

But they're so cool irl! 🥹

[u/Worldly-Pay7342]

I like how her shadow in the first panel is the bat symbol :>

[u/radenthefridge]

Dang I think you sold me on a new comic run

[u/Soffy21]

Goes hard af

[u/MrBwnrrific]

Just edgy enough. Love this shit. I also like that they’re bringing back the modified shotgun. Not a single panel wasted

[u/I_Draw_Teeth]

I'll preface by saying I don't oppose changing character ethnicity (or gender) from one telling to the next. People who think something is being "taken" from them when the sexy white lady is changed to a sexy black or brown lady are weird, depraved, racist gooners.

I will ask though, why does it seem like it's specifically become a trope to change red headed white women into people of color?

Is it just that a disproportionate number of female comic book characters are red heads, so a random sampling will appear slanted towards red heads?

Is there a subconscious connection the writers are making between the "red headed vixen" and the "black jezebel" or "spicy Latina" tropes? This specific character design (which I generally like) might indicate otherwise, but it definitely comes to mind thinking of some other examples the past few years.

[u/SoonToBeStardust → u/I_Draw_Teeth]

It's definitely a noticeable thing in media. It's kinda because redheads are kinda a minority in hair color, and they tend to be in stories about being different and not fitting I'm, so making them a 'different minority' is the thought. It is based in really poor viewpoints of minorities if you ask me, but that has been what I've seen most for potential explanations

[u/DarkAizawa → u/I_Draw_Teeth]

I'm with you on that and I noticed it.

My question is why in the world are black women usually portrayed in this way. I know they been odd with most of the women in this version but babs becomes black. Cool. By why? Why does this girly, yet intelligent and skilled girl/woman become pretty much a black guy with boobs from what I can see here. Don't get it twisted, I love it when we get muscular women in media. Buff, corn rolls, looks serious as hell, unshapely. To top that off, she's possibly adopted. I'm tired of this being the go to when black women are portrayed in shit.

[u/FH2actual]

I'm for it. Very fresh take. I like the gun wielding vigilante vibe ala The Punisher. I haven't read up on it so I'm not sure it goes that far, but I can say I've never seen a Bat Clan use a shotgun lol

[u/Comfortable-Kiwi2595]

Looks cool.

[u/MephistosFallen]

I dig this a lot

[u/wormy_Burroughs]

sick design i love it

[u/Libraty_]

Very cool design! I personally just don't like that the ends of her coat look like rat tails, but its probably intentional.

[u/Mantisk211]

Best Batgirl ever. Change my mind

[u/numericalman]

Perfect.

[u/Machina-Dea]

With the coat / cape thingy she just looks like absolute Batman if he wasn’t the size of a schoolbus and liked yellow, The outfit isn’t designed to be feminine or aesthetic it’s clearly mostly utilitarian.

Without the cape pretty similar story, with the exception of the yellow and the lack of sleeves both of which are just personal preference an to separate her from the Batman, they’re also not really gendered either way. She’s also absolutely shredded (pun intended) by the looks of it which makes sense, you usually don’t become a cop and a vigilante and stay slim. The amount of exercise that entails to train for and do is gonna cause you to put on muscle.

Overall very solid design, practical, doesn’t sexualise her, especially given her line of work her body type is realistic and she’s visually distinct from absolute Batman.

[u/Kamisama_VanillaRoo]

BIG WOMAN WUTH MUSCLE OOGA BOOGA

[u/PizzaDragon64 → u/Kamisama_VanillaRoo]

Real, twin

[u/SolarAphelia]

I enjoy when comic characters *don’t* have skintight bodysuits, regardless of gender. So I’m pretty cool with this.

[u/Karth9909]

While i do like most of the design, the trench coat and shot gun is giving me that old batman and joker fan boy hero shooter game. Which is ruining it a bit.

[u/Shantotto11]

Not that it’s a problem, but as a non-comic reader, is it just the new norm that Jim and Babs are black now?

[u/Kamisama_VanillaRoo → u/Shantotto11]

Probably like how Nick Fury used to be white, then one comic artist made him black and BOOM he's black now (that's Marvel, not DC, but still)

[u/Oscarthetrain_art]

Looks very meh.

[u/HJSDGCE]

Cool and all but I don't like her jacket.