'You Batguys want me to hold on to the past'
It's been a while since the discussion about Barbara Gordon returning as Batgirl in The New 52 took centre stage among fans of the Batman series, but reading this comic brought all that back for me.
The premise is simple: Dinah (Black Canary) calls Barbara (Oracle) but instead ends up talking to Dick Grayson (Nightwing). She eventually asks the man: 'Are you and "Babs" friends? Or more than friends?'
This prompts a story in which Grayson recounts the events of the day he took Barbara to his circus. The meeting culminates in Grayson carrying her to the top of the circus tent and helping her 'fly' once more on the bars. The tension and attraction between the two characters comes out in almost every sentence they say to each other, and it's a wonderful insight into their relation and into Barbara's character and personality.
Somewhere in 2008, Wizard Magazine put this #34 on their list of the '100 Best Single Issue Comics Since You Were Born'. It's easy to see why. It's a great stand-alone issue that every fan of the Batman series should try to get a hold of.
After their night out comes to an end, Grayson thinks: 'There's a part of her heart she keeps locked up. I can't help myself. That's the part of her I miss the most.'
Was he right? Who knows. Halfway through the story Barbara tells Grayson: 'A lot of the time it's like you Batguys want me to hold on to the past because you can't get over it. Understand - I have. I have a new life now. One I like - one that fulfils me. It's not the same one I had before, but it's good. Maybe even better.'
Four years on since the introduction of The New 52, there's still that thought: 'It's you can't get over it'.