Batman's First Birthday - Gail's Batman History

So I kind of dropped the ball on this one. With all of the stress of school, radio management applications, and work, I forgot about Batman's anniversary. 72 years ago (yesterday) Batman was first introduced in Detective Comics #27. To honor the caped crusaders, let's take a look at all of Gail Simone's contributions to all things Batman.

Birds of Prey
Gail took the helm of Birds of Prey at issue #56 in August of 2003, and continued writing until July of 2007. In May of 2010, a new volume of Birds of Prey began, with Simone still as its scribe. When Simone took over in 2003, she added Huntress to Oracle and Black Canary's team, and all three characters have remained a part of the book since then.

The Birds of Prey can be connected to Batman by their occupation of Gotham City, and their usual team-ups. Because Oracle was the first Batgirl, Bruce places a large amount of trust in her team and allows them to work independently, while occasionally asking for/providing assistance. The Birds of Prey aren't femme fatals. They use their feet more than their "sexuality." To kick asses I mean.

Bane

Batman & Robin ruined Bane. The movie portrayed the character as a weak Arkham inmate who was (un)lucky enough to receive an injection of the steroid, venom. In the actual DC Universe, Bane was an experienced, strong fighter before the venom steroid, and was a tactical genius. I mean, the guy broke down Batman emotionally and physically.

With the release of the new Secret Six series November '08, Simone reintroduced Bane in a new light. Bane has now denounced venom to take on a more "righteous" path, and has created a sort of father-daughter relationship with Scandal Savage. Plus he still kicks all kinds of ass. Bane will most likely always be known as the man who broke the Bat, but for those interested, Simone has developed him into a more interesting and relatable character.

The Pointy-Eared Man Himself



Enough said.