Published Feb 18, 2026, 12:36 PM EST
TJ Mills is an editor on ScreenRant's Comic team, where she combines her lifelong passion for DC with her analytical background as a former Intelligence Analyst. Since joining ScreenRant in 2023, she has specialized in covering major DC storylines, character evolutions, and industry developments.
DC’s newest Batgirl has received her very first Batsuit, and with it, she’s set to redefine her legacy and shake up the Batman franchise forever. Could this be Batgirl’s boldest incarnation yet? All signs say yes.
DC’s Darkseid-created Absolute Universe has reimagined classic characters with darker, more hardcore origins, leading to some of the most radical and bold character redesigns to date.
Scott Snyder’s Absolute Batman series, in particular, has earned a reputation for increasingly wild and often shocking redesigns of DC's most iconic foes, from Joker to Poison Ivy and every rogue in between. However, it isn’t only the villains who have received notable updates: Barbara Gordon has also undergone a major transformation, with the revealing hint of her first Batsuit in this universe.
Barbara Gordon Claims the First Piece of Her Batgirl Suit in the Absolute Universe
Comic Page Comes From Scott Snyder's Absolute Batman #17 (2025) - Art by Eric Canete
The Absolute Universe version of Barbara Gordon first appeared in Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta’s Absolute Batman #1 as a rookie Gotham City police officer. While she has made occasional appearances throughout the series, issue #17 marks her most notable moment yet, when Batman rescues her from Poison Ivy.
In this encounter, Barbara wears tattered SWAT-style gear, and despite her near-death experience, she insists that Batman join her as her partner to confront Ivy and her plant-zombies. Batman’s response to her demand? He pushes her off an Ivy-made cliff, but not before attaching part of his high-tech cape to her.
As she falls, the cape undergoes a semi-sentient transformation into a parachute around Barbara. This moment is both epic and significant, as it is strongly likely that Batman has just unintentionally provided her with the first piece of what will become her Batgirl suit. It is clear that Barbara is eager to do more and be more beyond her role in the GCPD, and becoming Batgirl feels like the logical next step.
Scott Snyder Teases Barbara Gordon's Impending Partnership With Batman
Comic Page Comes From Scott Snyder's Absolute Batman #17 (2025) - Art by Eric Canete
Barbara's conversation with Batman before the fall also reads like foreshadowing, with Barbara emphasizing words like “partner” and “team,” the former even bolded. Snyder is a master of planting clues, and all signs point toward an eventual partnership between the two heroes.
In the Main Universe, Barbara Gordon is known for her exceptional intelligence, and there is no evidence that the Absolute version is any different. With this in mind, it is highly likely that she will reverse-engineer the Dark Knight’s high-tech cape to create her first Batgirl suit in this universe, redefining her legacy in the Batman franchise.
Absolute Batman #17 is now available to read from DC Comics!
Created By Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff
First Appearance Batman (1940)
English (US) ·