Batgirl Drops Spandex For Smartphone And Hipster Vibe

So you say a crime-fighting hero wouldn't actually wear the same outfit as a body-building champion from the 1950s? So you're suggesting that Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, would probably opt for some real armor rather than skin-hugging material with little to no protection against the elements? Batgirl #35 has your back – and a new smartphone, too.

Babs Tarr is taking over art for this comic re-direction while Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher will be handling writing. In this new story arc, Batgirl has just been the victim of a fire which has destroyed every material possession she owns. She decides to head to Gotham City's "hip" part of town, Burnside, striking out as a member of the common citizenry.

You'll notice one of the covers for this new issue depicting Batgirl taking a selfie with a smartphone (likely modeled after an HTC One) near some contemporaries applying makeup and doing their hair. Confident and independent – and importantly: strong, not just "cute" – this Barbara Gordon starts a new wave for popular comic heroes on the female tip.

As Fletcher confirms with MTV News: "our take on Batgirl mixes the best elements of "Veronica Mars" and "Girls," with a dash of "Sherlock" thrown in for good measure."

To create a new direction for this woman of today, the team has created a situation in which Gordon has to create her own costume. She doesn't have the Bruce Wayne cash she had before, and she's choosing this outfit for herself.

"Barbara is forced to make a new costume for herself when her old one becomes unavailable. The new one is something she's able to make herself, shopping at the various boutique and vintage stores in Burnside," says Stewart. "It also reflects her youth and style. Unlike Batman or Batwoman, she no longer needs to stay in the shadows, and in fact learns to embrace the spotlight."

Look like a more realistic bit of armor and everyday super-heroing aesthetic to you? Or would you rather Batgirl keep with the classics?