The writer most connected to DC Comics‘ Barbara Gordon has suddenly been relieved of her duties.
Gail Simone has been writing stories about Barbara Gordon – whether as Batgirl or Oracle – for DC Comics in one way or another since 2005, but that has all ended. Simone tweeted last night that she’d been suddenly let go from Batgirl, via email. No word on the details surrounding her firing, which she described as “baffling.”
A follower asked her if she hadn’t stuffed enough women in refrigerators (a phrase she coined to vent frustration over the treatment of female characters in comics), to which she replied “funny you should say that.”
Simone has been synonymous with Barbara Gordon for years, as she had a successful run on Birds of Prey, as well as writing DC‘s Villains United miniseries, the occasionally great Secret Six, a three-year run on Wonder Woman (earning herself recognition for being the longest-running female writer on the book), stints writing Simpsons Comics and Deadpool, and even a run on Action Comics writing Superman.
She seems to be handling all of this with class, though, tweeting: “I honestly don’t have the words right now to thank you all. I’m pretty choked up and it’s all gratitude, not bitterness.”
[Editor’s note: This really irks me. I’ve been loving Simone’s run on Batgirl. Great use of the character. DC, why? -Greg]
