A gorgeous new Batgirl cosplay recreates a comic book cover so perfectly that it's hard to tell the difference between the photograph and the cover art. Between the quality of the cosplay itself and the styling of the photograph, it's like Barbara Gordon has leapt off the page in one of her iconic costumes.
Barbara Gordon debuted as Batgirl in 1967 and has been a major player in Gotham City and across the DC Universe ever since. Whether fighting crime as Batgirl or as the technological intelligence expert Oracle, Babs is force to be reckoned with, even with her complicated history. Despite her origins as Batgirl, Barbara Gordon spent many years working behind the scenes as Oracle, doing essential coordinating and intelligence-finding work for the entire heroic community. Eventually, DC returned Babs to the Batgirl mantle, and now she shares it with her two friends and fellow Batgirls, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain. Many readers would argue, however, that Barbara Gordon is still the most iconic Batgirl to have filled the role.
One of Barbara's recent Rebirth-era Batgirl uniforms takes center stage in a new cosplay from Amanda Lynne, photographed here by Pat Loika. Though this costume was comparatively short-lived compared to Batgirl's other Rebirth costume— which featured a purple leather jacket and yellow combat boots—the simplicity of this costume shines in this cosplay. The pose and design specifically homages the Joshua Middleton variant cover to Batgirl #27, which sees Batgirl leaping through the air, Batarang in hand, in a gray bodysuit with yellow details, including her classic yellow Bat-symbol.
This Batgirl Cosplay Blurs the Line Between Comic Book and Cosplay
Batgirl has had many classic costumes over the years—and cover art that's just as iconic—and it's exciting to see a cosplay that honors the comic book art from Batgirl just as much as it honors the superhero costume. Loika says in the caption that "this was particularly fun to do due to the pose and the simplicity of the layout." Those features are also what makes this Middleton cover stand out years after it first hit stands. It's hard to tell the difference between the photograph of the costume and the cover art itself, and that's a testament to both the quality of the cosplay and the beauty of the comic art.
Barbara Gordon's Batgirl may get a lot of attention from cosplayers, but this particular cosplay stands out because of how comic-accurate it is; it's so accurate, in fact, that it mimics its cover inspiration almost exactly. Thankfully there's no shortage of Batgirl art to homage, and hopefully this trend will continue even as Babs balances her identities between Batgirl, Oracle, and Barbara Gordon—and all the costumes those three identities might entail.
Source: Pat Loika