I’m Convinced Batgirl Wanting to Break Batman’s No-Kill Rule is Perfectly In Character - Here’s Why (2024)

Warning: Contains spoilers for Birds of Prey #12!

To be allied with Batman means following Bruce Wayne’s all-important “no kill” rule, but not everyone is willing to stay within such strict parameters — including Batgirl. Barbara Gordon, who also operates as Batgirl and Oracle, has a shrewd, practical nature that sometimes leads her to cutthroat answers. I see how that side of her personality shines in Birds of Prey, and it makes it easy to believe that she'd break the Bat's biggest rule.

In Birds of Prey #12 by Kelly Thompson, Javier Pina, Sophie Campbell, and Gavin Guidry, the team is transported to (and trapped in) a chibi-style cartoon pocket dimension, and Barbara Gordon meets the new character Cela for the first time. Cela has already admitted that the Birds, and specifically Babs, are responsible for killing her mother sometime in the future, and Babs proves once again that she's ready to kill in order to solve their problems when she proposes a violent new plan to save her team, including Cela.

On the surface, the plain seems outlandish, as murder isn’t exactly in Oracle’s wheelhouse — yet she quickly suggests that Cela could kill her sister, Maia, and solve all their problems. It's that blunt answer that falls in line with her hyper-competent character. Death does solve some problems, and she's a problem-solver above all else.

Batgirl’s Pragmatic Nature Makes Her Ruthless Enough to Kill

And It's the Best Part of Her Character

The Birds of Prey's current situation, which has them trapped in an ever-changing pocket dimension as they try to escape the powerful (and murderous) Maia, creates the perfect conditions for Batgirl's realistic-to-a-fault personality to shine through. The simplest way for the team to escape the pocket dimension is to assume control of the portals, and the quickest way to accomplish that is to have Cela kill Maia and absorb her powers. It's a solid idea on paper, and I'll admit that I was overjoyed to see such a brutal plan delivered in such classic, unfiltered Babs fashion, though it was understandably ill-received by Cela.

Cassandra Cain points out that Barbara has trouble "turning off her pragmatism" and it's an excellent analysis from someone who has been on the receiving end of it multiple times. Though the first Batgirl has a soft spot for fellow Batgirls Cass and Stephanie Brown, I've seen her twist that concern into a cutting practicality when they fall short of her expectations. To me, the most spot-on characterization of Barbara Gordon involves a certain degree of coldness, which is the exact trait that would lead her to accept killing as an answer to extreme threats she can't otherwise think her way out of.

Batgirl Knows When She Goes Too Far

But Some Decisions Are Irreversible

Frustration makes Babs particularly shrewd, and the Birds of Prey are in a complex situation. Even so, she follows up her off-putting suggestion with another signature Barbara Gordon move: an apology. Her hunt for solutions doesn't spare feelings, but she always recognizes that and makes up for it. Empathy isn't her immediate go-to, but I believe her willingness to reach for it and rectify her missteps is equally important. Unfortunately, there's no room for a "sorry" after a murder. Batgirl's unwavering pragmatism primes her to break Batman's no-kill rule, and she's proven that she'll go to extremes to solve the hardest problems.

Birds of Prey #12 is available now from DC Comics.

BIRDS OF PREY #12 (2024)
	Writer: Kelly Thompson Artist: Sophie Campbell, Gavin Guidry, Javier Pina Colorist: Jordie Bellaire Letterer: Clayton Cowles Cover Artist: Leonardo Romero

Birds of Prey (2023)

Dinah Lance is one of the DCU’s most elite fighters, and combined with her sonic scream, she’s a fearsome foe in any scenario…but sometimes even the Black Canary needs help. Faced with a personal mission brought to her by a mysterious new ally, and up against near-impossible odds, she re-forms the Birds of Prey with an unrivaled group of badasses — Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn — and only one goal: extraction without bloodshed. What could possibly go wrong?

Writer

Kelly Thompson

Penciler

Leonardo Romero

Inker

Leonardo Romero

Colorist

Jordie Bellaire

Letterer

Clayton Cowles