Batgirl # 0 2012 NM-

Batgirl # 0, published by DC Comics on September 12, 2012, is a "New 52" origin story that reimagines how Barbara Gordon first became Batgirl. Written by Gail Simone with art by Ed Benes, the issue establishes a darker, modernized version of her transition into crimefighting. 

Plot Summary: "A Fire in the Heavens" 

The story follows a young, driven Barbara Gordon as she finds herself at the center of a crisis. 

• The Incident: While on a tour of Gotham City Police Headquarters with her brother James Jr., a mass murderer and cult leader named Harry X breaks free and takes hostages.
• First Heroic Act: Barbara uses a prototype "Batsuit" created by the police—originally meant to prove Batman was human—to fight back. She utilizes her training in self-defense and martial arts to defeat Harry X and save both her brother and an injured officer.
• The Mentor's Approval: Batman arrives as the gas clears and is impressed by her skill, giving her a "nice work" before she officially begins her year-long stint as Batgirl.
• Dark Foreshadowing: The issue ends on a grim note, connecting to the events of The Killing Joke. After retiring briefly to lead a normal life, the "darkness" finds her again in the form of the Joker, who shoots her three years prior to the current timeline, setting the stage for her return as an active hero in the main Batgirl series. 
• Creators: Written by Gail Simone with art and main cover by Ed Benes.
• Characters: Features Barbara Gordon, Batman, and a young James Gordon Jr., who is shown with unsettling, sociopathic tendencies even as a child.