Batgirl: Future's End Vol 1 1

"Darker in the Soul"

Batgirl: Future's End #1
September 10, 2014
Written by	Gail Simone
Cover by	Clay Mann with Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Interior Art by	Javier Garron
Colored by	Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Lettering by	Saida Temofonte
Edited by	Chris Conroy, Mark Doyle
Next Issue	Catwoman: Future's End #1

It’s five years later, and Barbara Gordon has become Bête Noire – a.k.a. The Black Beast! Part Batman and part Bane, she leads a squad of female agents through the Gotham Underground!

Summary of Stephness: Five years after Batgirl defeats Obscura (Batgirl #34), her fiance has been killed and she's formed the League of Batgirls to destroy crime. Steph, Cass, and Tiffany Fox form this trio, with Steph being sort of de facto field leader (probably because she talks the most). She has a classic moment when she stops a duo of thugs with a gooperang, then promptly puts her foot in her mouth by remarking to Cass that "You haven't lived until you've covered two men in goop." Her teammate, young Tiffany, tells Cass that Stephanie is "the goofiest girl" she's ever seen, but Cass responds, "No. The bravest."

When Barbara leaves the League to take on Bane by herself, she tells each of the Batgirls that they are amazing. Her message to Steph is: "Stephanie. You have the heart of a lion, in every way that matters. You had the strength to resist the darkness where I did not."

Babs defeats Bane, and Tiffany manages to save the city by catching Bane's detonator.

Like The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold #13, Steph ends the issue hugging her leader (in that case Bruce, in this Babs) with an expression of total joy.