▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁Barbara ▁K es el , ▁after ▁writing ▁a ▁compla int ▁to ▁DC ▁Comics ▁over ▁the ▁negative ▁port ray al ▁of ▁female ▁characters , ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁write ▁for ▁Barbara ▁Gordon ▁in ▁Det ect ive ▁Comics . ▁Robin ▁Anne ▁Re id , ▁in ▁Women ▁in ▁Science ▁F iction ▁and ▁Fant asy : ▁Over views ▁( 2 0 0 9 ) ▁wrote ▁that ▁" K es el ' s ▁version ▁of ▁Bat g irl ▁established ▁her ▁as ▁a ▁character ▁separate ▁from ▁Bat man ▁and ▁Robin : ▁a ▁woman ▁motiv ated ▁to ▁do ▁what ▁men ▁do , ▁but ▁alone ▁and ▁in ▁her ▁own ▁way . ▁Her ▁Secret ▁Orig ins ▁( 1 9 8 7 ) ▁and ▁Bat g irl ▁Special ▁( 1 9 8 8 ) ▁counter ed ▁the ▁victim ized ▁and ▁object ified ▁presentation ▁of ▁Barbara ▁Gordon / B at g irl ▁in ▁Alan ▁Moore ' s ▁acc laimed ▁The ▁K illing ▁Jo ke ▁( 1 9 8 8 ). " ▁She ▁notes ▁that ▁K es el ' s ▁interpretation ▁of ▁the ▁character ▁emphas ized ▁her ▁intelligence , ▁techn ological ▁skill , ▁and ▁ability ▁to ▁overcome ▁fear . ▁ ▁G ail ▁Sim one ▁included ▁the ▁character ' s ▁par al ysis ▁in ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁" major ▁female ▁characters ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁killed , ▁m util ated , ▁and ▁dep ower ed ", ▁dub bing ▁the ▁phenomen on ▁" W omen ▁in ▁Re fr iger ators " ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁ 1