‘It’s been a Batgirl year’ for breakout artist Babs Tarr

Artist Babs Tarr posted a highlight reel of some her Batgirl sketches from Instagram, marking the end of the year her redesign of the caped heroine hit the stands. Check it out:

Batgirl’s makeover was arguably one of the biggest comics-related news to hit this year. In many ways, the new costume became symbolic of the complete turnaround of the character’s tone and direction: from the serious, brooding post-Oracle Barbara Gordon introduced by Gail Simone in the New 52 launch, to the younger, more lighthearted Babs birthed by creative team Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher and Ms. Tarr.

The overhaul, which was announced in July, sent a shockwave of excitement throughout the comic book community and for the most part, proved to be a popular move (though it wasn’t without criticism).

So popular, in fact, that months ahead of her comic book debut, Batgirl of Burnside already inspired tons of fanart, cosplay, and even a DC Collectibles’ Batman: Black and White statue.

Now two issues in, the rebooted Batgirl is a rollicking fun read that shows the fan-favorite redhead whooping bad-guy butt one minute, then dealing with flings and Facebook like every other hip Millennial in the next.

Ms. Tarr currently runs a popular Tumblr full of fashion and pop culture illustrations. The San Francisco-based artist worked as a freelance illustrator before joining DC Comics, with a list of clientele that includes Cartoon Network, Hasbro, Disney, and Boom! Comics. Batgirl is her first foray into comic book interior art.