Bluebird (Harper Row) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by
DC Comics
DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
, primarily in association with
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
. Harper Row was created by writer
Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder (born January 15, 1976) is an American comic book author. He is known for his 2006 short story collection ''Voodoo Heart'', and his work for DC Comics, including series such as ''American Vampire'', ''Detective Comics'', a highly acc ...
and artist
Greg Capullo
Gregory Capullo (; born March 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on ''Quasar (comics), Quasar'' (1991–1992), ''X-Force'' (1992–1993), ''Angela (comics), Angela'' (1994), ''Spawn (comics), Spawn'' ...
, first appearing in ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' (vol. 2) #7 (March 2012), before debuting as Bluebird in ''Batman'' #28 (February 2014).
Harper Row's Bluebird identity was designed by artist
Dustin Nguyen
Dustin Nguyen (born Nguyễn Xuân Trí) (September 17, 1962) is a Vietnamese– American actor and martial artist. He is best known for his roles as Harry Truman Ioki on '' 21 Jump Street'' and as Johnny Loh on '' V.I.P.'' Recently, he starr ...
. Within the fictional
DC Universe
The DC Universe (DCU) is the shared universe in which most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC Continuity (fiction), continuity. It contains v ...
, Harper Row officially joins Batman's group of allies during the events of ''
Batman Eternal'', a year-long weekly
maxiseries.
Instead of taking on the mantle of
Robin, which is traditionally that of Batman's sidekick, Harper Row instead adopts an entirely new superhero identity, Bluebird. Her appearance marks the arrival of the first new "Bat-family" character in ''Batman'' comics since DC relaunched its entire line in 2011 as part of its
The New 52
The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
publishing event.
Fallon Smythe portrays Harper Row in ''
Gotham Knights''.
Publication history
Harper Row first appeared as an unnamed cameo in ''Batman'' (vol. 2) #1 (September 2011).
She later made her first full appearance in ''Batman'' (vol. 2) #7 (March 2012), where it is noted that she and Batman have met before. Their previous encounter was detailed in ''Batman'' #12 (Oct. 2012), illustrated by
Becky Cloonan
Becky Cloonan (born 23 June) is an American comic book creator, known for work published by Tokyopop and Vertigo. In 2012 she became the first female artist to draw the main ''Batman'' title for DC Comics.Beck, Laura (February 8, 2013)"Meet the Fi ...
; this issue marked the first time a female artist has worked on the ''Batman'' title. Harper Row next appeared in ''
Detective Comics
''Detective Comics'' (later retitled as ''Batman Detective Comics'') is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is ...
'' (vol. 2) #21 (August 2013), the first time a writer other than Snyder has written her.
In ''Batman'' (vol. 2) #28 (April 2014), a sneak peek into the future of ''Batman Eternal'', Harper Row makes her debut as Batman's new sidekick Bluebird.
Scott Snyder reportedly based Bluebird on a design created by the daughter of prominent cosplayer Kyrax2. "Harper & Row" was also the name of the major American publishing firm
Harper from 1962 to 1990.
Fictional character biography
In early issues featuring Harper Row, she is introduced as a streetwise young woman from the Narrows, one of the roughest neighborhoods in Batman's locale of
Gotham City
Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...
. She and her brother
Cullen Row are also revealed to be from a broken family with a deceased mother named Miranda and a deadbeat father named Marcus who would later end up in jail.
With such humble beginnings, Row did not seem naturally inclined to be a hero. In fact, she made her first appearance stealing food from a Wayne
charity gala.
However, her life changed when she saved her brother Cullen from being
gay-bashed. After the bullies managed to butcher Cullen's hair with a pair of scissors and Harper used a taser on one of them, they were saved by Batman who defeated the bullies and frightened the remaining one off. Batman's intervention left a lasting impression on the young woman. In addition to shaving her own head in solidarity with her brother, Harper began trying to learn more about Batman to assist him in his fight against crime in Gotham. She even managed to discover the devices Batman uses to disable the city's
security cameras
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal ...
, and improved them with technology of her own design.
Her efforts only earned the Batman's ire; at one point he rewarded Harper's attempts at helping him by breaking her nose. The next day Harper visits Bruce Wayne at Wayne Tower and shows him plans that she thinks will help Batman. To her surprise, Bruce agrees. That night, Batman tracks Harper and apologizes to her. She tells him she may not know the details, but she knows he's going through a lot of pain (the death of
Damian Wayne
Damian Thomas Wayne is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. He was created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert. Damian Wayne is the biological son of Bruce Wayne/Batman. His mo ...
). She also reminds Batman what he means to the city with a touching and personal story. The issue concludes with Harper's message to Batman broadcast on Wayne Tower. It's one simple word taught to Harper by her mother before her death: "RESOLVE", which just so happens to begin with the letter "R".
Even saving Batman's life by pulling his unconscious body out of Gotham Bay and
restarting his heart using only jumper cables and a car battery failed to win him over.
In ''Batman Eternal'', Harper stows away on board
Tim Drake
Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in ''Batman'' #436 (August 19 ...
's plane and, over the course of the series, gains his trust. In issue #41, she suits up as Bluebird for the first time to rescue her brother Cullen; Red Robin and his allies
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. The character Bette Kane, Betty Kane was introduced into publica ...
and
Red Hood
Ra's al Ghul
Nyssa Raatko
Rag Doll
Rag Doll is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics. The first, Peter Merkel, is a villain of the Flash (Jay Garrick), original Flash, ...
are caught up in a trap, leaving it up to her. Despite setbacks in her relationship with Batman himself, a near-future flash forward shows that Row eventually manages to overcome Batman's reservations and joins him in fighting crime as Bluebird.
During ''Batman & Robin Eternal'', Harper's mother was murdered by
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain (also known as Cassandra Wayne and Cassandra Wu-San) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Kelley Puckett and Damion Scott, Cassandr ...
, who is eventually revealed to be acting as an agent of 'Mother', a villain who manipulates traumatised children on the grounds that she will make them stronger through trauma (although Cassandra had been sent to kill both of Harper's parents and only killed her mother before she found she could not do it). Mother had Harper's mother murdered as part of a plan to 'offer' Harper to Batman as the perfect Robin; Batman had made contact with her to try and expose her long-term agenda and believed that he was meant to kill the parents of the new Robin Mother had chosen for him, when actually he was just sent after two of Mother's other disciples as a test of his loyalty to her ideals while Harper's parents were attacked in Gotham. Despite recognising Harper's qualities would make her an ideal partner, at the time Batman simply forced her surviving father to take responsibility for his role as a parent as he did not want to benefit from Mother's plan, never revealing the truth even after Harper began working with him as Bluebird. Mother attempts to win Harper to her point of view by arguing that her own family fell apart so that she had to rise up on her own, offering to let Harper kill Cassandra Cain after revealing that Cassandra was the one who killed her mother, but Harper rejects that idea, proclaiming that she grew up because her mother supported and recognised her desire for a better life rather than trying to make Harper be what her mother believed would work. Following Mother's defeat, Harper assures the returned Batman that she understands his reasons for not telling her about his history with Mother and his indirect role in her mother's death, but recent events have prompted her to go to college to receive official qualifications for her electrician skills and explore a life outside of the vigilante role, although Batman assures her as she leaves that Bluebird will always be welcome in Gotham if she decides to suit up again.
In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "
DC Rebirth
DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 (2011–2016) initiative in May 2016 as its launching point ...
", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "
The New 52
The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero American comic books, comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint (comics), Flashpoint" Fictional crossover, cros ...
". Harper is a supporting character in James Tynion's run on ''Detective Comics'', where she works as a medical volunteer at
Leslie Thompkins
Leslie Maurin Thompkins (sometimes spelled Tompkins) is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as a supporting character in stories featuring Batman, of whom she is an ally. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil a ...
' clinic, and is a friend of Cain (Orphan) and Brown (Spoiler). She also accompanies Batwoman, Spoiler, Orphan and
Batwing to investigate the Victim Syndicate.
During the "Joker War" storyline, Harper takes on the mantle of Bluebird once again as
Joker's new sidekick Punchline's influence starts affecting Gotham's youngsters, including her brother Cullen.
Alternate versions
DC Bombshells
In an
alternate history
Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...
version of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Harper Row is a teenage auto mechanic who works at a garage with Kathy Duquesne and Nell Little. She is shown to be a massive fan of
Batwoman
Batwoman is a name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies of Batman similarly to Batgirl. The original version of the character, Kathy Kane (eventually given t ...
. During Batwoman's absence in Gotham, Harper along with Kathy and Nell form a team of Batgirls to protect the city. The Batgirls, joined by
Alysia Yeoh and
Bette Kane
Mary Elizabeth Kane, better known as Bette Kane, is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in the 1960s as "Betty Kane", the Batgirl#Betty/Bette Kane, Bat-Girl. Her name was later mo ...
get into the Pinkey Orphanage to save Harper's brother, Cullen, and the rest of the orphans, who have been used to work on robots for the devious plans of Headmistress Webb. They later welcome
Tim Drake
Timothy Jackson "Tim" Drake is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick, he first appeared in ''Batman'' #436 (August 19 ...
, Cullen Row and
Felicity Smoak
Felicity Smoak is a fictional character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. Her first appearance was in ''The Fury of Firestorm'' #23 (May 1984), created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Rafael Kayanan. She was originally the manager of ...
into the team, and create a Bat family.
In other media
Television
* Harper Row appears in ''
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen T ...
'', voiced by
Zehra Fazal. Introduced in the
third season, this version is a rebellious, teenage loner and classmate of
Halo
HALO, halo, halos or haloes may refer to:
Most common meanings
* Halo (optical phenomenon)
* Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head
* ''Halo'' (franchise), a sci-fi video game series (2001–2021)
Arts and en ...
and
Forager
A forager is a person who collects edible plants or fungi for consumption. Urban foragers may collect in city parks, private lands, and sidewalks. Urban foraging has gained in popularity in the 21st century, as people share their knowledge, exper ...
who regularly suffers abuse from her alcoholic father alongside her brother Cullen until
Miss Martian
Miss Martian (M'gann M'orzz; alias Megan Morse) is a superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. An extraterrestrial, she is a White Martian who usually appears in stories as a member of the Teen Titans. Created by write ...
eventually takes them to child protective services. As of the fourth season, the Rows were adopted by
Snapper and Bethany Carr. Harper and Halo later become a couple in the fourth season finale.
* Harper Row appears in ''
Gotham Knights'', portrayed by Fallon Smythe. This version is a friend of
Duela Dent
Duela Dent Napier Nigma is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She is a former member of the Suicide Squad, the Teen Titans and its counterpart, Titans East. Introduced under the alias of the Joker's Daughter, she has also used aliases: Ca ...
and ally of the titular group who is initially a rival of
Stephanie Brown before they later enter a romantic relationship.
Video games
* Harper Row / Bluebird was originally set to appear as a playable character in ''
Injustice 2
''Injustice 2'' is a 2017 fighting video game. It is the sequel to 2013's '' Injustice: Gods Among Us'' and the second installment in the ''Injustice'' series which is based on the DC Universe. It is developed by NetherRealm Studios and publish ...
'', but was cut for unknown reasons.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Row, Harper
Characters created by Greg Capullo
Comics characters introduced in 2011
DC Comics martial artists
Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities
DC Comics superheroes
Fictional hackers
Superhero detectives
DC Comics female superheroes
Fictional acrobats
Fictional electrical engineers
Fictional female engineers
Fictional marksmen and snipers
Fictional bisexual women
DC Comics LGBTQ superheroes
Vigilante characters in comics
DC Comics sidekicks