DC’s Meme-ified Writer ‘Feud’ Finally Peaks with the Introduction of “Gail the Slayer”

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Nightwing #110!The most hilarious feud in the DC Universe reaches its apex with the debut of an un-bear-able cameo. “Beast World” continues to change the Earth’s population into animal-human hybrids and as several heroes try to put an end to an illegal fighting ring, Nightwing’s writer continues his ‘war’ with a DC icon.

In Nightwing #110 by Tom Taylor and Sami Basri, Dick Grayson teams up with Superman Jon Kent to find Damian. They discover that Robin has been transformed into a cat hybrid and that he’s being forced to compete against other transformed people.

Robin’s match begins, but before he’s brought out, his competitor is introduced. A large bear nicknamed “Gail the Slayer” emerges from her pen. Not much is discussed about Gail’s past, other than she used to be a hairdresser. Gail and Robin fight a bit and while she initially has Robin on the ropes, Damian nearly kills her.

Gail Simone Becomes Gail the Slayer in Humorous Meme Reference

Fans are no doubt familiar with the long-running gag of famed comic book writer Gail Simone and her ursine double life. The joke started when Simone had a close encounter with a bear at her home while on a call. The story eventually involved into a routine about Simone actually being a bear in disguise. Tom Taylor has encouraged this joke and got a few playful digs in at Simone’s expense. He’s also referenced the internet meme several times in his works, such as having Superman saying Gail is a “fine name for a bear” in Superman: Son of Kal-El.

For anyone doubting Gail the Slayer was a reference to Gail Simone, the referee claims that Gail was once a hairdresser, which the real-life writer once was. Tom Taylor has been getting a lot of mileage out of his bear-ly disguised meme jokes in books like Nightwing. Just recently in Titans: Beast World, Taylor featured a scene in which Giganta, one of Simone’s favorite characters, turned into a bear after consuming a Garro spore. However, Gail the Slayer is his most direct and hilarious elevation of the meme, making one wonder if this is it for Taylor’s favorite gag.

Gail the Slayer: The End for Tom Taylor’s Favorite Meme?

Thankfully, Gail Simone has always been a good sport about being perceived as a bear and indulged in the ‘feud’ with Taylor. But one must ask, now that he’s succeeded in turning Simone into a bear in DC Comics canon, where does he go from here? The other jokes were little winks and nods at the meme, but with this latest stunt, Taylor might have nowhere else to go. Turning Gail Simon into a bear is funny, but it’s pretty much the natural conclusion to this DC Comics joke (unless Taylor has a few more grizzly jokes up his sleeve).

Nightwing #110 is available now from DC Comics.

Nightwing #110 (2024)
	Writer: Tom Taylor Artist: Sami Basri Colorist: Adriano Lucas Letterer: Wes Abbott Cover Artist: Bruno Redondo