why didn't the editor want Babs to have costumed friends? trying to isolate the Bat-family from the rest of the DC Universe?

It was just the philosophy of the early New 52 books, they wanted everyone to struggle all the time and they felt, I think, that the support systems were too connected and too massive. It made it so heroes never faced anything alone, I gather.

I don’t really disagree with the idea of it, but I felt that if we were at Year One, that meant we could BUILD friendships and relationships. People LOVED having Barbara and Dinah be friends, it was very meaningful to a lot of people, I just felt it was short-sighted.

I feel like talking about this is ancient history, I think they are correcting some of this. But it was a frustration for sure. I didn’t mind Batgirl being dark, I just wanted it to have lighter moments, more of a balance.