Release Date: June 16th, 2015
Type: Graphic Novel, Comics, Comic Books, Superheroes, Girl Power, Motorcycle Assassins?
About the Book: It’s a reinvention of Batgirl from the boots up, focusing on Barbara Gordon’s amazing eidetic memory and how she balances her dual lives—one as a masked hero and the other as a grad student.
The new creative team of Cameron Stewart (BATMAN AND ROBIN, SEAGUY, SEVEN SOLDIERS), Brenden Fletcher and Babs Tarr set Barbara Gordon off in a brand-new direction in BATGIRL VOL. 1! Collects BATGIRL #35-40 and a story from SECRET ORIGINS #10.
Batgirl Vol. 1: The Batgirl of Burnside will also be available in a $24.99 hardcover volume. [Information from Netgalley.com]
My Review: This is one of those volumes that I put down after two issues, and it took me a few days to pick it back up. But I'm glad I did, and not just because I promised a review. While this is a volume one, it is also a continuation of Batgirl's story from previous story arcs, so it shouldn't have felt like it was on unsteady legs, but it did. The very beginning of this volume felt juvenile. I like Batman and all this former sidekicks because the story lines are usually dark and gritty, but Batgirl didn't have that going for it. It wasn't until the latter half of this book that I finally got into it.
The villains of each issue felt like the whole thing was some sort of joke. And when the final review came about, the mastermind behind all the recent crimes, I almost laughed out loud. I won't spoil it for you, but.. Really? That's what they came up with? Like out of some super cheesy straight-to-DVD science fiction movie. And sure, not all of Batman's villains are A-listers, but at least they can feel scary during the action. Not here.
So you may be wondering why I was enjoying this by the end. And for me, what saved this graphic novel, enough for me to give it a three star rating, was the secondary characters and relationships within the novel. Babs/Batgirl's friendships were compelling. And there was multiple examples of diversity throughout the graphic novel, including quite a few kick-butt chicks - something much needed in the comic book world.
Cover Lovin': This is a cute cover, for sure. And it goes along with one of the later story lines in the book.
Recommendation: For fans of the Batlings, or Batgirl specifically. Or Superhero junkies.
Final Rating: THREE out of FIVE (3/5). An interesting start to Batgirl's move to Burnside.
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
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