Early Reader Review: Batgirl of Burnside Volume 1 by Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher

Batgirl of Burnside
Series: Batgirl Volume 1
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date:  June 16, 2015

 

Format: ebook
Source:Netgalley and DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this book in no way altered my opinion or review.


Rating:


 


 

Synopsis: 

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.

 Review: 
I love me some Batman and the whole Gotham universe --- but I have never read any of the Batgirl comics. I saw this graphic novel on Netgalley and was happy to receive a copy to review. This collection includes issues #35-40 and just kind of picks up, although if you have not read the previous issues you should still be ok - although a few points might be confusing.

Batgirl or Barbara Gordon is trying to finish her graduate thesis and be the caped crusader of Burnside and it is not going well. Her thesis work disappears from her computer and her image as Batgirl is in shambles in this collection as she tries to pull her life back together as best she can. 

I really enjoyed this book, this re-imagined Batgirl juggling her like makes her seem more normal than super-hero-y and I like that in a comic. I also enjoyed the links back to the Arrow series and Batman and Babs' little quips about Mr. Wayne. It was funny and interesting and a little over the top but it all came together so well in issue 40 that all the crazy was justified. I really enjoyed this and hope to continue the series in the future.