Batgirl #1 Review

Batgirl #1 cover by Phil Noto

The moment many have been waiting for has arrived, the unveiling of the new Batgirl.  I won’t spoil it for anyone, but I will say it’s someone most regular comic book readers know and that she was handled well by Chuck Dixon.  I understand that many will go into this book hoping that their one, true Batgirl will have taken up her rightful place as star of the book, but I’m sorry to say that quite a few will be disappointed and some may even be irate.

I am the last person to say that anyone should check out a book despite the former cowl-bearer’s absence in the series.  I can’t read the new Question for that same reason, though I’ve heard great things.  I will say this book is done well though and readers past may be shorting themselves by not giving it a try.

Throughout this book Brian Q. Miller does a nice job  of showing Batgirl’s draw to her new life despite the risks she’s taking.  Subplots are built subtly without any jarring turns to take us out of the story, which is rather nice to see in a first issue, though I do have to say the passing of the costume seemed rather rushed and the explanation given rough. Also one other thing I should mention that annoyed me.  The main character’s been doing this for years now, it might be nice to see her not acting quite so incompetently in future issues if she is indeed meant to continue to hold the mantle after the initial three issues.

It was nice to see Lee Garbett and Trevor Scott’s work again after they left Outsiders and I have to say that their work’s gotten even better since that run.  The characters just seem better defined and the storytelling flows nicely from panel to panel.

Overall I give this an 8.5 out of 10.