The New 52 was the event that got me back into comic books. It was nice being able to jump into these classic characters without having to have invested years and years on all these famous books. Now that that world seems to be ending with Convergence, it’s yet to be seen if these more classic worlds can keep my attention. What’s good is that most of the very talented DC writers that I’ve come to love are transitioning to new projects. Batgirl #1 is an interesting project for a number of reasons and it tries to grab both sets of fans, but comes off with mixed results.
STARRING HEROES FROM THE PRE-FLASHPOINT DCU! After a year living under the confinement of the dome, Stephanie Brown isnt sure she wants to be Batgirl again. But when shes attacked by Catman and Gorilla Grodd from the world of Flashpoint, shes forced to put on the cape and cowl to fight alongside Red Robin and Cassandra Cain!
Stephanie Brown is one of the heroes from the pre New 52 that I connected with, even going so far to having several framed books from her time under the cowl hanging on my wall. The problem is that that love that I, and many others, have may have grown into a strange and status. What I mean is that no matter how they bring her back, it will always fail to capture that original magic that she had in another world and timeline. Batgirl #1 tries to be the best of both worlds, and while I love the effort, it comes off as a mixed bag.
The book begins with this version of Gotham City under a dome that has encapsulated the city for over a year, locking it away from the rest of the world(s). We see that Stephanie Brown is alive and well, but no longer wearing the cowl, giving it up to follow another path. While we still see the hero inside her, the crime and fighting is being done by Red Robin and the Black Bat now. This is a very different Stephanie Brown, she is out of practice, out of the game, and long since moved on from the cowl, yet the fate of her Gotham City falls on her shoulders.
There are better choices for the creators of this battle to choose from, but Stephanie Brown earns that right for reasons that are beyond us at the moment (fan service I would assume). Red Robin and Black Bat manage to get transported away with her and the book sets up a sort of Battle World situation that actually reminds me a great deal of the Marvel vs DC crossover event from back when both companies were struggling. One stand out moment that I have to mention is that this is the first book that I have read that addresses how a person inside an outfit deals with going to the bathroom. It’s more than just a little nod to it and goes into how tricky it really is.
It’s also great seeing Catman being thrown into the mix and an ultimate confrontation against Gorilla Grodd being set up. The problem is that most of these characters will be unknown to those people invested only in the New 52. I’m pretty good with my history, but Red Robin will be lost on many and I feel that Catman will go over most kids heads. Heck, I really only know Catman from a few silly comics from the early Batman days and more from the Batman The Brave and the Bold cartoon show.
The story flows at a really nice pace and the art is solid, but the book just feels a little all over the place. It’s a fun read for sure, but it fails to make fans of Stephanie Brown happy and will leave new readers of the New 52 era lost beyond belief. Still, this isn’t a bad book, especially if you are a fan of some Stephanie Brown action. Let’s hope part two ramps up the action now that the needed, but flimsy, backstory is out of the way. It’s not perfect, but Batgirl #1 still gets my recommendation.
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