Batgirl #1 Review: Barbara kicks off a whole new begining
When DC first announced its New 52, many people weren’t sure what to expect. Then came the day when the Bat-family books were announced, including a new Batgirl starring the original, Barbara Gordon.It makes sense that DC would want Barbara under the cowl again, from a marketing standpoint she is the most well known Batgirl, the only one featured in any movies or television programs, but there was also a controversial side to this story.
Since Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke in 1988 Barbara has been paralyzed and operating as the wheelchair bound information broker Oracle.
How does writer Gail Simone plan to reintroduce Barbara as young and able crime fighter while still respecting her nearly 25 year legacy as Oracle?
Indirectly at first.
Simone must know that she’s dealing with some very serious subject matter, and we don’t see much of Barbara recovering, just her out and about. There are plenty of nods to The Killing Joke and the events that led to Gordon’s career as Oracle are intact continuity wise, except after that it gets a little hazy.
The facts are few at the moment: We know Barbara was shot, paralyzed and worked as Oracle for 3 years. Now she is up and walking again and starting her Batgirl patrols again as well as moving into a new apartment.
Just as interesting is new antagonist Mirror, who apparently after watching a marathon of I shouldn’t be alive, decided to go out and reenact the deadly encounters near survivors only just missed. For example, he finds a man who nearly drowned and plugs his face with a garden hose. Mirror is on a mission of sorts, and on his unlikely survivors list is one Barbara Gordon.
Batgirl #1 is a strong issue with great dialogue and character designs. Reconsiling Barbara’s two super identities is going to be a major step in making this series work and Simone seems to be off to a good start in creating acceptable circumstances for Batgirl to stand up for herself once again. I can’t say that I’ve been very interested in any previous Batgirl series but this one has caught my interest and it just might grab yours.