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Reviews
Batgirl, Vol. 1: Batgirl of Burnside by Babs Tarr, Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, Irene Koh
mezzythedragon's review against another edition
4.0
Wasn't a big fan of the artwork, but I liked the story.
medusax0's review against another edition
3.0
I have been eagerly anticipating this release since the moment that DC announced that Batgirl was going to be rebooted. So definitely a huge thanks to the publisher for giving me this in exchange for an honest review!
I love that DC is looking to go in a lighter more fun direction for some of their stories, I’m excited for this new direction especially after reading Grayson which was an absolute hit in my eyes. In Grayson Tim Seely was able to combine a much lighter and fun storyline while still staying true to Dick’s character while also making it entertaining and interesting. I expect the same thing for all of DC’s reboots that are going in this direction, it’s what I expected from Batgirl. With Batgirl I got the light and fun side but in every other aspect it fell a bit flat for me.
It’s not as impressive as it should’ve been and this title should’ve been pretty freaking impressive. On one hand I’m satisfied and on the other I’m disappointed. I’m somewhat satisfied because this trade did exactly what DC said it would, was it a much lighter storyline? Yep. Was it fun? Yeah. Was it a completely different side of Barbara that we’ve never seen before who also had a new hipster suit? Oh yes, very much so. You see? Everything DC said it would be!
it was a lighter more fun side of Batgirl that we’ve never seen before and it was so interesting to watch
Barbara as she navigated through college, dating, partying, and friendships all while being the friendly neighborhood vigilante. This is what we were told we were going to see so with that being said, I’m satisfied it’s what I wanted to see and what I freaking got!
But… I’m still disappointed.
Babs has always been my favorite, I mean what’s not to love? I mean she’s strong, feisty, sassy, smart as hell, and she never stopped fighting for justice even when she was confined to a wheelchair, she’s freaking awesome! But the Batgirl I saw in this trade… she wasn’t horrible but she was definitely very different from the Batgirl I’ve come to love.
I mean I’m no fool, I knew going into this trade that this Batgirl would be different, obviously but Babs in this was utterly disappointing. She instead of being the vigilante that continued to fight for justice became obsessed with the fame that comes with it. She got sloppy, she pushes people away, and became freaking annoying and such a pain to deal with. She wasn’t sassy or confident, she became quite demanding which made me want to punch her.
The overall storyline and writing was pretty good but it left so much to be desired. I definitely wasn’t expecting that twist at the end so that was pretty great. I liked that we got really up close and personal with the way that Barbara’s mind works, the moments when got inside her mind were definitely some of my favorite moments. I actually really enjoyed the side characters in this book. Frankie was so adorable and smart, I want her to be friend. Dinah Lance, oh how I love thee! She was great in this, she was definitely a needed asset to the storyline and I’m super freaking excited that she got her own title because this!
Even though I was let down a bit I can ultimately overlook all of Babs’ annoying character flaws in this trade and definitely say that I will be continuing on with this run. I’m looking at the bigger picture and I’m excited to see where this story goes, especially considering all the new interesting developments in Gotham. This trade had its stumbles and downfalls but it’s only the first five issues and I have faith that this series will get better.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publishers for giving me a digital copy to review.
I love that DC is looking to go in a lighter more fun direction for some of their stories, I’m excited for this new direction especially after reading Grayson which was an absolute hit in my eyes. In Grayson Tim Seely was able to combine a much lighter and fun storyline while still staying true to Dick’s character while also making it entertaining and interesting. I expect the same thing for all of DC’s reboots that are going in this direction, it’s what I expected from Batgirl. With Batgirl I got the light and fun side but in every other aspect it fell a bit flat for me.
It’s not as impressive as it should’ve been and this title should’ve been pretty freaking impressive. On one hand I’m satisfied and on the other I’m disappointed. I’m somewhat satisfied because this trade did exactly what DC said it would, was it a much lighter storyline? Yep. Was it fun? Yeah. Was it a completely different side of Barbara that we’ve never seen before who also had a new hipster suit? Oh yes, very much so. You see? Everything DC said it would be!
it was a lighter more fun side of Batgirl that we’ve never seen before and it was so interesting to watch
Barbara as she navigated through college, dating, partying, and friendships all while being the friendly neighborhood vigilante. This is what we were told we were going to see so with that being said, I’m satisfied it’s what I wanted to see and what I freaking got!
But… I’m still disappointed.
Babs has always been my favorite, I mean what’s not to love? I mean she’s strong, feisty, sassy, smart as hell, and she never stopped fighting for justice even when she was confined to a wheelchair, she’s freaking awesome! But the Batgirl I saw in this trade… she wasn’t horrible but she was definitely very different from the Batgirl I’ve come to love.
I mean I’m no fool, I knew going into this trade that this Batgirl would be different, obviously but Babs in this was utterly disappointing. She instead of being the vigilante that continued to fight for justice became obsessed with the fame that comes with it. She got sloppy, she pushes people away, and became freaking annoying and such a pain to deal with. She wasn’t sassy or confident, she became quite demanding which made me want to punch her.
The overall storyline and writing was pretty good but it left so much to be desired. I definitely wasn’t expecting that twist at the end so that was pretty great. I liked that we got really up close and personal with the way that Barbara’s mind works, the moments when got inside her mind were definitely some of my favorite moments. I actually really enjoyed the side characters in this book. Frankie was so adorable and smart, I want her to be friend. Dinah Lance, oh how I love thee! She was great in this, she was definitely a needed asset to the storyline and I’m super freaking excited that she got her own title because this!
Even though I was let down a bit I can ultimately overlook all of Babs’ annoying character flaws in this trade and definitely say that I will be continuing on with this run. I’m looking at the bigger picture and I’m excited to see where this story goes, especially considering all the new interesting developments in Gotham. This trade had its stumbles and downfalls but it’s only the first five issues and I have faith that this series will get better.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publishers for giving me a digital copy to review.
isapropanol's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
If you love slow-paced stories filled with characters that you end up wanting to strangle with a piece of dental floss, then this is definitely the book for you :)
sm_almon's review against another edition
4.0
Very good - but still liked the new Ms. Marvel better!
rouver's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a little confusing. It *seems* like it's geared toward kids with the amount of gritty violence (none) and the level of gut-wrenching twists in the storyline (none), yet Barbara gets so hammered she can't remember making out with a guy all night. What I DID like was the fact that they didn't put her in an outfit that showcased giant boobsacks.
We got this (hooray!!):
Instead of this (helllooo Escher Batgirl!):
I'd love to see more of this version of Batgirl, and while I like that these are more lighthearted, I think they could turn the dial up a *little* on the villains.
We got this (hooray!!):
Instead of this (helllooo Escher Batgirl!):
I'd love to see more of this version of Batgirl, and while I like that these are more lighthearted, I think they could turn the dial up a *little* on the villains.
vernip's review against another edition
4.0
By all accounts, Barbara Gordon moving and patrolling the hipster side of Gotham should make me feel cringed beyond belief.
But it doesn't, and I figure this kinda crime-fighting is more her speed as opposed to the dirty streets her boss takes care of.
But it doesn't, and I figure this kinda crime-fighting is more her speed as opposed to the dirty streets her boss takes care of.
coffeecass's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
One of my favourite comics to date
eddieboy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
justabookholic's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
An underwhelming read that killed time for me. I found the art to be great, although I did have mixed feelings for the rebooted Batgirl costume. Overall, the art was what saved the book and made me continue the series. Full disclosure: I am not biggest Barbara Gordon fan, I find her to be overly naive and entitled – which was epitomized in this rendition. She was entitled, dysfunctional and arguably incompetent whilst being selfish and honestly a bad friend to those closest to her. But perhaps her "pluck" and can('nt) do attitude is simply not for me. I do adore Babs Tarr's art and I admire the artistic direction of the volume.
An underwhelming read that killed time for me. I found the art to be great, although I did have mixed feelings for the rebooted Batgirl costume. Overall, the art was what saved the book and made me continue the series. Full disclosure: I am not biggest Barbara Gordon fan, I find her to be overly naive and entitled – which was epitomized in this rendition. She was entitled, dysfunctional and arguably incompetent whilst being selfish and honestly a bad friend to those closest to her. But perhaps her "pluck" and can('nt) do attitude is simply not for me. I do adore Babs Tarr's art and I admire the artistic direction of the volume.
carroq's review against another edition
5.0
This is another fantastic take on Batgirl. It is much different from the previous series led by Gail Simone. The creators use the same background material, but do not rely on it quite as heavily.
To start, Barbara Gordon moves to Gotham's hipster neighborhood, Burnside. This gives the creators an opportunity to change the supporting characters, the locations, and Batgirl herself. I thought this was a great way to modernize the series in some ways. There is a lot more use of real world tech and Barbara is presented more as a young woman than a female version of Batman. Plus, she recreates her costume into something more fitting to the setting.
Batgirl's maturity level might be lower than previously shown. It works well within the story the creators built though. She becomes a celebrity in Burnside and relishes it. That theme of whether she should be in the spotlight and how it affects her performance is carried throughout the book. It even ties into interactions that she has with her friends. The villains are pretty low key, which is fine for the overall plot. They are appropriate based on the big reveal at the end of the arc. I wasn't sure what to think of Hooq, an online dating site that pervades the area, but it actually helps move things along.
Previous comics set in Gotham are much darker in tone and coloring than this one. I thought the shift to something lighter was great. It allowed the creators to go in different directions than other DC stories have done. And it feels like they had a lot of fun creating this book. The absence of a big named villain doesn't lessen the book in any way.
To start, Barbara Gordon moves to Gotham's hipster neighborhood, Burnside. This gives the creators an opportunity to change the supporting characters, the locations, and Batgirl herself. I thought this was a great way to modernize the series in some ways. There is a lot more use of real world tech and Barbara is presented more as a young woman than a female version of Batman. Plus, she recreates her costume into something more fitting to the setting.
Batgirl's maturity level might be lower than previously shown. It works well within the story the creators built though. She becomes a celebrity in Burnside and relishes it. That theme of whether she should be in the spotlight and how it affects her performance is carried throughout the book. It even ties into interactions that she has with her friends. The villains are pretty low key, which is fine for the overall plot. They are appropriate based on the big reveal at the end of the arc. I wasn't sure what to think of Hooq, an online dating site that pervades the area, but it actually helps move things along.
Previous comics set in Gotham are much darker in tone and coloring than this one. I thought the shift to something lighter was great. It allowed the creators to go in different directions than other DC stories have done. And it feels like they had a lot of fun creating this book. The absence of a big named villain doesn't lessen the book in any way.