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348 reviews for:
Batgirl, Volume 1: Batgirl of Burnside
Brenden Fletcher, Irene Koh, Babs Tarr, Cameron Stewart
3.72 AVERAGE
348 reviews for:
Batgirl, Volume 1: Batgirl of Burnside
Brenden Fletcher, Irene Koh, Babs Tarr, Cameron Stewart
3.72 AVERAGE
My first foray into contemporary comic books. A little aggressively current (i.e. everyone is on their phones and writing codes and it is a little like Girls meets Batman), but enjoyable.
Completely erased all of the hardwork DC put into Barbara Gordon to make her a realistic and fully-fleshed character. The Killing Joke (and all of its sexual assault and paralysis contents) are constantly referenced throughout the entire volume- without any form of respect to the fact tht Barbara was assaulted. She very briefly ends up in a wheelchair but is, by some miracle, able to walk again because of an experimental surgery. Ableism is abound, despite the fact that they have a black disabled character (who seems to only exist to be a springboard for Barbara's ideas and act as the computer-oriented character). Barbara seems to have forgotten all of her computer smarts and is diluted into an offensive millennial stereotype- . Qadir and Nadimah, who were both thrown in there for Muslim and Arab representation, are hollow characters that only exist for the purpose of boosting Barbara (almost offensively, Qadir exists solely to provide tech support). Barbara and Dinah's relationship was so toxic that it's a wonder how they were ever friends.
Two stars for art and the fact that Barbara's Batgirl suit was appropriate.
Spoiler
that she becomes 'obsessed with fame' and hooks up with every guy she comes in contact with are only two examplesTwo stars for art and the fact that Barbara's Batgirl suit was appropriate.
Batgirl's treatment in Killing Joke got you down? This is the book for you. Aside from a slight retcon into that dark chapter, this book is breezy and fun.
Enjoyable but was a little confused, I want to get more into Batgirl.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The fashion and aesthetic of this comic is very wonderful, but there are two major faults with this book:
1. The portrayal of the bisexual character as promiscuous(by mentioning she hooked up with the guy Babs liked) was really upsetting and felt very antithetical to the idea of reimagining Batgirl.
2. I’m very ambivalent about the final villain.Reading this book in 2023 with the AI boom is very strange. This book is weirdly prescient, and I’m not sure how I feel about the portrayal of AI in this book as anthropomorphic and part of Batgirl’s brain uploaded into a program. The fact that AI is used as a good, helpful partner in the end concerns me somewhat about what the book is trying to force or insinuate. It felt similar to the movie, Heart of Stone, that came out on Netflix that felt so deeply, pro-AI, that it misdirected the true dangers (misinformation, polarized, individual silos of news and media, devaluing of creative labor and copying it without pay…). Aren’t marvel comics always political though? I forget this. Perhaps I should have known better. I also don’t quite understand how Babs stopped being disabled? Or perhaps she just needed a longer recovery?
Oh - and forgot. I hated the Copaganda.
1. The portrayal of the bisexual character as promiscuous
2. I’m very ambivalent about the final villain.
Oh - and forgot. I hated the Copaganda.
very hipster and cool! Relatable to today's teen girl
I'm really digging the current lady-centered comics in DC and Marvel so I was pumped to pick this up. I thought that this was a really fun way to present Batgirl- living in the hip part of Gotham with friends, working on her thesis, dating. The average 20-something life. So I liked how relatable the story was (aside from the whole crime-fighting Batgirl stuff) and I really liked the characters in this. This is more of a fun take on superheroes so if someone is looking for a traditional story, probably won't enjoy this one. I like my comics to be more fun than anything else so this was perfect for me.
adventurous
inspiring
Good art. It was volume one, but it was not the start of the story - wish that was clearer, through the volume number or through an editorial note. Still alright to get into though.