A review by nathanaeljs
Batgirl, Volume 1: Batgirl of Burnside by Cameron Stewart

3.0

I've been following the New 52 Batgirl series off and on for awhile now. Barbara isn't my Batgirl (Steph all the way), but I've mostly enjoyed Gail Simone's work on the series. So I was a bit leery about this new take, despite really loving the new uniform (really, really love it). While it's only a soft reboot, it most definitely is a reboot. The tone, setting, and even the characterization is different. This is a more youthful, less angsty take on Barbara and the problems and villains she faces in this volume reflects that. Ultimately, I likeddd it, but the characterization changes were a bit uncomfortable and it's mainly for that reason (as well as some minor quibbles about the plot) that I gave it three stars. Writing aside, the art is really fantastic. It's a bit on the cute side, but it suited the tone of the book and I liked that each character felt like a distinct individual. Comic book art can have a tendency to make characters look same-y (especially the women), so I enjoyed this.

On a side-note, I appreciated the effort to diversify Barbara's supporting cast without turning the story into some sort of Very Special Episode or making the characters feel like checkmarks on the diversity token list.