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Batgirl (2011)
Batgirl, Volume 5: Deadline
Superstar writer Gail Simone continues the New York Times bestselling Batgirl series!
It's a hazardous reunion between Batgirl and the former Court of Owls assassin Strix as they face off against the lethal new threat known as Silver—the man who knows the secret of Gotham City's conspiracy of bats!
Collects: Batgirl #27-34, Annual #2 and Futures End #1.
It's a hazardous reunion between Batgirl and the former Court of Owls assassin Strix as they face off against the lethal new threat known as Silver—the man who knows the secret of Gotham City's conspiracy of bats!
Collects: Batgirl #27-34, Annual #2 and Futures End #1.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 23, 2014
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About the author
Gail Simone
1,095 books1,241 followersGail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
August 20, 2022
(B) 73% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Intertextuality gone mad: it’s a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up book, bereft of context and cheap with insouciance.
Notes: Intertextuality gone mad: it’s a mixed-up, muddled-up, shook-up book, bereft of context and cheap with insouciance.
June 9, 2015
Shallow Comics Sidekick Buddy Read!
Yeah, yeah. Batgirl is nobody's sidekick. But at some point, Batman helped her out with some skillz, right?
So.
SheCountsAsASidekickIfISaySheCountsAsASidekick!
While this is a solid addition to Batgirl, it wasn't my favorite. I hate to say it, but there's a bit of WhatTheFuckery going on in this volume.
Mainly, in the first and last issue.
Warning: Spoiler Alert!
The first issue is some sort of a (maybe?) dream sequence, that has Barbara, a random woman, and (perhaps?) all of Gotham trapped in a hallucination telling them that their lives are perfect. Gotham has no crime, life is wonderful, Batgirl has a white costume, etc..
The random lady seems to figure it out...and starts killing folks with poisoned ice cream. From the Joker Ice Cream factory, no less.
But. There's not a clear-cut ending for this, since it didn't seem like Barbara woke up. I mean, I was fully expecting the next issue to continue the story, but it just cruises on ahead with a story about Silver and some vampires.
This issue actually had a bad-ass ending, in my humble opinion. It also has a cameo from the main dude in I, Vampire, Vol. 1: Tainted Love. Even though I'm not a big fan of the paranormal stuff mixing with the superhero stuff, this one turned out to be one of my favorites.
And speaking of paranormal, the next issue was about some sort of bogey monster, The Midnight Man, that a group of high school kids manage to summon (ala Bloody Mary).
It wasn't a bad story, but I'm not sure what the point of it was.
The next story deals with Poison Ivy's seasonal allergies.
Or, more accurately, seasonal mood swings. This one spans from the time she spent with the Birds of Prey to present day. It raises as many questions as answers about Pamela's true nature.
Which isn't necessarily a bad thing...
Ok, now I know you've all been looking forward to Ragdoll being featured as one of Bab's villains, right?
Who?
You know...Ragdoll!
*crickets chirping*
The Raggedy Anne looking assassin? Rag...oh, never mind.
Surprisingly, this did not suck as badly as you would think. There was a pretty freaky moment when Barbara's roommate (and her eco-terrorist friends) are hiding in a room, and this Ragdoll characters scuttles out from under the bed like some sort of nightmare.
*shudder*
I'm not even kidding, I peed myself a little. Not too shabby.
Up next, Knightfall.
And she's got a plan to take out every criminal in Gotham!
Ok, seriously, Babs...why are you two even fighting? If it was me, I'd conveniently take a vacation while she 'cleanses the city'.
*sigh*
Fine. Go. Save all the criminals...
With the help of Black Canary and Huntress!
That's right! Batman's daughter (on Earth 2) makes an appearance in Gotham to help take down Barbara's biggest enemy. Whoo-hoo!
Psst...but first they've gotta fight.
The whole Knightfall storyline has been building throughout not only this volume, but this entire run of Batgirl. So the ending feels like everything is sort of coming full circle for Ms. Gordon.
In fact, there's even some Oracle skills that come into play that I was desperately hoping for since I read the first volume, Darkest Reflection.
Last issue?
It's some weird nod to whatever this Future's End storyline is about.
I disliked it on many levels, not the least of which is that I don't like these time jumps. I'm assuming that none of this will ever come to pass, but I'm still not a fan.
Then again, maybe I just don't understand what is happening, so I'm not going to bitch too much. It all might make sense once I get a chance to read more of the Future's End stuff.
All in all, this was pretty good. Not the best, but still good.
Yeah, yeah. Batgirl is nobody's sidekick. But at some point, Batman helped her out with some skillz, right?
So.
SheCountsAsASidekickIfISaySheCountsAsASidekick!
While this is a solid addition to Batgirl, it wasn't my favorite. I hate to say it, but there's a bit of WhatTheFuckery going on in this volume.
Mainly, in the first and last issue.
Warning: Spoiler Alert!
The first issue is some sort of a (maybe?) dream sequence, that has Barbara, a random woman, and (perhaps?) all of Gotham trapped in a hallucination telling them that their lives are perfect. Gotham has no crime, life is wonderful, Batgirl has a white costume, etc..
The random lady seems to figure it out...and starts killing folks with poisoned ice cream. From the Joker Ice Cream factory, no less.
But. There's not a clear-cut ending for this, since it didn't seem like Barbara woke up. I mean, I was fully expecting the next issue to continue the story, but it just cruises on ahead with a story about Silver and some vampires.
This issue actually had a bad-ass ending, in my humble opinion. It also has a cameo from the main dude in I, Vampire, Vol. 1: Tainted Love. Even though I'm not a big fan of the paranormal stuff mixing with the superhero stuff, this one turned out to be one of my favorites.
And speaking of paranormal, the next issue was about some sort of bogey monster, The Midnight Man, that a group of high school kids manage to summon (ala Bloody Mary).
It wasn't a bad story, but I'm not sure what the point of it was.
The next story deals with Poison Ivy's seasonal allergies.
Or, more accurately, seasonal mood swings. This one spans from the time she spent with the Birds of Prey to present day. It raises as many questions as answers about Pamela's true nature.
Which isn't necessarily a bad thing...
Ok, now I know you've all been looking forward to Ragdoll being featured as one of Bab's villains, right?
Who?
You know...Ragdoll!
*crickets chirping*
The Raggedy Anne looking assassin? Rag...oh, never mind.
Surprisingly, this did not suck as badly as you would think. There was a pretty freaky moment when Barbara's roommate (and her eco-terrorist friends) are hiding in a room, and this Ragdoll characters scuttles out from under the bed like some sort of nightmare.
*shudder*
I'm not even kidding, I peed myself a little. Not too shabby.
Up next, Knightfall.
And she's got a plan to take out every criminal in Gotham!
Ok, seriously, Babs...why are you two even fighting? If it was me, I'd conveniently take a vacation while she 'cleanses the city'.
*sigh*
Fine. Go. Save all the criminals...
With the help of Black Canary and Huntress!
That's right! Batman's daughter (on Earth 2) makes an appearance in Gotham to help take down Barbara's biggest enemy. Whoo-hoo!
Psst...but first they've gotta fight.
The whole Knightfall storyline has been building throughout not only this volume, but this entire run of Batgirl. So the ending feels like everything is sort of coming full circle for Ms. Gordon.
In fact, there's even some Oracle skills that come into play that I was desperately hoping for since I read the first volume, Darkest Reflection.
Last issue?
It's some weird nod to whatever this Future's End storyline is about.
I disliked it on many levels, not the least of which is that I don't like these time jumps. I'm assuming that none of this will ever come to pass, but I'm still not a fan.
Then again, maybe I just don't understand what is happening, so I'm not going to bitch too much. It all might make sense once I get a chance to read more of the Future's End stuff.
All in all, this was pretty good. Not the best, but still good.
August 17, 2016
Bullet Review:
After a brilliant run, where each volume was as solid, as good, as cohesive as the last or better, we end Gail Simone's fantastic stint on this messy turd.
More Full Review:
The volume starts out with the hella weird issue Gothtopia, wherein Gotham is now a brilliant city of light (?), Joker runs an ice cream factory (?) and a now-white uniformed Batgirl's biggest problem is helping little old ladies across the street. That issue pretty much sets the stage for the rest of the uneven, incoherent mess of a volume. Sure, there are good bits that hearken back to earlier volumes, such as Silver the Vampire Hunter, a fight with Ragdoll and then Knightfall's, well, fall, but they are just fragments of the dust of diamonds in a pile of steaming WTF?
Interspersed between the good stories are one where Batgirl fights a Boogeyman - only he just slips back into the shadows, never to be seen again, with no connection before or after. Or the Poison Ivy story, which switches artists mid-issue and seemed pretentious and bloated. Or the final issue where Batgirl's husband is killed on their wedding day - so naturally, Barbara has to go all Bruce Wayne/Batman and "dive into the darkness" to defeat evil. Or even the Knightfall story where Huntress, whom neither Black Canary or Batgirl know, but they just shrug and accept her help. Because...reasons.
I hate being so harsh because Gail Simone really is one of my favorite comic writers, but this was just a horrible way for her to say goodbye to her time as Batgirl. It was uneven, from writing to art (not a fan of most of the artists they got to work on this - I seem to recall earlier volumes had a much stronger, cleaner style) to pacing. The only good thing is to see the numerous female characters - including the fantastic, complex trans-woman, Alysia - throughout the comic.
Massive disappointment.
After a brilliant run, where each volume was as solid, as good, as cohesive as the last or better, we end Gail Simone's fantastic stint on this messy turd.
More Full Review:
The volume starts out with the hella weird issue Gothtopia, wherein Gotham is now a brilliant city of light (?), Joker runs an ice cream factory (?) and a now-white uniformed Batgirl's biggest problem is helping little old ladies across the street. That issue pretty much sets the stage for the rest of the uneven, incoherent mess of a volume. Sure, there are good bits that hearken back to earlier volumes, such as Silver the Vampire Hunter, a fight with Ragdoll and then Knightfall's, well, fall, but they are just fragments of the dust of diamonds in a pile of steaming WTF?
Interspersed between the good stories are one where Batgirl fights a Boogeyman - only he just slips back into the shadows, never to be seen again, with no connection before or after. Or the Poison Ivy story, which switches artists mid-issue and seemed pretentious and bloated. Or the final issue where Batgirl's husband is killed on their wedding day - so naturally, Barbara has to go all Bruce Wayne/Batman and "dive into the darkness" to defeat evil. Or even the Knightfall story where Huntress, whom neither Black Canary or Batgirl know, but they just shrug and accept her help. Because...reasons.
I hate being so harsh because Gail Simone really is one of my favorite comic writers, but this was just a horrible way for her to say goodbye to her time as Batgirl. It was uneven, from writing to art (not a fan of most of the artists they got to work on this - I seem to recall earlier volumes had a much stronger, cleaner style) to pacing. The only good thing is to see the numerous female characters - including the fantastic, complex trans-woman, Alysia - throughout the comic.
Massive disappointment.
August 10, 2022
This volume is pretty schizophrenic in its storytelling. The first half is a bunch of one-off stories that don't work well together at all, mainly because they lack context. They touch on what's going on in other books without any kind of reference to the other books. Like the first issue is a Gothtopia tie-in, but unless you are also reading Detective Comics you have no idea what's going on. The 2 part story with the guy who thinks everyone in the Batfamily are vampires is interesting. The series does get back on track when Ragdoll from Simone's Secret Six guest-stars. He is awesome. Then Knightfall's big plan to kill all the criminals in Cherry Hill is revealed and Batgirl gets Black Canary and the Huntress to help her. Yes, the Birds of Prey are back. It's a great ending to Simone's run. Unfortunately, there's still that Future's End thing at the back and it is pure garbage with Barbara becoming a female Bane in a future that DC promised would happen and then never did.
July 1, 2017
I really like Batgirl. She's my second favorite from the Bat Fam (after Batman, of course.) Some things from this volume were not so great though. In the end Knightfall is felled by a ... photo of her family? That whole part of the story was super rushed.
I'm still trying to figure out where Huntress came from and how Batgirl managed to get all of the heroes (and some villains) to come out of the woodwork for her. I love Huntress but her appearance is super weird. "Oh hey, I was in the neighborhood and I've been eavesdropping ... how can I help?" And then Batgirl beats the shit out of her because she's PMSing or something. Another weird appearance was the White Rabbit. She's a villain! Starfire, Raven, and Zatanna also help out (among many other characters I didn't even recognize) and it's all just so random.
So, I'm sort of sad that this is Gail Simone's last entry in this series, but I'm super curious about the next story arc. Hopefully it's less messy and more coherent.
I'm still trying to figure out where Huntress came from and how Batgirl managed to get all of the heroes (and some villains) to come out of the woodwork for her. I love Huntress but her appearance is super weird. "Oh hey, I was in the neighborhood and I've been eavesdropping ... how can I help?" And then Batgirl beats the shit out of her because she's PMSing or something. Another weird appearance was the White Rabbit. She's a villain! Starfire, Raven, and Zatanna also help out (among many other characters I didn't even recognize) and it's all just so random.
So, I'm sort of sad that this is Gail Simone's last entry in this series, but I'm super curious about the next story arc. Hopefully it's less messy and more coherent.
March 25, 2015
I should probably dock a few more points for the Gothtopia story, which doesn't really make sense out of context. DC, this would have been a great time for a few paragraphs to summarize this Gotham-based event. I know I'm not the only person who reads Batgirl but not Detective Comics. I could also dock a few points for the weird boogeyman story, which is both kind of pointless and kind of not very good.
However, that doesn't keep the equally strange but much better vampire story from being much better than I had thought it would be. The idea of a vampire hunter who hallucinates normal people as vampires is so gloriously Gotham, and there's a great twist at the end of the story, one I absolutely didn't see coming. There's also a really good, and fairly creepy, story with a guest spot by Ragdoll. I loved Secret Six, and it was so much fun to see one of those characters again.
But maybe best of all is the way that the last few issues finally wrap up the Knightfall arc entirely. I've always liked Knightfall as sort of a dark reflection of Batman, and she was a really good archenemy for Babs. It's really satisfying to see her go after Knightfall all out, especially knowing that this was the last of Simone's work on Batgirl. It makes the entire run seem that much more complete, once everything's come full circle. There are some interesting things potentially set up for Barbara's future at the end, too. I'm not sure if the current creative team is going to do anything with them, though.
I am really sad that Simone's run on Batgirl has come to an end. I loved every volume, and I wish there could have been more.
However, that doesn't keep the equally strange but much better vampire story from being much better than I had thought it would be. The idea of a vampire hunter who hallucinates normal people as vampires is so gloriously Gotham, and there's a great twist at the end of the story, one I absolutely didn't see coming. There's also a really good, and fairly creepy, story with a guest spot by Ragdoll. I loved Secret Six, and it was so much fun to see one of those characters again.
But maybe best of all is the way that the last few issues finally wrap up the Knightfall arc entirely. I've always liked Knightfall as sort of a dark reflection of Batman, and she was a really good archenemy for Babs. It's really satisfying to see her go after Knightfall all out, especially knowing that this was the last of Simone's work on Batgirl. It makes the entire run seem that much more complete, once everything's come full circle. There are some interesting things potentially set up for Barbara's future at the end, too. I'm not sure if the current creative team is going to do anything with them, though.
I am really sad that Simone's run on Batgirl has come to an end. I loved every volume, and I wish there could have been more.
April 28, 2016
Female super heroes versus a lot of female villains. Some of the tales are good and others are off, especially the one at the very end with the weird artwork.
Beautiful artwork. Gail Simone hits the female personality well.
OVERALL GRADE: B minus.
Beautiful artwork. Gail Simone hits the female personality well.
OVERALL GRADE: B minus.
December 26, 2025
3 🌟 fir this volume. 4 🌟 overall for the series.
May 2, 2025
2025: While I found myself enjoying the entire run a bit more on this reread, this last volume still stands out as the weakest link. The disjointed feeling persists, with several one-shot stories that don't contribute much to the overall narrative. The vampire storyline was ultimately forgettable, which is a shame. Babs continues to be a highlight, but the forced Birds of Prey tie-ins, a noticeably weak overarching plot, the strange Poison Ivy detour, and the jarring "happy day in Gotham" all felt tonally off. It's a bit of a letdown that Gail Simone's generally strong run concludes with this less cohesive volume.
2017 Review: I didn't connect with this one as much as the others. This is basically a bunch of one shots put together. There's some connections here and there but for the most part all broken into their own stories. That can be good though! Except when most feel little filler like or not that interesting. A story involving a happy version of gotham, ivy, vampires, and big black creatures that look like venom. None of them seem to click with me 100% and so I kind of drifted away from it.
What I liked: There's some great moments. I liked Babs inner thoughts on the Batfamily after the loss of Dick, and enjoyed the costume of the happy version of Batgirl/gotham. I think the art is still pretty solid.
What I didn't like: No connection to each other stories. I really thought this felt like a bunch of one shots put together without much thought beyond that. There wasn't room for Babs to grow like she was in previous volumes.
Overall sad this is how the series ends. I really thought most of this series was between a 3-4. I felt this could have been a great finish but sadly not...A 2/5.
2017 Review: I didn't connect with this one as much as the others. This is basically a bunch of one shots put together. There's some connections here and there but for the most part all broken into their own stories. That can be good though! Except when most feel little filler like or not that interesting. A story involving a happy version of gotham, ivy, vampires, and big black creatures that look like venom. None of them seem to click with me 100% and so I kind of drifted away from it.
What I liked: There's some great moments. I liked Babs inner thoughts on the Batfamily after the loss of Dick, and enjoyed the costume of the happy version of Batgirl/gotham. I think the art is still pretty solid.
What I didn't like: No connection to each other stories. I really thought this felt like a bunch of one shots put together without much thought beyond that. There wasn't room for Babs to grow like she was in previous volumes.
Overall sad this is how the series ends. I really thought most of this series was between a 3-4. I felt this could have been a great finish but sadly not...A 2/5.
August 12, 2022
This was not my favourite volume of Batgirl. I still think the series is very good and I really cannot understand why they would want to change direction with everything that they have built up so far. The reason I could not give this 5 stars is because there are a lot of little faults that were bugging me that just added up, to a star being dropped.
The first 3 stories were very disjointed in fact they might have been standalone stories or tie-ins, which is usually ok but for closing the final volume? That is a bit much. I am guessing that the Midnight men story was about the time of Forever Evil, how Barbra dealt with the fall out with her father is not dealt with here as he is not even in this volume.
The Volume really get back on stride for me from the Ragdoll story and the issues against Knightfall, and even the Futures End story are great this is what save the volume for me. The art work is great as well. There are just a couple of thing I still do not like though. The first is the problem I have had all the way through the series how does anyone not know Barbra is Batgirl. With her red hair here disguise is as bad as Superman glasses. I also expect better from the writers then Huntress just happens to meet Batgirl and Black Cannery on the roof and decides to help them out.
Anyway accept and move on. This is a good but not great final volume before the change of direction; most plot lines are tied up but not all. So there is hope for Batgirl return to top form again.
The first 3 stories were very disjointed in fact they might have been standalone stories or tie-ins, which is usually ok but for closing the final volume? That is a bit much. I am guessing that the Midnight men story was about the time of Forever Evil, how Barbra dealt with the fall out with her father is not dealt with here as he is not even in this volume.
The Volume really get back on stride for me from the Ragdoll story and the issues against Knightfall, and even the Futures End story are great this is what save the volume for me. The art work is great as well. There are just a couple of thing I still do not like though. The first is the problem I have had all the way through the series how does anyone not know Barbra is Batgirl. With her red hair here disguise is as bad as Superman glasses. I also expect better from the writers then Huntress just happens to meet Batgirl and Black Cannery on the roof and decides to help them out.
Anyway accept and move on. This is a good but not great final volume before the change of direction; most plot lines are tied up but not all. So there is hope for Batgirl return to top form again.
March 23, 2020
There's some villain-of-the-month action for a number of chapters/issues, then Knightfall has a plot hatch and Batgirl unleashes some girl-power consequences. Life-changing, if the authors remember to make Barbara keep her promises. Tacked onto the tail is a Future's End five-years-fast-forward story, that I found to be utter fantasy and totally unbelievable (and that also mindlessly broke Barbara's commitment to work for Obscura). Ah, well. I believe the collections renumber back to Volume 1 after this, so it will be interesting to find out what happens.
March 18, 2016
What a strange, strange little book.
After what I considered to be the stunning volume 4, this volume was kind of a mess. Gail Simone is a great writer and has quickly become one of my favorite writers, and she wrote a very clear story that built to an excellent climax in volume 4 and developed Barbara's character along a clear arc. And while this volume isn't necessarily bad, it doesn't gel as a unit, nor does it fit in very well with the rest of Simone's run on Batgirl.
It might be more accurate to describe Deadline as a series of mostly-unrelated standalone stories. It's also painfully obvious that many of these stories tie in to larger arcs in other comics, namely Batman, Detective, or Birds of Prey...I haven't actually read those books and I doubt I will. So while I understand that they do fit in somewhere, out of context, they make little sense.
I also couldn't get over the feeling that I was missing important information. There were gaps in the story, and again, I'm confident that these bits are actually in other titles, but it's just frustrating to not have them all in one coherent place. But that's comics for you, no? Nature of the beast.
There were some positives, however. First off, I ended up reading this a day after Halloween, and it's actually quite a spooky little volume with lots of paranormal wackiness in it. Perfect Halloween read, and not even done on purpose on my part. Highlights include Silver the vampire hunter and the Midnight Man, both of which were utterly unreal, spooky, and maybe a bit out of Batgirl's depth, which was pretty cool to see her react to. We also have a bizarre little story where Barbara finds herself in a sugar-coated alternate reality where Gotham is perfect and nothing bad ever happens...except when it does (though the story has no real resolution, which again, I know, tie-in event, but still confusing). She also faces off against the rag doll, which was appropriately unsettling.
Other issues included a strange little stories about Poison Ivy's Seasonal Mood Disorder, that obviously tied in to something in Birds of Prey and was rather confusing to read on its own. The book also ends with a really odd-ball future-story in which Barbara apprentices Bane...this story was the most off-the-wall, and really was a strange choice to end the book with, but again, that's comics for you.
Lastly, and the main reason to read the book, really, is the Deadline arc, where Batgirl finally faces off with Knightfall, who has been the main villain of Simone's run on Batgirl and ties up loose ends and provides a resolution to that arc and also Simone's run. A mostly satisfying conclusion, though there are still several threads left hanging. Overall, pretty good, but I guess I won't get to find out if the Commish gets out of jail or if that thing with Ricky ever worked out...(I actually really liked the thing with Ricky? But I guess that's just going to be left hanging.)
All in all, the book had several individually really satisfying stories, but really doesn't work together as a whole. The conclusion with Knightfall was a tad underwhelming, especially when I compare it to the great climax from Volume 4, Wanted.
After what I considered to be the stunning volume 4, this volume was kind of a mess. Gail Simone is a great writer and has quickly become one of my favorite writers, and she wrote a very clear story that built to an excellent climax in volume 4 and developed Barbara's character along a clear arc. And while this volume isn't necessarily bad, it doesn't gel as a unit, nor does it fit in very well with the rest of Simone's run on Batgirl.
It might be more accurate to describe Deadline as a series of mostly-unrelated standalone stories. It's also painfully obvious that many of these stories tie in to larger arcs in other comics, namely Batman, Detective, or Birds of Prey...I haven't actually read those books and I doubt I will. So while I understand that they do fit in somewhere, out of context, they make little sense.
I also couldn't get over the feeling that I was missing important information. There were gaps in the story, and again, I'm confident that these bits are actually in other titles, but it's just frustrating to not have them all in one coherent place. But that's comics for you, no? Nature of the beast.
There were some positives, however. First off, I ended up reading this a day after Halloween, and it's actually quite a spooky little volume with lots of paranormal wackiness in it. Perfect Halloween read, and not even done on purpose on my part. Highlights include Silver the vampire hunter and the Midnight Man, both of which were utterly unreal, spooky, and maybe a bit out of Batgirl's depth, which was pretty cool to see her react to. We also have a bizarre little story where Barbara finds herself in a sugar-coated alternate reality where Gotham is perfect and nothing bad ever happens...except when it does (though the story has no real resolution, which again, I know, tie-in event, but still confusing). She also faces off against the rag doll, which was appropriately unsettling.
Other issues included a strange little stories about Poison Ivy's Seasonal Mood Disorder, that obviously tied in to something in Birds of Prey and was rather confusing to read on its own. The book also ends with a really odd-ball future-story in which Barbara apprentices Bane...this story was the most off-the-wall, and really was a strange choice to end the book with, but again, that's comics for you.
Lastly, and the main reason to read the book, really, is the Deadline arc, where Batgirl finally faces off with Knightfall, who has been the main villain of Simone's run on Batgirl and ties up loose ends and provides a resolution to that arc and also Simone's run. A mostly satisfying conclusion, though there are still several threads left hanging. Overall, pretty good, but I guess I won't get to find out if the Commish gets out of jail or if that thing with Ricky ever worked out...(I actually really liked the thing with Ricky? But I guess that's just going to be left hanging.)
All in all, the book had several individually really satisfying stories, but really doesn't work together as a whole. The conclusion with Knightfall was a tad underwhelming, especially when I compare it to the great climax from Volume 4, Wanted.
January 9, 2016
This incoherent mess was annoying on almost every level. There were like five unrelated stories tacked together. And I kept seeing something like "three months ago". But I never saw anything like "present". So apparently we kept going back in time, by three month blocks. Yet the story arc itself kept moving forward. So what the bloody hell was up with that "three months ago" every other page? bah.
And then she has this mission that she can't accomplish by herself. So she scrambles to find people. The story before that? Or maybe to stories ago. bah. There's this mute super killer who hangs out with her. Tagging along on missions. Except . . . for some unknown reason she wasn't around for when she had to "do something by herself". Nor was she around when she realized she couldn't do the mission by herself and needed help. Then for no apparent reason, Catwoman and Batman's daughter showed up to offer her help. The first Batgirl did upon being offered this help was to savagely beat the woman who offered to help her.
Batgirl was an emotional mess who beat everyone around her, was a nasty bitch to everyone who tried to help her (like Poison Ivy and Huntress) and had a massive chip on her shoulder. I'm surprised anyone would want anything to do with her.
And then the last story was set in the future. And Batgirl has bulked up to the size of the Incredible Hulk and goes by the name "Beast". It as quite . . . boring.
The whole bloody mess was incoherent, tedious, and boring.
And then she has this mission that she can't accomplish by herself. So she scrambles to find people. The story before that? Or maybe to stories ago. bah. There's this mute super killer who hangs out with her. Tagging along on missions. Except . . . for some unknown reason she wasn't around for when she had to "do something by herself". Nor was she around when she realized she couldn't do the mission by herself and needed help. Then for no apparent reason, Catwoman and Batman's daughter showed up to offer her help. The first Batgirl did upon being offered this help was to savagely beat the woman who offered to help her.
Batgirl was an emotional mess who beat everyone around her, was a nasty bitch to everyone who tried to help her (like Poison Ivy and Huntress) and had a massive chip on her shoulder. I'm surprised anyone would want anything to do with her.
And then the last story was set in the future. And Batgirl has bulked up to the size of the Incredible Hulk and goes by the name "Beast". It as quite . . . boring.
The whole bloody mess was incoherent, tedious, and boring.
August 28, 2017
It's over...thank you.
World: Art is same since the start of the series. Meh. The world building is okay, it's a culmination of what Simone started in issue one. From the characters to the little slice of Cherry Hill that she's created for Babs this was a solid consistent end for the world.
Story: Meh. Knightfall story was a poor man's Punisher story and was what it was. The stuff with the boyfriend and the family and the roommate was also rather forgettable. I like Simone's writing normally but this series was just simply too miserable and dark.
Characters: Babs is not the Babs I want and she's way to miserable and it's understandable given what she's been through. Knightfall was never truly done well, a rich Punisher sounded interesting but we don't really get enough deep development and add to the choppy story for her, was highly forgettable.
Meh. Now bring me Burnside!!!
Onward to the next book!
World: Art is same since the start of the series. Meh. The world building is okay, it's a culmination of what Simone started in issue one. From the characters to the little slice of Cherry Hill that she's created for Babs this was a solid consistent end for the world.
Story: Meh. Knightfall story was a poor man's Punisher story and was what it was. The stuff with the boyfriend and the family and the roommate was also rather forgettable. I like Simone's writing normally but this series was just simply too miserable and dark.
Characters: Babs is not the Babs I want and she's way to miserable and it's understandable given what she's been through. Knightfall was never truly done well, a rich Punisher sounded interesting but we don't really get enough deep development and add to the choppy story for her, was highly forgettable.
Meh. Now bring me Burnside!!!
Onward to the next book!
March 4, 2016
Oh, Gail Simone, where will you take us next. Thank you for this darn fine run on Batgirl in which you gave us an interesting and diverse supporting cast and a tough as nails protagonist. I think the elements (read: DC Editorial Staff) were likely against you. But you persevered.
Loose ends tied up tight, introduction of new supernatural elements, and passing of the baton complete. Could have been a bit more of an event, but, decidedly it wasn't.
3.5/5
Loose ends tied up tight, introduction of new supernatural elements, and passing of the baton complete. Could have been a bit more of an event, but, decidedly it wasn't.
3.5/5
May 18, 2018
Well, that escalated quickly...we went from "normal" (ish...?) crime to vampires and monsters from other dimensions...cool.
This volume makes me want to start an "I hate James Jr" fan club. Bane makes a few appearances...not quite sure how I felt about that storyline, or if that gets retconned with the Burnside storyline? I guess I'll see. Always happy to read about Stephanie Brown, though. Even if it is brief.
This volume makes me want to start an "I hate James Jr" fan club. Bane makes a few appearances...not quite sure how I felt about that storyline, or if that gets retconned with the Burnside storyline? I guess I'll see. Always happy to read about Stephanie Brown, though. Even if it is brief.
March 13, 2024
Satisfying ending to Gail Simone's Batgirl run. Felt like there was some random filler issues to make it longer for whatever reason. But overall, this was a good ending, or a good segue to the next part of this run by Cameron Stewart.
July 19, 2015
Very good comic. Poor Barbara. Glad she was able to stop Knightfall.
Can't wait to the next Batgirl volume.
Would recommend for fans of Batman and Batgirl. Also, fans of superheroes.
Can't wait to the next Batgirl volume.
Would recommend for fans of Batman and Batgirl. Also, fans of superheroes.
February 15, 2017
This really didn't work for me.
And that's rare for me to say about a Gail Simone book.
This is the finale for Gail's run of New 52 Batgirl and while I'm sorry to see it go, this was a really lackluster finish.
There was no discernible arc in this book. It was a collection of one shots with a final showdown between Babs and Knightfall. It seemed as if Gail wasn't sure she'd get the time to flesh out a new Big Bad and that sucks because I like the way she writes villains.
I enjoyed Mother Mercy and while the vampire guy wasn't my fave, there was something there. The urban legend story was not for me. The attack on Alysia and her girlfriend seemed random. It was like Gail was biding time for the final showdown with Knightfall.
I've enjoyed the back and forth between Babs and Knightfall. As a nemesis, she was pretty formidable. That spark I got from their first real fight in the second book just never came back, unfortunately. I don't necessarily think that as Gail's fault. I think she didn't know how long she'd get and then DC shoved Death of the Family at her.
Anyway, Charisse's final plan was pretty interesting. I think it could've been fleshed out more but I enjoyed the Birds of Prey nod with the special guests. Although, while I appreciated Helena's appearance, it seemed more like Gail just wanted her back but they didn't explain her presence well.
I was disappointed in the way things are left with Babs and Ricky. I really liked his character and things blew up between them because he (rightfully) sued Babs' dad. Okay, sure.
Anyway, I really loved the League of Batgirl's story. I loved seeing Stephanie and Cass as mums to Tiffany. I would die for a series about them. I follow Gail on Twitter and she said she'd love to write a series about them. I really hope she does someday!!
Anyway, overall, this was disappointing but there were several bright spots.
3 stars.
And that's rare for me to say about a Gail Simone book.
This is the finale for Gail's run of New 52 Batgirl and while I'm sorry to see it go, this was a really lackluster finish.
There was no discernible arc in this book. It was a collection of one shots with a final showdown between Babs and Knightfall. It seemed as if Gail wasn't sure she'd get the time to flesh out a new Big Bad and that sucks because I like the way she writes villains.
I enjoyed Mother Mercy and while the vampire guy wasn't my fave, there was something there. The urban legend story was not for me. The attack on Alysia and her girlfriend seemed random. It was like Gail was biding time for the final showdown with Knightfall.
I've enjoyed the back and forth between Babs and Knightfall. As a nemesis, she was pretty formidable. That spark I got from their first real fight in the second book just never came back, unfortunately. I don't necessarily think that as Gail's fault. I think she didn't know how long she'd get and then DC shoved Death of the Family at her.
Anyway, Charisse's final plan was pretty interesting. I think it could've been fleshed out more but I enjoyed the Birds of Prey nod with the special guests. Although, while I appreciated Helena's appearance, it seemed more like Gail just wanted her back but they didn't explain her presence well.
I was disappointed in the way things are left with Babs and Ricky. I really liked his character and things blew up between them because he (rightfully) sued Babs' dad. Okay, sure.
Anyway, I really loved the League of Batgirl's story. I loved seeing Stephanie and Cass as mums to Tiffany. I would die for a series about them. I follow Gail on Twitter and she said she'd love to write a series about them. I really hope she does someday!!
Anyway, overall, this was disappointing but there were several bright spots.
3 stars.
March 2, 2015
3.5
Again this one was sort of meh. I feel that by the last two volumes, the storyline was kind of thrown out of the window. It jumped around too much for me. I still adore the first three volumes though.
Again this one was sort of meh. I feel that by the last two volumes, the storyline was kind of thrown out of the window. It jumped around too much for me. I still adore the first three volumes though.
September 20, 2015
A good solid set of stories to wrap up Gail Simone's run here. The last story, Deadline, just just really didn't end with the bang I was hoping for. The entire series was awesome. Great work by the entire creative team.
June 4, 2015
Gail Simone says goodbye to Batgirl and attempts to tie up all of her loose ends in a fairly successful if fractured final volume.
The first issue is a Gothtopia tie-in, but with no context it falls kind of flat when collected here. Just a quick one-sentence recap somewhere would have made this a more fun read, and especially since the story concludes elsewhere, having the next few issues completely ignore it makes this issue a bit of a waste of space.
Then we get a two part vampire story which brings back Strix, and Andrew Bennett from I, Vampire, so this is a win in my book, and a fill-in by Margueritte Bennett that gives us a monster from another dimension. I feel like these three issues were going to build to something bigger further on, and Batgirl herself even says as much, but Simone's run only had a few issues left at this point so it wasn't even brought up again.
There's an Annual slotted next which looks at Poison Ivy's time with the Birds of Prey and how she interacts with Batgirl throughout that period, which has a clever little twist near the end that I enjoyed, but it's a bit overlong.
Penultimately comes the titular Deadline story which is Simone's attempt to have her cake and eat it too as she reunites some of her Birds of Prey characters (or their New 52 iterations, including a cameo by Lady Blackhawk) to take the fight to Knightfall once and for all. The ending falls a little flat and feels a bit too clean cut, but the level of grandiosity for this final storyline is in place, and it's a nice way to end Simone's run.
There's also the Future's End one-shot that has four Batgirls in it, but this feels more like Simone giving fans what they want without really trying to craft a story with a point around it by shoving in three Batgirls and Bane and a contrived revenge plot and it's just weird.
Simone's run on Batgirl often struggled to maximize its potential, and this final volume falls into that category. It's still enjoyable, but there's always a feeling that there could have been more done with the material, even as the volume comes to a close.
The first issue is a Gothtopia tie-in, but with no context it falls kind of flat when collected here. Just a quick one-sentence recap somewhere would have made this a more fun read, and especially since the story concludes elsewhere, having the next few issues completely ignore it makes this issue a bit of a waste of space.
Then we get a two part vampire story which brings back Strix, and Andrew Bennett from I, Vampire, so this is a win in my book, and a fill-in by Margueritte Bennett that gives us a monster from another dimension. I feel like these three issues were going to build to something bigger further on, and Batgirl herself even says as much, but Simone's run only had a few issues left at this point so it wasn't even brought up again.
There's an Annual slotted next which looks at Poison Ivy's time with the Birds of Prey and how she interacts with Batgirl throughout that period, which has a clever little twist near the end that I enjoyed, but it's a bit overlong.
Penultimately comes the titular Deadline story which is Simone's attempt to have her cake and eat it too as she reunites some of her Birds of Prey characters (or their New 52 iterations, including a cameo by Lady Blackhawk) to take the fight to Knightfall once and for all. The ending falls a little flat and feels a bit too clean cut, but the level of grandiosity for this final storyline is in place, and it's a nice way to end Simone's run.
There's also the Future's End one-shot that has four Batgirls in it, but this feels more like Simone giving fans what they want without really trying to craft a story with a point around it by shoving in three Batgirls and Bane and a contrived revenge plot and it's just weird.
Simone's run on Batgirl often struggled to maximize its potential, and this final volume falls into that category. It's still enjoyable, but there's always a feeling that there could have been more done with the material, even as the volume comes to a close.
September 22, 2014
3.5 stars, I think.
I enjoyed the Silver mini-arc. Brought a lot of fun. I texted a couple of my friends the panel where the cop says his brother moved to Detroit. For the quiet.
The Annual was an excellent one-shot, great little cameo from Ivy.
Marguerite Bennett also wrote a nice little one-shot. I wasn't sure if I was "feeling it," i.e., more than mediocre, but the last page? Way to sell it.
Ragdoll was fun as usual. He better be in the upcoming Secret Six. I'mma make with the punches if he's not.
The Birds of Prey team-up, while fun, really lacked the meaningful connections of the old BoP. And Knightfall has been dragged out for wayyyy too long.
In conclusion, I'm all right with Gail moving on. She wrote some great stories, I loved her team-up with Strix and with Batwoman back in #12, but whether it was editor influence, publisher decisions, etc. and so forth, it's time for a change.
Bring on Batgirl of Burnside!
I enjoyed the Silver mini-arc. Brought a lot of fun. I texted a couple of my friends the panel where the cop says his brother moved to Detroit. For the quiet.
The Annual was an excellent one-shot, great little cameo from Ivy.
Marguerite Bennett also wrote a nice little one-shot. I wasn't sure if I was "feeling it," i.e., more than mediocre, but the last page? Way to sell it.
Ragdoll was fun as usual. He better be in the upcoming Secret Six. I'mma make with the punches if he's not.
The Birds of Prey team-up, while fun, really lacked the meaningful connections of the old BoP. And Knightfall has been dragged out for wayyyy too long.
In conclusion, I'm all right with Gail moving on. She wrote some great stories, I loved her team-up with Strix and with Batwoman back in #12, but whether it was editor influence, publisher decisions, etc. and so forth, it's time for a change.
Bring on Batgirl of Burnside!
August 20, 2015
Hands down, coolest story ever - minus the epilogue work. That kind of build-up was perfection, though I wish Simone had the free-reign to go on and on and tell a more fleshed out version. I can't get enough of Barbara Gordon. I wish we could have more Gail Simone Batgirl, because that anime looking follow-up don't cut it.
I think a lot of people are put out that there's holes to the story, like where you need every DC title tie-in to see exactly what went down. I'm willing to grant the story's limit with that understanding but if I'm wrong, then what the freak??
But back to the epilogue. What the hey was that? Was that supposed to be a massive set-up to other stuff? Was it an "everything I intended preview?" (almost like Archer Vice's trailer within episode) I just want to write it out of my BRAIN.
I think a lot of people are put out that there's holes to the story, like where you need every DC title tie-in to see exactly what went down. I'm willing to grant the story's limit with that understanding but if I'm wrong, then what the freak??
But back to the epilogue. What the hey was that? Was that supposed to be a massive set-up to other stuff? Was it an "everything I intended preview?" (almost like Archer Vice's trailer within episode) I just want to write it out of my BRAIN.
August 2, 2017
This last volume is a slight letdown from the previous.
It starts with a single issue story with some type of alternate/dream world for Barbara. Just a one-shot with no real ramifications or information.
A two-parter with vampires, not bad, has a twist but again, feels like a filler.
A single issue filler, followed by a story that very loosely connects to the main story from issue 1.
Then, there is a multi-part arc that wraps up one villain's story/plot point from the earliest issues. It has some ups and downs, a few points that didn't flow properly but the last issue neatly wraps up. This is a straightforward superhero adventure and not a lot of the "inner Barbara" from previous volumes.
Finally, there is a closing issue, of Barabara in the near future. It's bittersweet and unexpected.
All in all, it was a decent series and worth a read.
It starts with a single issue story with some type of alternate/dream world for Barbara. Just a one-shot with no real ramifications or information.
A two-parter with vampires, not bad, has a twist but again, feels like a filler.
A single issue filler, followed by a story that very loosely connects to the main story from issue 1.
Then, there is a multi-part arc that wraps up one villain's story/plot point from the earliest issues. It has some ups and downs, a few points that didn't flow properly but the last issue neatly wraps up. This is a straightforward superhero adventure and not a lot of the "inner Barbara" from previous volumes.
Finally, there is a closing issue, of Barabara in the near future. It's bittersweet and unexpected.
All in all, it was a decent series and worth a read.
June 28, 2015
Deadline is the fifth and final run in Gail Simone's run on Batgirl, containing several one shots and the final showdown with Knightfall. While some of the one shots didn't do it for me, the results were overall solid, which pretty much sums up my impression on Simone's run as a whole. Not the strongest of the new 52 comics, but certainly not the weakest. A comic that I was happy to pick up and read from my library, but wouldn't spend my own money on. And that's pretty much how I recommend both Deadline, and the entire run to others: check it out from the library. You will likely find it to be a worthwhile use of your time.
The Deadline arc ends with hints of an interesting future for Batgirl. I will be continuing the comic to see what that future will be.
The Deadline arc ends with hints of an interesting future for Batgirl. I will be continuing the comic to see what that future will be.
February 12, 2015
This volume of Batgirl felt very disjointed. The first couple stories, even the one with Ivy and the ones with Silver, were mediocre at best. Only when you get to the actual Deadline storyline, does this volume even get good.
I'm not really sure where this team is planning on taking Batgirl, but I think I'll stick around for at least one more volume. I think more interaction with Batman would be a strong positive for this title, but that's up to them.
Recommend, but with slight reservation.
I'm not really sure where this team is planning on taking Batgirl, but I think I'll stick around for at least one more volume. I think more interaction with Batman would be a strong positive for this title, but that's up to them.
Recommend, but with slight reservation.
May 4, 2015
I found the conclusion of the Knightfall thread underwhelming and the rest of the volume comprised of standalone issues or out-of-context issues from crossover events. Gail Simone's writing is fine, but the overall story from volume to volume lacked some cohesion. The only other Bat Family book I read with regularity was Nightwing, which had a much clearer arc in comparison.
December 14, 2014
I am very saddened that Gail Simone will no longer be the author of this book series. That being said, she wrapped up her story lines brilliantly, and regardless of what comes next, I am a satisfied reader and fan.
July 26, 2015
Gail Simone was a fantastic Batgirl writer, but this final volume (when she was shafted by DC and dropped from the title) is a pitchy affair, hampered by tie-ins presented without context and resulting in an uneven storyline which can be too confusing for its own good.
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