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Batgirl (2011) #1-5
Batgirl Returns Omnibus
Batgirl's Back!
Three years ago, Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, nearly lost her life when the Joker shot her through the spine. Barbara survived, but her injuries were severe—complete loss of mobility from the waist down.
She adjusted to life using a wheelchair, but she never quite adjusted to being out of the fight. Though her injuries didn’t stop her from helping the Bat-Family in other ways, Batgirl was retired.
Now, a new experimental treatment has done the impossible— restored her ability to walk. With her body healed, Babs is back in the cowl. But as she struggles with her own PTSD and other heroes who now treat her like glass, Barbara still has a long way to go to feel like Batgirl again.
Collecting Gail Simone’s celebrated New 52 run in one volume for the first time, Batgirl Returns Omnibus contains stories from Batgirl #0-34, Young Romance: The New 52 Valentine’s Day Special #1, Batgirl Annual #1-2, Batman: The Dark Knight #23point1, and Batgirl: Futures End #1.
Three years ago, Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, nearly lost her life when the Joker shot her through the spine. Barbara survived, but her injuries were severe—complete loss of mobility from the waist down.
She adjusted to life using a wheelchair, but she never quite adjusted to being out of the fight. Though her injuries didn’t stop her from helping the Bat-Family in other ways, Batgirl was retired.
Now, a new experimental treatment has done the impossible— restored her ability to walk. With her body healed, Babs is back in the cowl. But as she struggles with her own PTSD and other heroes who now treat her like glass, Barbara still has a long way to go to feel like Batgirl again.
Collecting Gail Simone’s celebrated New 52 run in one volume for the first time, Batgirl Returns Omnibus contains stories from Batgirl #0-34, Young Romance: The New 52 Valentine’s Day Special #1, Batgirl Annual #1-2, Batman: The Dark Knight #23point1, and Batgirl: Futures End #1.
960 pages, Hardcover
Published March 16, 2021
14 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
Gail Simone
1,078 books1,237 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".
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 11, 2022
I like Gail Simone's Batgirl. She's tough and resourceful, sometimes darker than I'd like. Her villains are a bit one-note but with interesting character designs. The "events" derail the series from time to time, especially since they lack context. The Gothtopia and Future's End issues are particularly egregious and just plain terrible. This is my favorite run of Batgirl though.
Reviews of individual volumes are below.
Batgirl, Volume 1: The Darkest Reflection ★★★★
Batgirl, Volume 2: Knightfall Descends ★★★★
Batgirl, Vol. 3: Death of the Family ★★★★
Batgirl, Vol. 4: Wanted ★★★★
Batgirl, Volume 5: Deadline ★★★
Reviews of individual volumes are below.
Batgirl, Volume 1: The Darkest Reflection ★★★★
Batgirl, Volume 2: Knightfall Descends ★★★★
Batgirl, Vol. 3: Death of the Family ★★★★
Batgirl, Vol. 4: Wanted ★★★★
Batgirl, Volume 5: Deadline ★★★
September 7, 2022
There is an abundance of great characterisation here - from the many awesome villains to Alysia, the warm hearted roommate. All are portrayed with some level of emotion and are brought to life really well - particularly the menacing James Gordon Jr.
The artwork is absolutely up there with some of the best illustration work from The New 52 era - even the cover gallery at the back of this omnibus is definitely worth looking at thanks to the likes of artists such as Adam Hughes.
My only niggle here is a minor one with the mapping of the omnibus itself. There were quite a few issues included that intensely tie-in to Batman's New 52 series and it felt like it broke the pacing of Batgirl's own story here. If you're not familiar with stories like Death of The Family or Court of Owls this might throw you.
Overall, I loved this. Batgirl is phenomenal here and the storytelling is as equally heartwarming as it is ass kicking. Just make sure you've read Batman's New 52 series before you dive in.
___________________
My Score: 7/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
___________________
The artwork is absolutely up there with some of the best illustration work from The New 52 era - even the cover gallery at the back of this omnibus is definitely worth looking at thanks to the likes of artists such as Adam Hughes.
My only niggle here is a minor one with the mapping of the omnibus itself. There were quite a few issues included that intensely tie-in to Batman's New 52 series and it felt like it broke the pacing of Batgirl's own story here. If you're not familiar with stories like Death of The Family or Court of Owls this might throw you.
Overall, I loved this. Batgirl is phenomenal here and the storytelling is as equally heartwarming as it is ass kicking. Just make sure you've read Batman's New 52 series before you dive in.
___________________
My Score: 7/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
___________________
May 2, 2025
This Omnibus is a mixed bag, offering a lot to love but also a few too many inconsistencies to be truly outstanding. For detailed thoughts on specific arcs, check out my individual volume reviews. Here, I'll focus on the highlights and lowlights.
What I Loved:
+ The artwork throughout the entire run is consistently stellar, and I particularly appreciated the cool, darker Batgirl design.
+ Gail Simone's portrayal of Babs is fantastic. Her journey in dealing with the PTSD from being shot is handled with nuance and adds significant depth to the character.
+ The supporting cast is strong, including a great roommate and a genuinely enjoyable boyfriend.
+ Knightfall as a villainous group really grew on me during this reread.
+ Ultimately, there's nothing truly horrible in this collection, which, while a funny positive, speaks to a baseline level of quality.
What Didn't Quite Work:
- The initial issues felt a bit shaky as the series was finding its footing.
- The final seven or so issues felt disjointed and somewhat messy.
- There were instances where Jim Gordon's behavior seemed unnecessarily irrational.
- I did miss having more interactions with the wider Bat-Family.
Overall, this is a solid omnibus, landing somewhere in the 3 to 3.5-star range for me. While it might not be my absolute favorite Batgirl run (Burnside, this is not!), it's a worthwhile read and a great way to delve deeper into Barbara Gordon's character. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking to get to know Babs better!
What I Loved:
+ The artwork throughout the entire run is consistently stellar, and I particularly appreciated the cool, darker Batgirl design.
+ Gail Simone's portrayal of Babs is fantastic. Her journey in dealing with the PTSD from being shot is handled with nuance and adds significant depth to the character.
+ The supporting cast is strong, including a great roommate and a genuinely enjoyable boyfriend.
+ Knightfall as a villainous group really grew on me during this reread.
+ Ultimately, there's nothing truly horrible in this collection, which, while a funny positive, speaks to a baseline level of quality.
What Didn't Quite Work:
- The initial issues felt a bit shaky as the series was finding its footing.
- The final seven or so issues felt disjointed and somewhat messy.
- There were instances where Jim Gordon's behavior seemed unnecessarily irrational.
- I did miss having more interactions with the wider Bat-Family.
Overall, this is a solid omnibus, landing somewhere in the 3 to 3.5-star range for me. While it might not be my absolute favorite Batgirl run (Burnside, this is not!), it's a worthwhile read and a great way to delve deeper into Barbara Gordon's character. Definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking to get to know Babs better!
June 11, 2021
This is the Batgirl from the past back in action. Being taken seriously and with a modern take on relationships of friends, family and the extended bat-family.
It was never a choice. It had to be Gail Simone to bring forward Barbara Gordon into the spotlight again dawning the cowl of Batgirl once again.
It was never a choice. It had to be Gail Simone to bring forward Barbara Gordon into the spotlight again dawning the cowl of Batgirl once again.
August 2, 2023
What a testament to Gail Simone's writing chops. 35 concurrent issues and some additions thrown in. Some phenomenal, some good, none bad. To be such a consistent writer over an entire run, speaks volumes about her.
Well worth the pickup. The art seemed a bit janky and rushed at times, but can't question the story. And what an ending.
I will say the events that cut through the main series can be, jarring a bit to the pace. I almost wish they followed the main story and then added those after, and there isn't really a way to do that yourself without a table of contents.
Well worth the pickup. The art seemed a bit janky and rushed at times, but can't question the story. And what an ending.
I will say the events that cut through the main series can be, jarring a bit to the pace. I almost wish they followed the main story and then added those after, and there isn't really a way to do that yourself without a table of contents.
August 18, 2021
3.5 for content, rounded down because the edition has some major flaws.
I've been Gail Simone Curious for years. She has very dedicated fans, but every time I picked up a random issue of one of her books, I was unimpressed. Because this omnibus is so cheap on Amazon, I decided to go for it. I'm not really a Batfan, but I do like Babs (And Cassie! That's the Batgirl omnibus I REALLY want, DC!).
And... it's okay. The villains are terrible, just random collections of tics, prone to dropping obvious clues to their identities that Batgirl can "investigate." (Insert 1-2 panels of Babs sitting at a computer.) They rarely have understandable motivations or goals. The saving grace is the characterization of Barbara herself and some of her supporting cast, particularly Ricky and Alysia. Knightfall is an exception in regards to both motivation and goals, but the resolution of her story is lame.
It's a decent run, though, worth a look. I just wish Simone had spent more time with the characters and less with the villain of the month. The best story by far is the three part "Batgirl Wanted," which is smart and character driven.
The real problem is the edition. There is no table of contents and cover art is reproduced without text, so you have no idea where you are, or even if you're dipping into a different series or event. The event crossovers are terrible. There are no text pages filling in the missing links. At one point Barbara decides she isn't worthy of the batsuit, but an issue later it's back. A major Joker story gets interrupted by a few random issues off topic, then gets picked back up only to end on a huge cliffhanger. "For the whole story read Batman: Death of the Family!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME, DC? (I did buy it and read it. It was actually very good. I'm still mad, though). I would rather have had the last chapter of that story than the one-off event issues here, like the not-so-good Gothtopia or the villain issue.
Actually, let's talk about that one for a second, because it's the low point of the omnibus: As part of what I assume was probably a line-wide Month of Villains or something, we get an issue focused on the Ventriloquist. It's painfully obvious, badly written, and just distasteful. So, so, bad. And just dropped in like a turd in a trick or treat basket, no explanation, no follow up, nothing.
Dedicated DC readers will probably be more forgiving of the holes, but for new readers it's kind of a mess. As the character's big relaunch it's iffy - but that's already in the past and there have been at least two new iterations of the character since this.
Decent, not essential.
I've been Gail Simone Curious for years. She has very dedicated fans, but every time I picked up a random issue of one of her books, I was unimpressed. Because this omnibus is so cheap on Amazon, I decided to go for it. I'm not really a Batfan, but I do like Babs (And Cassie! That's the Batgirl omnibus I REALLY want, DC!).
And... it's okay. The villains are terrible, just random collections of tics, prone to dropping obvious clues to their identities that Batgirl can "investigate." (Insert 1-2 panels of Babs sitting at a computer.) They rarely have understandable motivations or goals. The saving grace is the characterization of Barbara herself and some of her supporting cast, particularly Ricky and Alysia. Knightfall is an exception in regards to both motivation and goals, but the resolution of her story is lame.
It's a decent run, though, worth a look. I just wish Simone had spent more time with the characters and less with the villain of the month. The best story by far is the three part "Batgirl Wanted," which is smart and character driven.
The real problem is the edition. There is no table of contents and cover art is reproduced without text, so you have no idea where you are, or even if you're dipping into a different series or event. The event crossovers are terrible. There are no text pages filling in the missing links. At one point Barbara decides she isn't worthy of the batsuit, but an issue later it's back. A major Joker story gets interrupted by a few random issues off topic, then gets picked back up only to end on a huge cliffhanger. "For the whole story read Batman: Death of the Family!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME, DC? (I did buy it and read it. It was actually very good. I'm still mad, though). I would rather have had the last chapter of that story than the one-off event issues here, like the not-so-good Gothtopia or the villain issue.
Actually, let's talk about that one for a second, because it's the low point of the omnibus: As part of what I assume was probably a line-wide Month of Villains or something, we get an issue focused on the Ventriloquist. It's painfully obvious, badly written, and just distasteful. So, so, bad. And just dropped in like a turd in a trick or treat basket, no explanation, no follow up, nothing.
Dedicated DC readers will probably be more forgiving of the holes, but for new readers it's kind of a mess. As the character's big relaunch it's iffy - but that's already in the past and there have been at least two new iterations of the character since this.
Decent, not essential.
January 23, 2023
Way more broken up than I remember in the trades. Just batgirl tie in issues included from events, no batman actual event issues, so lots of time skipping between 4/5 issue arcs.
This series doesn’t really stand alone that well.
Every issue by Simone feels the need to beat you across the head that batgirl used to be crippled but nowhere does she actually explain the procedure that cured her. This is irritating at best.
Art changes a often!
Writers too, more than I expected for a book with one creators name on it.
Overall I enjoyed the James stuff. The best part of this entire book though, is the futures end issue.
I would read a full expanded edition of it if tgey made one. Its the foundation of what the current Batgirls book SHOULD be but sadly isn’t even close to.
Was nice to recap but would likely be keeping this one.
This series doesn’t really stand alone that well.
Every issue by Simone feels the need to beat you across the head that batgirl used to be crippled but nowhere does she actually explain the procedure that cured her. This is irritating at best.
Art changes a often!
Writers too, more than I expected for a book with one creators name on it.
Overall I enjoyed the James stuff. The best part of this entire book though, is the futures end issue.
I would read a full expanded edition of it if tgey made one. Its the foundation of what the current Batgirls book SHOULD be but sadly isn’t even close to.
Was nice to recap but would likely be keeping this one.
September 14, 2025
I loved it. The story has lots of depth to Barbara's character, interesting story arcs, cool guests showing up from time to time. Simone has a good voice for Barbara, and the survivor's guilt was an interesting angle to start off with. But it did suffer through a few problems. One was that it stayed too dark and grim all throughout (editorially mandated, apparently). Another was that it was repeatedly interrupted with tie-ins to events. The art was probably the weakest link though, especially when compared against Babs Tarr run. I think it’s a pretty strong run and I would recommend picking it up.
July 31, 2022
Started off pretty decent. But then felt rushed with a lackluster ending. And quite frankly, I didn’t mind the “Knightfall” villain. Need more of that in todays big cities to put crime to bed.
The art was fantastic from start to finish. Nevertheless, it was nice to see a females perspective on writing multiple female characters.
The art was fantastic from start to finish. Nevertheless, it was nice to see a females perspective on writing multiple female characters.
June 11, 2024
An absolute solid take on Batgirl!
Gail Simone does an amazing job at bringing back Barbra Gordon as Batgirl since Batman: Killing Joke. Which brings to suggest to read:
Batman: Killing Joke
Batman: Black Mirror
Batman by Scott Snyder
Before reading this due to the amount of call backs, references, and crossovers in this run.
Gail Simone does an amazing job at bringing back Barbra Gordon as Batgirl since Batman: Killing Joke. Which brings to suggest to read:
Batman: Killing Joke
Batman: Black Mirror
Batman by Scott Snyder
Before reading this due to the amount of call backs, references, and crossovers in this run.
September 20, 2021
Один з кращіх онгоінгів у серіі new 52. Відкрив для себе нового автора - Гейл Сімон. Увесь ран дуже рівний, без провисань, правда деякі тай-ін на мій погляд тут зайві, вони тут більше для привертання уваги до інший серій, ніж для розгортання сюжету.
March 3, 2024
A return to form for Batgirl in one of the best run’s of the new 52 that could only be told by Gail Simone. The depth to this run on Batgirl connecting the past to the present in a way that is still new reader accessible. I love the horror elements throughout Gail Simone’s time writing Batgirl.
April 10, 2025
I was in the mood for some Bat action !
Finished reading Gail Simone's run on Batgirl. Batgirl is back in this one, three years after the event with the Joker. Decent artwork, and a fast paced story full of action, and some typical (not in a bad way) story, this was fun.
Finished reading Gail Simone's run on Batgirl. Batgirl is back in this one, three years after the event with the Joker. Decent artwork, and a fast paced story full of action, and some typical (not in a bad way) story, this was fun.
April 21, 2021
The overall story is really solid. It’s dark, fun, and has amazing artwork. But the tie-in issues really don’t fit and feel out of place.
December 2, 2022
Good overall. Gets great in short bursts (e.g. I really liked the storyline/arc with the villain Silver). I’m glad I read this, but won’t be returning to it again.
January 18, 2023
Gail Simone. What else can I say. Knocks it out of the park and I’m not just saying that as a big Barbara Gordon fan boy.
September 9, 2023
After the events of 'The Killing Joke' Barbara Gordon rehabilitates back to health before returning to crime fighting as Batgirl. She encounters a host of new villains and dramatic conflicts in Gotham which develop her relationships with family, friends, and fellow crime fighters.
While I like the overarching plot arc of this series, the issue to issue storylines are middling and Simone's writing leaves a lot to be desired. Plot developments often feel contrived or illogical and the writing strikes an awkward balance between playful and dramatic, neither of which consistently feel tonally satisfying. Though the series does improve greatly in the last third, I found most of this run average at best. I did however enjoy all the Batman crossover stories for Court of Owls, Zero Year, and Death of the Family and pretty much all the issues by Marguerite Bennett were a treat.
The art is certainly pleasing but is pretty standard mainstream super hero fare and never really had me engrossed. Colors are vibrant and the line work is solid but it just never feels particularly enticing. 6.75/10
While I like the overarching plot arc of this series, the issue to issue storylines are middling and Simone's writing leaves a lot to be desired. Plot developments often feel contrived or illogical and the writing strikes an awkward balance between playful and dramatic, neither of which consistently feel tonally satisfying. Though the series does improve greatly in the last third, I found most of this run average at best. I did however enjoy all the Batman crossover stories for Court of Owls, Zero Year, and Death of the Family and pretty much all the issues by Marguerite Bennett were a treat.
The art is certainly pleasing but is pretty standard mainstream super hero fare and never really had me engrossed. Colors are vibrant and the line work is solid but it just never feels particularly enticing. 6.75/10
October 10, 2025
Birds of Prey'deki başarısından sonra BoP ekibinde yer alan Barbara Gordon'un dönüş hikayesini daha iyi yazabilecek biri yoktur kuşkusuz. Gail Simone'un yazdığı kadın karakterler her zamanki gibi gerçekçi hissettirmeye devam ediyor. Barbara'nın ailesi ve arkadaşlarıyla olan ilişkisini, yaşadığı travmaları çok iyi aktarıyor.
Sorun şu ki Barbara gerçekten mucizevi bir şekilde iyileşip sahalara dönmeli miydi yoksa Oracle olarak devam mı etmeliydi? Ben ikinci taraftayım. Oracle olarak ne kadar harika olabileceğini özellikle BoP serisinde fazlasıyla kanıtlamıştı karakter. Tabii ki New 52 döneminde bir çok şey resetlendiğinden Batgirl'ü döndürdüler ama Batgirl'ün yerini doldurabilecek bir çok karakter halihazırda mevcut.
Sorun şu ki Barbara gerçekten mucizevi bir şekilde iyileşip sahalara dönmeli miydi yoksa Oracle olarak devam mı etmeliydi? Ben ikinci taraftayım. Oracle olarak ne kadar harika olabileceğini özellikle BoP serisinde fazlasıyla kanıtlamıştı karakter. Tabii ki New 52 döneminde bir çok şey resetlendiğinden Batgirl'ü döndürdüler ama Batgirl'ün yerini doldurabilecek bir çok karakter halihazırda mevcut.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews