Batgirl, Vol. 1: Batgirl Rising

Batgirl (2009) (Old Trades)

by Bryan Q. Miller, Lee Garbett (Illustrator), Trevor Scott (Illustrator)

In the wake of "Batman R.I.P."and BATTLE FOR THE COWL, Stephanie Brown, the vigilante formerly known as The Spoiler and Robin has taken on the identity of Batgirl as she begins her nocturnal crusade to take back the night from the underworld. Now she has become the target of both Gotham City's heroes (who don't take kindly to a new person wearing the cape and the cowl) and its villains (who want to see the entire Bat-family six fee

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Superheroes, Batman, Graphic Novels Comics, Comic Book

168 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2011

About the author

Bryan Q. Miller is an American television and comic writer most notable for his work on the CW’s “Smallville” and DC’s “Batgirl.” (with Stephanie Brown as Batgirl)

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel sorry for Stephanie. She was Robin for about five minutes before being murdered by Black Mask. Does she get a memorial? Nope. DC editorial says she was never "really" Robin. Then she comes back from the dead and gets to be Batgirl- for about five minutes. Then New 52 comes along and she gets replaced by a de-paralyzed Barbara Gordon. So where's Stephanie now? Don't know, DC editorial forbids any appearance or mention of her.

I bring all this up because I really, really like Stephanie as Batgirl. She enjoys being Batgirl, even though she makes more than a few mistakes. It's the way that she reacts to her mistakes that really endears her to me: a moment of crushing embarassment, followed by diving right back in. And huge, huge bonus points to the artist for not oversexualizing her.

Babs plays a huge role here, as Stephanie's reluctant mentor. Their relationship dynamic (squabbling sisters covers it) is very fun to read. Almost as much fun as watching Damian interact with Stephanie.

I just wish there was more Stephanie to read. There are a couple more trades of her as Batgirl, sure. But all things considered (DiDio seems really hostile towards her as a character) I doubt her next appearance, if it ever comes, will end with her in a box.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't know much about Stephanie Brown before I started reading, and I'm honestly not sure if I really like her voice all that much...yet. However, this is worth reading anyway, because 50% of the book is Barbara Gordon's perspective on things as she reluctantly takes Stephanie under her wing.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable origin story for a new Batgirl.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes there's nothing better than an afterthought selection from the library (and libraries rock, BTW) that turns out to be an unexpected and/or hidden gem. Batgirl Rising, for me at least, was one of those books. You know - zero prior knowledge, zero expectation results in five-star rating.

Although I'm more familiar with her as Spoiler, I thought Stephanie Brown was really engaging as the new Batgirl. It's not quite an origin story so much as the 'first week on the job'-type of tribulations for a new crime-fighter. Whether verbally sparring with Damian's Robin (sounding amusingly like siblings who can't share the same sandbox) or breaking the ice with Barbara 'Oracle' Gordon to receive her blessing and assistance, I'd say this volume doesn't take a wrong step. (In fact, forget Batman & Robin -- Brown's Batgirl and Babs = the new dynamic duo.) When Batgirl swings into action during the first story's finale with "Every night we make sure everyone else gets to see tomorrow . . . HERE WE GO!!!" you damn well want to read her further adventures.

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a biased review cause I just love the Stephanie Brown character, so if you want an objective review you won't find it here.

Yes! Finally her own series, how does it read?! Great!

World: The art in okay, it's nothing special to write home about, the character models are good, though body position is a little bit off, however the facial expressions are great which is very important for a Steph Brown book. The world building here is also good, following in the footstep of Cain Batgirl and also the events of War Games and Final Crisis the status quo is certainly changed. Miller is able to create a little piece of Gotham for Steph to play in and that great, it kind of reminds of Brubaker and him creating the East Side for Selina Kyle to play in.

Story: The tone of this book is perfect, it matches Steph's character and the writing and pacing is exactly what a Steph Brown Batgirl book should be. This book feels very different from Cassandra's book and that's perfect because readers need to tonally feel the difference between a Cain and a Brown Batgirl book. The two tales in this book is good, because 1) it sets up the new status quo for Steph and also 2) sets up the expectations to readers what to expect from this Batgirl. The tone as I said is light, but still the stakes are high enough to keep reader's pulses running. It's great. I won't ruin anything but I can say that the book reads very much like Batman the animated series and also Tim Drake's Robin series, which is great.

Characters: I love Steph because she's possibly the most relatable of the Bat family characters. Cassandra, Kate, Dick, Jason, Tim and Damien all are very naturally gifted and it made sense when they stepped into a suit to fight crime. Steph is different, her upbringing and her past and her drive makes it different, she's normal, and she's unsure of herself and she's approachable. Her internal monologue in this series is exactly what it needs to be and her character's personal voice is very strong. Miller really nails the tone and her personality. Babs is also great in this book and much like what she did with Cassandra her guidance of Steph is great, this partnership is great because not only does it develop Steph as a character but also Babs. The rest of the cast so far have been pretty much cameos but they serve their purpose well for the story that Miller is telling. Good stuff!

I love this book, it's light, it's fun, and it's got Steph. She's just an amazing character, but as I said, I'm biased so take my words for what they are.

Onward to the next book!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Batgirl at whim, It exceeded my expectations. I love Stephanie Brown and her sister-mentor relationship with Barbara. Sadly, the ending is a bit anticlimactic. I love the Batfam so much.

[Jedhua · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Info: This collection contains Batgirl issues #1-7.


ABSOLUTE RATING: {2.5/5 stars} (Rounded Up)

STANDARDIZED RATING: <2/5 stars>



Stephanie Brown – former superhero Spoiler and current Batgirl – is starting her freshman year of college at Gotham U. She's still getting into the swing of things as an official superhero, and must learn to juggle schoolwork and regular nightly patrols, while avoiding raising her mother's suspicions about her extra-curricular activities. Meanwhile, Barbara Gordon – also known as the high-tech vigilante Oracle – struggles to find a productive way to channel her anger and escape the daily tedium that has become her life. Following Batgirl's intervention during a hostage situation in Gotham's western quadrant (nicknamed "Devil's Square"), Barbara quickly catches wind of Stephanie's involvement, and the two eventually strike up an uneasy partnership. Acting as mentor and intelligence analyst, Barbara helps Stephanie uncover the larger picture surrounding the Devil's Square incident, as well as begin to find purpose and fulfillment again in her life.

I guess I'll just start this review by discussing the general atmosphere of the book. If you're someone who loves positivity in your comic books, and prefers an easy read, chances are you'll absolutely *love* this. It's kind of strange I should choose to read this so soon after Invincible , but aside from that, I can't easily think of any superhero comic I've ever read that matches this one in terms of it's light-hearted tone. But take that with a grain of salt; if you know anything about me, you'd know this isn't the kind of comic I generally seek out and read, so I probably wouldn't be the person best equipped to compare this to whatever else is out there. But to someone like me, confronted by all this fluff and cheeriness, this felt almost like an an assault of positivity, and while that would have been bad enough for me already, there were several other detrimental issues that made this book a chore to read.

Miller's apparent sense of "humor" was a significant part of what I think contributed to the writer's intended feel for the book. While I'm sure he also hoped that his jokes would actually be funny, at least they did help the book escape being very serious. In my opinion, Stephanie's narrative voice simply isn't suited for good humor, and the times she tries to be clever or cute lead to – at best – corny punchlines. I'm not saying every joke had to be funny, but Miller tried a lot, and succeeded almost never. I also got the impression the attempted chemistry between Stephanie and Barbara was meant to have element of charm and wit to it, but I didn't really feel either, and was always relieved when the writing gave me a break from it all (no matter how brief).




[I think I'm still young enough to know that this isn't the type of joke that would either make a full classroom of college kids laugh, nor is it likely to attract the attention of a guy. Most students who could muster the energy to snicker would probably be doing so to be polite, and the whole class should forget about it within the next 30 seconds. Unfortunately, this is the level of humor abundant throughout the book, and it really seems the writer expects it to be funny.]

To be clear, this wasn't a book where everybody's holding hands and singing Kumbaya or anything, but for a non-children's book, this was pretty watered-down. Just like in the case of Invincible's Mark Grayson, Stephanie Brown is a protagonist that doesn't really have any serious problems or challenges to deal with as a fledgling superheroine. I mean, yeah, I did mention some stuff in my intro to this review that *sounds* like she's got stuff to worry about, but Miller never really takes things far enough to be interesting. Instead, what he does is place Stephanie in a philosophy class, and uses that as a platform to give readers the impression he means business. Questions about the nature of free will and sacrifice are brought up several times throughout the first arc (i.e. issues #1-3), but they're never explored beyond a very superficial level.



[If you as a reader honestly don't see this as corny, I'm not really sure what to tell you. But this is the kind of moralizing dialogue often used in children's cartoons.]


[Just take it from me: nothing Stephanie is facing here is particularly threatening or dangerous. It's just common criminals, and very many writers know better than to play it up to be something it's not. I guess he just did it because he thought it would sound cool. It didn't.]

And when Miller does finally try and turn up the heat a bit during the second arc (i.e. issues #5-7), I never really was able to take these situations seriously because I already learned he didn't have the stones to put Stephanie in any *real* danger. Oracle is always around to bail Batgirl out of trouble, and beyond losing sleep, missing some homework assignments, and her compulsive thrill-seeking, Stephanie's everyday problems seem trivial and mundane, even though they logically shouldn't.

The characterization in this book wasn't exactly terrible, but I definitely wouldn't call it inspired either. On the surface, and considering all she's been through over the years, it does sound like Babs should have some inner struggle going on, but Miller doesn't exactly handle that in the best way. The way I see it, she must have had quite a while (and many tests of character) between her accident with the Joker and now to come to terms with her situation; more than virtually everyone else, she ought to be the adult in the book. So by picking on and discouraging Stephanie out of some childish jealousy about being replaced as Batgirl, the woman proves herself to be an *emotional* cripple as well as a physical one. Out of everyone, I think I enjoyed Damian's character the most of all; his combination of fearlessness, pride, and clever retorts made his appearances the most fun and humorous points in the book.

In general, I think too great a portion of Miller's writing consisted of pretentious narration, weak humor, and somewhat frivolous teenage drama. At this point, I've checked out quite a few young adult superhero comics, and have really only been impressed with Ultimate Spider-Man . Although that comic does have many of the elements present in this one (i.e. "young people" jokes, adolescent insecurities, and a laid-back vibe), Bendis actually does a decent job of adding some fun and substance to his stories, led by a protagonist whose struggles I can actually get behind. I know it might sound a bit strange for me to say, but it's like Stephanie is having a little *too* much fun for me to have all that much while reading.


Postscript:

To further illustrate the lackluster writing in this book, let's explore the following two parts in the first arc (one of which I mentioned earlier) by way of example:







You'll have to forgive me for again hammering poor old Barbara by way of an example, but what can I say – she's just such a tempting target. In both cases, we have Ms. Gordon being called out for inappropriate behavior by two individuals that see right through her selfish tantrums. In the first instance, she made the silly mistake of letting her guard down at the worst time possible and unintentionally bearing her vulnerabilities to a girl with little more than half her life experience. You'd think that the combination of her increased age and superhero field-experience, as well as the psychological barriers constructed as a result of these things, would be enough to allow her to hold her own against someone like Stephanie. I'm sorry, but as a disciple of Bruce Wayne, this was nothing short of utterly pathetic. It wouldn't take some kids below the age of seventeen to do a better job than that.

The second situation portrays Barbara's first face-to-face encounter with detective Nick Gage. As the image would imply, she and Dick Grayson just recently had a bit of a falling out, and now Babs decides to take her anger out on Nick. Makes sense to far, right? To surmise that Barbara was just using him as a "punching bag" also makes sense, but for Nick to then say she was pretending he was someone else is pushing things. I suppose one might just chalk that one up to his experience interrogating criminals and reading people, but let's be real here; he had way too little information about Barbara at that time to jump to such a conclusion. Isn't it possible she was in a generally bad mood, and pissed off with no one in particular? I don't know about you, but that's sure happened to me before. If I had to guess, Miller just has trouble writing credible dialogue, and didn't really think these issues over before he sat down to write.

------------------------------------------------

And to end off: Can somebody please tell me how this rookie Batgirl can face off against big-time villains like Livewire (i.e. a Superman-level threat) and Scarecrow (i.e. one of Batman's most dangerous foes) with no plan and walk away with only minor injuries? Not only are things like this blindingly nonsensical – especially in the case of Livewire – but they also serve to trivialize the DCU in its entirety.





[How do you think Batgirl's suit fares against Superman's skin in terms of electrical insulation?]

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very solid introduction to Stephanie Brown as Batgirl that relies solely on the readers' connection with the titular character. There's a lot to like, with the interactions between Steph and Babs being a highlight, but it also struggles when it comes to plot. Much of it washes over you with little to no staying power and that's without bringing in the villains who are rather disrespected and made into a bit of a laughing stock.

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dans "Batgirl" de Miller & Perez, on suit la naissance de la Batgirl Stéphanie Brown, entre le souvenir de Cassandra Cain, le mentoring de Barbara Gordon et les fantômes de Batman.

Un récit fun, girl power, et qui ne néglige pas les story lines enrichissantes pour le batverse

[Emmett Spain · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Bryan Q. Miller, a staff writer on the TV series Smallville, comes a relaunch of the character Batgirl, with another new character donning the outfit.

Batgirl has been a difficult character for the DC universe, and the focus of much debate over the years. The original Batgirl, Betty Kane, was introduced in 1956 as a way to put an end to rumours of Batman & Robin’s “homosexual tension”, as suggested by Frederic Wertham’s famous book “Seduction of the Innocent”. She was abandoned in 1964, when the current editor felt the character was “too silly”. This made way for a later relaunch of the most popular Batgirl ever, Barbara Gordon. But after 20 years of appearing in Batman stories and other titles, Barbara was gunned down by the Joker in Alan Moore’s now infamous “The Killing Joke” story. Without the use of her legs, she took on the mantle of Oracle, the master of all things technological, providing hard to get information in support of DC’s heroes, and still packing a punch when the occasion called for it. Afterwards Helena Bertinelli briefly donned the mantle in the “No Man’s Land” arc, but decided being Huntress was better instead after a stern talking to from the Batman.

Which brings us to this relaunch… oh, wait. Not yet. There was Cassandra Cain next, a martial arts prodigy of Asian descent, and the third in-continuity Batgirl (Helena Bertinelli didn’t count, apparently). She was the first to have her own series, which lasted six years before Cain relinquished her role in 2006. Batgirl was gone… until we find out that Cassandra handed the mantle over to Stephanie Brown, who previously held the mantles of Spoiler and Robin.

Confused yet?

Thankfully, none of this knowledge is required to enjoy this story, or this character. Miller smartly drops us into Stephanie Brown’s world—that of an optimistic young trouble magnet with a college life and penchant for breaking promises. The character is a breath of fresh air in these sorts of stories which often take themselves far too seriously, and yet Stephanie seems somehow to fit within the environs of Gotham City. This is a smart take on what could have been a huge disaster, with a great mix of drama and humour.

The thing that makes this work is the focus on character, and the suitably dynamic art. Miller makes us like Stephanie, writing her boundless enthusiasm with wit and passion, without crossing the line into being annoying, which is so easy to do with this character archetype. The relationships feel real, and the conflict with Barbara Gordon over Stephanie’s decision to wear the mantle is well weighted and played out. Solid dialogue work rounds out the piece, elevating it over other comics of its type.

This relaunched character only lasted 3 books in the end, starting with this trade, before she was cast aside for the return of Barbara Gordon in DC’s New 52 relaunch, with Barbara having recently gotten the use of her legs back after extensive rehab. With that in mind, it’d be easy not to bother with this story, what with the character only existing for such a short time (24 issues total). But to do so would be to ignore a good writing, quality art, and a character worth following. Recommended reading for anyone looking for a female hero to cheer for.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smallville's Bryan Q. Miller gets the job of introducing the new Batgirl with former Spoiler Stephanie Brown picking up where Cassandra Cain left off. I've always liked the Steph Brown character, with all her flaws she's more human than a lot of the extended Bat-family and a lot more vulnerable. I'm sad to see Cassandra go though. Miller knows how to have fun with his character in these first 7 issues, which includes a highly amusing team-up between our heroine and the newest and most insufferable Robin. Imagine the most annoying ten year old who has ever whooped your backside at Call of Duty while trash talking in a squeaky voice and multiply by a factor of ten and you have the new Robin. Miller milks the the whole 19 year old girl teaming up with 10 year old boy dynamic to the full. Enjoyable.

[Aden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephanie Brown as a character owns real estate in my heart and she always will. Yes, I'm writing this late and it is shameful. I adored this book, this entire run was fantastic. I feel like they hit a great voice for a character that many loved and quite a few didn't. Stephanie gains the Batgirl mantle after the previous owner, Cassandra Cain leaves upon the death of Batman. They don't really touch much on her friendship, which is a shame as its a cornerstone for Cassandra's own Batgirl run. They do however explore a young woman trying to find herself and her place in a city of crime with a costume she isn't sure she owns. Spoiler alert, she owns it fine. If you like Stephanie or Batgirl in general, you'll enjoy this run.

[✩ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did Stephanie get a small time of being batgirl?Only three volumes?Come on!Barbara and Steph teaming up is a one-of-a-kind dynamic duo and make such a good team.I LOVE ITTTT SO MUCH!! :D

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some stupid reason, I thought there might be more boy-drama and catty in-fighting than there was. I'd been told to read this by someone with pretty good taste in books, so I probably shouldn't have doubted her.

The art is crisp and the writing is mostly on-point. The character is more interesting than I had hoped for. I'm following Stephanie in the current Detective Comics run so going back to previous interpretations of her had me a little nervous.

I'm planning to finish of the series today or tomorrow, but I'd definitely suggest anyone with an interest in this version of Batgirl to give it a shot. It's quite solid.

[Myles Likes Tacos and Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Podcast that made me want to do some Steph Brown research https://www.geekhistorylesson.com/epi... and Batgirl Rising did not disappoint.

This was a simple read , but I feel that it brought so much depth to all the characters. The dynamic Steph has with Damian and Babs is so enjoyable. The art too is perfect for a comic in a college setting.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Batgirl is a character that's really important to me, and this reread reminded me of why I so particularly love Stephanie Brown under the cowl. She is a Batgirl who represents second chances, believing in yourself when no one else does, and finding your way to hope. (She also has a sense of humor to rival Buffy Summers.)

[Laura Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stephanie Brown's Batgirl is great. Excellent representation for people went to uni in their home city. And some great character development for Oracle, too. This isn't a groundbreaking comic by any means, but it provides pretty much everything you could ask for from a Batgirl run.

[Kim (BritishLass929) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really more a Barbara Gordon than Stephanie Brown. But I am a sucker for a solid Babs story. This one is solid. Although the Scarecrow/toxin storyline has been overused in Bat-lore, the story of Babs trying to heal herself is one that needed to be told then. It also needs to be told now.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg I adore Steph. She's a fresh humor air and her relationship with Damian is hilarious. Bet Babs will make Steph a great successor after Cass...

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve wanted to read this for a while as it is pretty highly rated. The first two issues were not that great but it really picked up after that and turned into a solid introduction for Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl. Worth a read for sure!

[MC · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was some considerable controversy among comic book fans when DC Comics chose to make Barbara Gordon the post-New 52 reboot Batgirl once again. Not only did the editors at DC replace Stephanie Brown with Barbara Gordon, but they rewrote the continuity so that Brown was never Batgirl to begin with.

After reading the first volume of Brown's stint as Batgirl, Batgirl Rising, I can say that, as much as I like Babs, I'm really disappointed as well. Stephanie Brown is an amazing Batgirl, because she is so relatable. She is smart, fit, and a trained fighter, to be sure. But she is also refreshingly normal. She isn't one of the top martial artists in the world, as Bruce is, or an Olympic level gymnast like Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson (Nightwing) is. Nor does she have the genius level intellect that Batman and Tim Drake (the third Robin, Red Robin post-reboot) have, and isn't built like a tank like Bats and Jason Todd (the second Robin) are. She is a smart, tenacious girl who just wants to make up for her mistakes and the mistakes of her family. I love this about her.

What was also neat was her relationship to the original Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, who, in this pre-reboot continuity is still the physically-disabled information broker Oracle. At first, Babs is very hostile to Stephanie becoming Batgirl. While part of this is Babs' concern over how Brown nearly died the last time she fought crime, this is more of a case Barbara being somewhat jealous of Brown's taking up the mantle when she is unable to do so. When she realizes this, she decides to become a mentor in order to better protect and help Stephanie by guiding her. In a way, her relationship to Stephanie is reminiscent of an elderly Bruce's mentorship of Terry McGinnis in Batman Beyond.

I also enjoyed the family dynamic between Steph and her mom. It was really sweet, and a breath of fresh air in the sometimes somber Batman family titles.

I can say now that I, too, loved Stephanie Brown as Batgirl, and really hope DC brings her back into the current continuity for a prominent role once again.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good first volume of the Stephanie Brown Batgirl character. Oracle/Barbara Gordon is a featured player, and there are some good scenes with Dick Grayson as Batman and with Damian Wayne as Robin.

There's not a lot of exposition to let a reader know what's going on. There are references to Stephanie's past as Spoiler and Robin, as well as her romance with Tim Drake, but nothing explains what happened in her past to get her where she is in this book. Likewise, this story takes place after Batman's death in Final Crisis, but not a lot of information on that, either.

In some ways, it's also Barbara Gordon's book as well. I'd have to check if Birds of Prey was still being published, because there's no reference to the Birds, and Barbara has a lot of personal stuff going on here.

Still, this was an enjoyable book. I'll be reading up on the next couple volumes (before the New 52 hits) soon.

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had been a long time since I'd read a superhero comic that was so, well, FUN. I had read a little of Stephanie Brown as Spoiler, mostly as related to that horrible War Games story arc years ago.

But here, she's a breath of fresh air -- in the same way that Invincible: The Ultimate Collection, Volume 1 was for me in the past. The book is funny and witty. And it includes Oracle as Batgirl's mentor (one of my favorite comics characters). Batgirl doesn't know what she's doing, and she screws it up frequently. But you come to root for her because she makes you happy.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am such a sucker for Damian I cannot rate this objectively, I can't even talk about it sanely... I know in my heart of hearts two things. (1) When I had the chance I barely read much that featured Damian so I always wonder why I seem to be so obsessed with him now. Hmm, actually I guess I know the reason... he's dead. It changes everything. (2) There was a two but I keep thinking about how he's dead now and it makes sad all over. At least he's alive and well in Batman: Li'L Gotham #1 being is adorable badass self!

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun and action packed volume! I am new to Batgirl, but I got filled in pretty quickly about who Stephanie Brown was and how she became the new Batgirl. I liked seeing the Oracle as part of the support cast in the series and I can't wait to see more of her.

As for the villains. There was a whole host of them! But I must say that Scarecrow creeped me out the most!

The interaction between Batgirl, Robin and Batman is also great! Overall I enjoyed this story and will most certainly continue!

Illustrations: 4 stars
Story: 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 stars

[Heatherblakely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading these all out of order but WHATEVER, it's fine.

Likes: Babs! Love the conversations between Barbara and Stephanie, love seeing their inner monologues and how they compare to each other.

Dislikes: The women always question themselves. Am I doing this correctly? Can I beat this person? Oh, I did that thing successfully but it was totally an accident. These women are strong and can kick ass and I just wish they were a little more confident.

Stephanie is fine, but Barbara is still my favorite Batgirl so far.

[Jacobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fantastic! Granted, it isn't super deep or anything, but it is incredibly fun (in the fashion of Spidey books). I've been looking for an in back to current DC comics again, and this is it. This book is charming, funny, and full of heart. I did not give two fucks about Stephanie Brown before this, which is saying something because I'm a big bat-family dork, but now she's one of my favorite characters.

[Althea J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fresh and young take on the Batgirl character. And a straight up fun read! I also dug the mentor relationship between Stephanie Brown's Batgirl and former-Batgirl Barbara Gordon. Really, this book is just a breath of fresh air within a Batfamily that is otherwise dark and angsty. I really enjoyed reading Bryan Q. Miller's take. I only wish his run went longer.

[Anna Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never read anything with Stephanie Brown before, but I really did enjoy this and I plan on getting the other two volumes if possible. I'm still trying to catch up on all the Bat-family continuity, but I do like the rapport between her and Barbara (aka Oracle) and the complex relationship between them and the Batman/Robin team (Dick and Damian).

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a first time reader this was a nice lead into Steph’s run as Batgirl. I really liked how it showed her determination even in the face of bad odds and lack of training. Liked and disliked her relationship with Babara which felt at times realistic and at other times like the writers couldn’t fathom two women supporting each other and being friendly in a mentor / mentee situation.

[the Kent cryptid · Rating 4 out of 5]

An underwhelming plot (something about evil property developers and a gambling-themed villain), but I loved this for how it showed Steph coming into her own as Batgirl and her lovely relationship with Babs.