Reviews
Batgirl, Vol. 1: Beyond Burnside, by Hope Larson, Raphael Albuquerque, Deron Bennett, Dave McCaig
elturko64's review against another edition
2.0
I was excited to read this mainly because Barbara Gordon is one of my favorite characters in the DC mythos. But this book is a disappointment. A forgettable read with generic pacing and uninspiring writing. The premise is Barbara goes backpacking in Asia and comes across a criminal conspiracy. There were some cool moments like Barbara coming across an elder crime fighter and getting into MMA. But outside of those moments the rest of the comic was a letdown.
trike's review against another edition
3.0
I'm giving this 3 stars assuming this book is aimed at pre-teen girls. As I'm a man in my 50s, I am clearly not the target audience.
If most superhero books are male power fantasies, this is definitely female adventure fantasy. It's lightweight and cute and Batgirl is apparently independently rich after having developed an app (at age 16, I would guess), but she doesn't have any responsibilities running her company since she can just jet off to Asia on a whim.
She just-so-happens to meet her hunky ne'er-do-well friend Kai who is clearly up to some no-good shenanigans involving costumed supervillains, and they grew up together in Chicago where her dad, Commissioner Jim Gordon, lectured them about how "kids of cops turn into either cops or crooks." Babs has gone one way while Kai has gone the other. But he's ever so dreamy! A bad boy, to boot!
Don't worry, none of that was a spoiler -- it's the first 2 pages.
I picked this "Vol. 1" up because the over-the-logo masthead declares "DC Universe Rebirth". So I assumed DC rebooted their universe yet again. Not so much. As with the previous restarts, this is very clearly a continuation of the previous Batgirl comic. Not only is that evident from what happens in the story, at one point the editor note implores the reader to check out Batgirl Vol. 3 for more info on an obscure reference she just dropped. Which makes this renumbering merely a marketing ploy to draw in new readers. Shameful.
Just make each story a standalone, if that's what you're aiming for. Jim Shooter, when he edited Marvel back when *I* was a pre-teen, said that every issue was someone's first issue. Which meant they had a quick recap of previous adventures if that was necessary, but usually meant each comic told a complete story. Restarting the numbering scheme just ends up being stupidly confusing.
Anyway, Kai is clearly an idiot, since the green-eyed, red-haired 5'6" Barbara Gordon always mysteriously disappears when the green-eyed, red-haired 5'6" Batgirl shows up, and vice versa. Her outfit has changed at some point, revealing even more of her face, too. But hey, comics.
The art is serviceable. It's weird how her footwear keeps changing from high-top sneakers to knee-high combat boots, but whatever. These are not things 10-year-olds are likely to notice. Nor the fact the story is fairly silly. (I mean even beyond the inherent silliness of superhero comics.) It's just a romp.
If most superhero books are male power fantasies, this is definitely female adventure fantasy. It's lightweight and cute and Batgirl is apparently independently rich after having developed an app (at age 16, I would guess), but she doesn't have any responsibilities running her company since she can just jet off to Asia on a whim.
She just-so-happens to meet her hunky ne'er-do-well friend Kai who is clearly up to some no-good shenanigans involving costumed supervillains, and they grew up together in Chicago where her dad, Commissioner Jim Gordon, lectured them about how "kids of cops turn into either cops or crooks." Babs has gone one way while Kai has gone the other. But he's ever so dreamy! A bad boy, to boot!
Don't worry, none of that was a spoiler -- it's the first 2 pages.
I picked this "Vol. 1" up because the over-the-logo masthead declares "DC Universe Rebirth". So I assumed DC rebooted their universe yet again. Not so much. As with the previous restarts, this is very clearly a continuation of the previous Batgirl comic. Not only is that evident from what happens in the story, at one point the editor note implores the reader to check out Batgirl Vol. 3 for more info on an obscure reference she just dropped. Which makes this renumbering merely a marketing ploy to draw in new readers. Shameful.
Just make each story a standalone, if that's what you're aiming for. Jim Shooter, when he edited Marvel back when *I* was a pre-teen, said that every issue was someone's first issue. Which meant they had a quick recap of previous adventures if that was necessary, but usually meant each comic told a complete story. Restarting the numbering scheme just ends up being stupidly confusing.
Anyway, Kai is clearly an idiot, since the green-eyed, red-haired 5'6" Barbara Gordon always mysteriously disappears when the green-eyed, red-haired 5'6" Batgirl shows up, and vice versa. Her outfit has changed at some point, revealing even more of her face, too. But hey, comics.
The art is serviceable. It's weird how her footwear keeps changing from high-top sneakers to knee-high combat boots, but whatever. These are not things 10-year-olds are likely to notice. Nor the fact the story is fairly silly. (I mean even beyond the inherent silliness of superhero comics.) It's just a romp.
casthefanby's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Blood
localalienparty's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
modknight's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first Batgirl. I look forward to reading more in this series.
tdwightdavis's review against another edition
3.0
The art in this book is stunning. Maybe the best art I’ve seen in a book recently. But the story is so bad. The antagonist is literally a teacher trying to help students pass an exam. Too bad Hope Larson’s writing couldn’t do Rafael Albuquerque’s art any justice.
britterization's review against another edition
3.0
I tried the Stewart/Fletcher version of Batgirl, and it did NOT do it for me, but I thought this was a lot of fun! I hope we get more character development in future issues, but this was a much improved start. 4 stars.
acal's review
4.0
A great starting point for the new adventures of Barbara Gordon! The art and story are fantastic.