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11th out of 118 books
—
29 voters
Batgirl, Vol. 1: Batgirl Rising (Batgirl III #1)
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...more
Paperback, 168 pages
Published
June 7th 2011
by DC Comics
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Feb 26, 2011
Michael
rated it
4 of 5 stars
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review of another edition
Shelves:
graphic-novels,
review
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 insufferab...more
A superheroine with boobs that aren't the size of the moon?! Excellent!
Batgirl Rising is the first trade with Stephanie Brown as Batgirl, after her previous existences as The Spoiler and Robin, and it's initially an origin story for her.
In the first half or so of the graphic novel, we follow Stephanie as she takes up the mantle of Batgirl, and how Barbara Gordon (The original, and now returning, Batgirl) reluctantly comes through to support her. The second half deals more with the initial distru...more
Batgirl Rising is the first trade with Stephanie Brown as Batgirl, after her previous existences as The Spoiler and Robin, and it's initially an origin story for her.
In the first half or so of the graphic novel, we follow Stephanie as she takes up the mantle of Batgirl, and how Barbara Gordon (The original, and now returning, Batgirl) reluctantly comes through to support her. The second half deals more with the initial distru...more
You'd think, Batgirl? Isn't she one of the weaker extended Gothamite heroes? Isn't she just like filler for teenagers? Yes! And yes! This is precisely why this comic is awesome. Spoiler became Robin who got fired and she tried to impress Batman and accidentally almost destroyed Gotham City and then got "killed" by Black Mask who tortured her, well, to death. She didn't actually die, though, but everyone still hates her especially when the previous Batgirl abandons her uniform to "new" Batgirl an...more
I'm not a comic book reader. In fact, this is the first graphic novel I've ever read, and the first comic I've read since the late 1960s. But I read a review of it, and I'm a sucker for origin stories, so I thought I'd try it.
Since I'm no expert at comics, and not really a visual person, I'll stay away from reviewing the drawings. They seemed perfectly fine to me, and I admit that I liked the fact that all of the women characters wore clothes that covered their whole body.
The story being told,th...more
Since I'm no expert at comics, and not really a visual person, I'll stay away from reviewing the drawings. They seemed perfectly fine to me, and I admit that I liked the fact that all of the women characters wore clothes that covered their whole body.
The story being told,th...more
It's refreshing to find a witty, character-centric series amongst all the grimdark crossover garbage that the Big Two have been pumping out for the last couple of years. Miller deftly handles the multi-layered relationships between the Bat-family members - no small feat. He does so without descending into gratuitous melodrama or sacrificing the series' focus on a new Batgirl trying to establish her credibility.
Miller's pacing and dialogue remind me a lot of Gail Simone at the top of her game, or...more
Miller's pacing and dialogue remind me a lot of Gail Simone at the top of her game, or...more
This volume takes place during the Batman Reborn continuity where Batman is presumed dead at the hands of Darkseid's Omega Sanction and Dick and Damian have assumed the mantle of Batman and Robin. But this graphic is about Batgirl.
Or Batgirls...more to the point.
Cassandra Cain became Batgirl during "No Man's Land", but gives the mantle up here as she believes Bruce is dead. She was fighting his war and with him gone, she sees no need to stay Batgirl so she hands the cowl over to Stephanie Brown....more
Or Batgirls...more to the point.
Cassandra Cain became Batgirl during "No Man's Land", but gives the mantle up here as she believes Bruce is dead. She was fighting his war and with him gone, she sees no need to stay Batgirl so she hands the cowl over to Stephanie Brown....more
This trade collects issues 1-7 of Brian Q. Miller's Batgirl series.
Batgirl starts in the shadow of the events of Batman:RIP. Bruce Wayne is dead (for the time being anyway) and the various members of the "Bat-Family" are dealing with the fallout. For Stephanie Brown, this means trying to give up wearing the bat emblem and live a normal life. This doesn't really work for her. She ends up taking the Batgirl costume from Cassandra Cain (who is successfully leaving the bat in her past) and continuin...more
Batgirl starts in the shadow of the events of Batman:RIP. Bruce Wayne is dead (for the time being anyway) and the various members of the "Bat-Family" are dealing with the fallout. For Stephanie Brown, this means trying to give up wearing the bat emblem and live a normal life. This doesn't really work for her. She ends up taking the Batgirl costume from Cassandra Cain (who is successfully leaving the bat in her past) and continuin...more
I like Stephanie Brown. People who are both reckless and talented are not always fun to be around, but they're great to read about, so on the page Stephanie is a lot of fun. Bryan Miller writes well as a girl (both as Batgirl and Oracle) and the plot is easy to follow and makes a good Batgirl story.
I stand behind my other Batgirl reviews that as a character, no matter who she is, Batgirl doesn't stand up well as a hero by herself. In this case, having Oracle for back-up is perfect. Oracle is ob...more
I stand behind my other Batgirl reviews that as a character, no matter who she is, Batgirl doesn't stand up well as a hero by herself. In this case, having Oracle for back-up is perfect. Oracle is ob...more
Going into the new Batgirl series (Volume 3) I was ready to expect anything. Mostly, I've heard lots of people talk about how much they dislike Stephanie Brown. And then I also knew that Bryan Q. Miller is known for his Smallville work, a show which I hate - although, I only saw episodes from before he was working on the show.
But, I still wanted to read it since it's part of everything that is (was) happening in Gotham and I like seeing all the different angles of the post-RIP Gotham. And also,...more
But, I still wanted to read it since it's part of everything that is (was) happening in Gotham and I like seeing all the different angles of the post-RIP Gotham. And also,...more
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 B...more
I bring all this up because I really, really like Stephanie as B...more
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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 u...more
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 u...more
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 u...more
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 u...more
Written by Smallville regular Bryan Q. Miller, Batgirl is a new series about Stephanie Brown as she tries to carry on the mantle the previous Batgirl left behind. Stephanie enters college and tries to hold up to standard with Cassandra Cain's tough but silent approach, but she'll need Oracle's help if she is to succeed.
I really liked this collection. The writing is solid, a nice mix of some previous rogues and further adventures of fan favourite Stephanie Brown. I really didn't like her in the W...more
I really liked this collection. The writing is solid, a nice mix of some previous rogues and further adventures of fan favourite Stephanie Brown. I really didn't like her in the W...more
The disappearance of Bruce Wayne sent shockwaves through the Bat-family. Having been denied rooftops games as both Spoiler and Robin, Stephanie Brown finds herself in possession of Cassandra Cain's Batgirl outfit. Seeing it as a new lease on crimefighting life, Steph kicks the tires and finds herself face-to-face with the original Batgirl herself - Barbara Gordon. This volume does a nice job of setting up the Babs/Stephanie dynamic, as well as her relationship to the Dick and Damian Dynamic Duo....more
I hadn't known much about this particular character (or any Batgirls since Barbara Gordon), but Bryan Q. Miller (a writer for Smallville, and a fellow Loyola New Orleans alum) builds a really excellent character that scratches my Buffy the Vampire Slayer itch better than Buffy's actual comics.
This really delivers so much of what I love about the Batman / Gotham corner of comics - but without the plodding emo/darkness that bedevils so much of those stories. If you want a strong, relatable, well-c...more
This really delivers so much of what I love about the Batman / Gotham corner of comics - but without the plodding emo/darkness that bedevils so much of those stories. If you want a strong, relatable, well-c...more
Aug 17, 2011
Zara Mcaspurren
added it
Recommends it for:
Fans of superhero stories in which there is still some humour
While I have to admit to being entirely hesitant to read Steph-as-Batgirl when the series started, I have to also admit that I really shouldn't have been. Bryan Q. Miller brings us a young girl who is growing up - both in and out of mask - and gives a sense of humour in the otherwise grim Bat books. Steph Brown as Batgirl is sweetly endearing; you smile at her triumphs, and want her to do well because she's so very real in her feeling. She makes mistakes, and she makes smart remarks, but she doe...more
If you, like me, were not a fan of Stephanie Brown as Spoiler or Robin, I encourage you to read this series. Stephanie really comes into her own as Batgirl, and most readers will be able to relate to her story now that she's becoming the person (and hero) she was meant to be. This storyline takes a character that's made a lot (and I mean a LOT) of mistakes, and shows how that all comes together to make a really fantastic superheroine. The art is gorgeous as well, and Stephanie's got a lot of mem...more
Stephanie Brown is slowly but surely becoming more likable. I know some people felt otherwise, but I enjoyed the Flood arc. Oracle is well-written, and I love the insights we get from her through the storyline. Also, always good to see Calculator wreaking havoc, and Wendy developing into an awesome character who will apparently become O's protege.
The art was overall pretty good, and Miller's writing is reminiscent of Simone's witty banter between characters. His development of the relationship...more
The art was overall pretty good, and Miller's writing is reminiscent of Simone's witty banter between characters. His development of the relationship...more
I was curious about Stephanie Brown Batgirl so I decided to give this series a shot. This is the intro book where you find out how she gets the mantle, her and Oracle get on the same page and she joins the Bat Family.
This is almost as much Oracle's book as it is Stephanie's which made me really happy. I loved watching the two of them interact and then getting Damien and Dick to see that they really did all belong together. It was also nice to see Stephanie giving college and doing normal things...more
This is almost as much Oracle's book as it is Stephanie's which made me really happy. I loved watching the two of them interact and then getting Damien and Dick to see that they really did all belong together. It was also nice to see Stephanie giving college and doing normal things...more
DC continues to work at keeping legacy characters in print, if for no other reason than copyright (see Marvel's continued publication of She-Hulk). After destroying Cassandra Cain's character they bring back Stephanie Brown, the former Spoiler. Stephanie is getting tutored by Barbara Gordon, the second Batgirl, both in being Batgirl and as one of her college instructors. Some good work at trying to lay out Stephanie's character and setting. What I enjoyed most was the interaction, even though mi...more
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,...more
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,...more
Jumping around in DC the way I have been, I was expecting this to be a Barbara Gordon Batgirl. Honestly, I didn't know there were any others! (I know, I know. Bad comic fan!) But this particular Batgirl was formerly The Spoiler, a character I'd read and enjoyed in one of the other graphic novels (a Teen Titans or a Nightwing, I think). And seeing her in this new light is wonderful.
Being a Vol 1 of a (hopefully) long running series means that there's quite a bit of set-up in it. We find out why S...more
Being a Vol 1 of a (hopefully) long running series means that there's quite a bit of set-up in it. We find out why S...more
Cassandra Cain steps back as Batgirl and passes her costume on to her friend Stephanie Brown - former Spoiler and for a short time Robin. This book shows her first steps in the new identity that doesn't go without problems, of course. Neither the ne Batman and Robin nor her predecessor Barbara Gordon/Oracle are impressed by the new steps of the flawed vigilante and Steph's mother isn't allowed to know that she is still playing the nightly hero. So she has college to deal with during the day.
The...more
The...more
Light, fun, though not especially memorable. This is fairly accessible to readers who aren't immersed in superhero comics, but I suspect there are enough references to past events/relationships to please the regular crowd as well. Occasionally, though, I was a bit disturbed by the tone, the focus on Batgirl as "girl" rather than woman. (I am pretty sure that a trade PB about a male character taking over a superhero persona would not ever use the phrase "playing dress up.") Sigh.
I love Bryan Q. Miller 's Batgirl beyond words. He does an amazing job of creating a character who is both fantastic and relatable. She's a college student who's a bit insecure about her life, but she's also able to kick ass because she knows that it's the right thing to do.
The relationships and characterizations in this book really make it.
The relationships and characterizations in this book really make it.
hmm. a Gotham character i actually like. who'd a-thunk? it's interesting watching Stephanie develop into her new role. there are some hilarious (yet somehow not too over-the-top) plot arcs, the bestest being her teaming up with the sociopathic Robin. i had heard about, but not seen, Barbara Gordon being Oracle. she is teh awesome. wish the damn book wasn't out of print or i would force my book club to read it.
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.
So maybe Stephanie Brown is a little bit Buffy, but hey, that's not a bad thing. And her arc, though more than a little confusing if you're not familiar with the backstory (when I first read it, I didn't even realize who was in the batsuit), is really fantastic. Great story, great art. Let's hope she shows up again in the new DCU because Steph is worth more page-time!
This is such an amazing addition to the Batgirl storyline. I really get behind the character development, and heaven knows I love to see Barbara Gordon in action as Oracle (yes, I DID once base an entire collection development assignment in library school around a Gotham city library dedicated to BG.) The art is gorgeous. The characters are just angsty enough. LOVE!
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.
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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)
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