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Batgirl, Volume 1: Batgirl of Burnside

(Batgirl (2011) #6)

Cameron Stewart (Goodreads Author) (Writer),

Brenden Fletcher (Writer),

Babs Tarr (Illustrator),

Irene Koh (Illustrator)

3.80 · Rating details · 6,088 ratings · 884 reviews

Barbara Gordon’s ready for a fresh start. She’s packing her bags, crossing the bridge, and heading to Gotham’s coolest neighborhood: Burnside. And when a freak fire burns up her costume and gear, Babs has the chance to become a whole new Batgirl!

But she barely slips on her new DIY costume before Batgirl starts trending as Gotham’s first viral vigilante — and attracting a ...more

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Hardcover, 176 pages

Published May 27th 2015 by DC Comics

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· 6,088 ratings · 884 reviews

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Start your review of Batgirl, Volume 1: Batgirl of Burnside

Feb 17, 2020 Jayson rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: format-comic-book, genre-superhero, genre-young-adult, read-in-2020, 100-199-pp, genre-crime, author-canadian, subject-batman-family, comic-book-trade, comics-dc-new-52

(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory
Notes: Initially irritating, it's fanatically faddish, full of frivolous fluff: dumbed-down, though different, and decent enough. ...more

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Apr 16, 2015 Anne rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: comics, arc, netgalley, graphic-novels, read-in-2015

Ouch. That was awkward.

description

I was crazy excited to read this, and Barbara Gordon is one of my favorite DC characters, so to say I'm massively disappointed right now would be an understatement. What. A. Letdown.
I'm not sure what Fletcher was going for here, but it felt like it was for children. Except not.
It's got too many adult situations in it to be a comic for kids. In the first issue alone, Babs gets drunk, can't remember that she was all over some guy the night before, and pukes some hangover ju ...more

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Apr 08, 2015 Sesana rated it it was ok

Shelves: comics, superhumans

(Received from Netgalley for review.)

I don't get it. I really don't get this book at all. I don't get why this just seems like the dumbed down version of Batgirl. The tone and the villains kind of feel like a kids' comic, but the actual content isn't entirely kid appropriate. Which makes the whole book feel kind of weird, almost like they were reaching for all ages and totally missed. And since I don't think that was the intention, it just feels weird.

Part of that vaguely "all ages" feel is beca ...more

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Jun 16, 2015 Chris Lemmerman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015-comics-and-manga-read

From what I can see, there are a lot of people (at least on the first page of reviews) that have read this book and not enjoyed it. I'm definitely not one of those people. Yes, this book is a huge departure from what's gone before, but it respects everything Barbara has been through and uses her continuity to tell its own story, and it's a massively different book to any other Bat-Book on the stands at the moment.

As Barbara moves across the river to the Burnside district of Gotham (hence the tit From what I can see, there are a lot of people (at least on the first page of reviews) that have read this book and not enjoyed it. I'm definitely not one of those people. Yes, this book is a huge departure from what's gone before, but it respects everything Barbara has been through and uses her continuity to tell its own story, and it's a massively different book to any other Bat-Book on the stands at the moment.

As Barbara moves across the river to the Burnside district of Gotham (hence the title), she basically starts a new life, with new friends, although her old ones are still around, and a brand new costume when hers is destroyed in a fire. Yes, there are a few teething problems, like the random disappearance of her current boyfriend Ricky, and the rift that builds between Babs and Dinah, but for the most part, this is a clean break from what went before and establishes itself very quickly.

It feels like a book that's very in touch with the people that it is aimed at - Babs feels like a typical late teens/early twenties hero, and the aesthetic of the book and the modernization of the storytelling through the use of more technologies and more modern villains and themes makes for a very different book than before. Yes, it's not going to be for everyone, but I feel that an adventurous new take like this is always going to be divisive.

Each issue is a self contained story with a common theme running through it which is resolved in the final two issues of the trade; it feels like a complete adventure, and easy to give to new readers so that they don't feel that they need to read extra books to make sense of what's going on. Each issue is varied and focuses on different villains and problems for Barbara whilst establishing her world through the relationships she forges.

The artwork by Babs Tarr over breakdowns from the legendary Cameron Stewart is fantastic and truly suits the tone of the book. Each page is packed with detail, and it really feels chunky and worth devoting lots of time to each page. It's amazing that the artists are able to draw all 6 issues of this trade, because usually artists take fill-ins after a few issues and with the level of detail on these pages, I'd have expected at least one. Yes, the 10 page story from Secret Origins is a different artist, but it's also a different book, so we'll let that one slide.

This book, as I've said, isn't for everyone, but it's a breathe of fresh air for the Bat-Line of titles and one that I was truly looking forward to reading, and wasn't disappointed with. Long live the Batgirl of Burnside! ...more

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Aug 28, 2015 Chad rated it did not like it

This book was basically the HBO show Girls with Hannah dressing up as Batgirl. To say I hated this book is an understatement. But then again, I'm not a 15 year old girl which is obviously the intended audience. I can only deal with so many self-absorbed characters in my comics, let alone real-life. I felt like I was reading about people I've worked with at startups. ...more

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Mar 14, 2018 Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 rated it it was ok

Okay... not sure how to phrase this but if you have never read a Batgirl comic before this series, you will probably enjoy this. If you've read quite a bit of Barbara Gordon's previous features, you will probably hate this. Unless you're better at compartmentalizing than I am because nothing about this felt like Barbara Gordon .

I have a problem with the trend of smarmy, snarky female characters in comics. Some began that way like Kate Bishop and I love her because that's the way she was writ ...more

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Jul 31, 2015 Carmen rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: Comic Fans

Recommended to Carmen by: B&N

Shelves: fiction, traditionally-published, he-says, canadian-author, published2015, graphic-novel

"Speaking of asses, dirtbag, yours is about to be totally kicked."

I was not feeling this one too much.

Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) has just moved to Burnside. Other notable characters: Dinah (Black Canary) and Frankie (Batgirl's roomie).

This is very technology focused. First, Batgirl must deal with a scumbag who has *checks notes* "cybernetic flash memory implants" or some shit. Anyway, he gets his jollies off on stealing people's personal information which is embarrassing and posting it online. For ...more

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May 21, 2015 Patrick rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: dc-comics, graphic-novels, graphic-novel-2015, batgirl

*Deep sigh*
When I first heard about and saw the image of the "New" batgirl, I knew that I probably wouldn't like it. I read the first issue, and it angered me. Now reading this just confirms my initial response. The current run of Batgirl up to this point, Gail Simone had done a great job of building up Barbara Gordon. I feel with this reboot, Yes it's a reboot. I don't care what the creative team says. Which they proudly and loudly proclaimed it wasn't a reboot. They turned Batgirl into this H *Deep sigh*
When I first heard about and saw the image of the "New" batgirl, I knew that I probably wouldn't like it. I read the first issue, and it angered me. Now reading this just confirms my initial response. The current run of Batgirl up to this point, Gail Simone had done a great job of building up Barbara Gordon. I feel with this reboot, Yes it's a reboot. I don't care what the creative team says. Which they proudly and loudly proclaimed it wasn't a reboot. They turned Batgirl into this Hipster type of hero. It doesn't work for me. In the first issue she makes a hooq account (Knockoff of tinder dating app) She saves the day by using her smart phone to stop the villain, who has stolen a friends personal data, and threatened to spread it on the internet. As well as a "Biker gang" called the Jawbreakerz, I believe. in the second issue. The villains through out this entire volume where horrific....ly Bad. Not interesting or entertaining in the least. This current creative team has turned one of my all-time favorite heroes into a character I wouldn't recommend to ANYONE. It makes me weep for the stories Gail Simone did, Death of the Family, That's Batgirl. That is a strong Woman. I get DC is trying to be more Inclusive and get a more diverse audience. Something that is good. But in doing so they have ruined a great character. They've turned Barbara Gordon into a Pretty little Liars character. Also I think they have been marketing this as an all age comic, It's not. The content, while not overly crude is too crude for that. I mean the first issue the real villain of the book is her fighting a Hangover! I do my best to always say something positive in a review, and here it is.
The artwork wasn't bad. That's it. Also be careful if You read this volume, and tweet about it negatively. As Cameron Stewart has been known to troll the hashtag and send his fans on the defense. I am hopeful maybe in a year or two, They will give Batgirl to another team, who can bring her back to her greatness.

I recieved an advanced copy of this book on Netgalley.com and from the publisher. ...more

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Apr 17, 2017 Chris rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: dc-comics

If I were playing a game of word association and someone said 'Batgirl' or 'Barbara Gordon', i'd say 'intelligent', 'capable' and 'headstrong', while thinking of one of the strongest female characters in comic history. If someone were to say 'Burnside Girl' (which is how I refer to this run), i'd say 'whiny', 'insecure' and 'moronic'. I realise i'm not the target audience for this book, but DC taking a character who was inspirational to everyone and turning her into a childish hipster for teen a If I were playing a game of word association and someone said 'Batgirl' or 'Barbara Gordon', i'd say 'intelligent', 'capable' and 'headstrong', while thinking of one of the strongest female characters in comic history. If someone were to say 'Burnside Girl' (which is how I refer to this run), i'd say 'whiny', 'insecure' and 'moronic'. I realise i'm not the target audience for this book, but DC taking a character who was inspirational to everyone and turning her into a childish hipster for teen audiences just baffles me.

To make matters worse, both DC and the creative team gave readers a metaphorical slap in the face by pretending that this wasn't a reboot. In reality though, it was an immediate, line-wide reboot that changed all things Batgirl, save for the Batman Arkham video games. From comic continuity, to merchandise and animated films, this selfie-loving, purple and yellow-clad dope is Batgirl now, whether you like it or not. Hilariously, DC continued the numbering of her series in singles issues (starting at #35), only to release this as Vol. 1 once everyone realised the first arc was effectively erasing Gail Simone's previous run and that this change in direction was to bring in new readers.

As many defenders of the book argue that those who don't like it are loyal Simone fans, I should point out that I really went off her Batgirl run during it's moody fourth volume and was optimistic about a new and supposedly more positive direction for the character. Sadly, it was all downhill from there.

Barbara Gordon packs her bags and moves to Burnside, a trendy hipster district that supposedly lies just one bridge away from Gotham City. There, she encounters a cybernetically-enhanced douchebag (complete with hashtags in his dialogue), anime biker girls and a crazed drag artist before facing off against the main villain in an almost cringeworthy ending.

The supporting characters in this book are forgettable but they come off well in comparison to Barbara, who suffers a horrible case of character assassination. Gone is the confident, smart young woman and in her place is some insecure goofball. The only decent character in this book is Black Canary, who calls Barbara out on her shit at every opportunity, although that still feels like the writers were making her the in-comic voice of their critics. Given how poorly writer Cameron Stewart handled the criticism of the series online, that's entirely plausible.

The lowest point of the book is when Barbara shuts everyone out after her new-found social media queen/celebrity status backfires on her. So much for a more positive direction, who's this miserable sap moping on a rooftop? The writers then proceed to retcon all of Gail Simone's character work and there you have it, Burnside Girl is officially the new status quo!

In the interest of fairness, i'll add that Stewart, Babs Tarr and Maris Wicks' artwork isn't bad, it's just not to my taste. Also, there was a nice flashback scene of a young Barbara and her father that was easily my favourite part of the book. As for the rest, I can't believe that DC are now basing all things Batgirl on this. While I appreciate that a lot of people like this book (as I mentioned, i'm not the target audience) I found this new direction borderline insulting. If DC do find an audience for Burnside Girl, I hope it was worth butchering one of their most iconic characters for. ...more

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Feb 18, 2016 Marpapad rated it liked it

[2.5 stars]

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Jul 26, 2015 Erica rated it it was ok

Shelves: bffs, police-pi-fbiciadodetc, women-and-girls, crime-does-not-pay, daddies-and-daughters, girlfriend-power, judging-the-book-by-its-cover, meh, ya, terribly-disappointing

Ugggghhhh.
This is exactly what I've come to expect from DC. It would seem Gotham Academy, Vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy was some sort of bizarre fluke, after all.

So why do superheroes have to be rebooted? Because wouldn't it make more sense to just mirror the real world and bring in new heroes? Not the next in line for this or that great hero name, but actual new heroes whom no one had ever heard of before they showed up in these pages? That's just kind of how time works. I get that Batman a ...more

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Sep 03, 2017 Shannon rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novels, dc, 2017, new-52, batgirl

This is basically YA Batgirl with some of the worst tropes YA has to offer. Have you always wanted girls in comics to hate each other and fight for no reason? Well thanks, you're part of the problem then.

I don't have any issue with tone changes, and how much I liked Gotham Academy is a testament to that. This was not the Batgirl I love though. (Also, wtf is up with Black Canary's character??) In regards to the tone, there are some really dark moments in this that are at odds with the overall fee ...more

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Feb 08, 2019 Scott rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was good but it pales in comparison to its forerunner, that being Gail Simone's outstanding and hard-boiled take on the character. Consider Ms. Simone's work as a four-star restaurant, so then this is strictly a fast-food version. Still, sometimes even a Big Mac and a Coke are satisfying, if not filling.

Anyway, Barbara 'Babs' Gordon moves to a trendy Gotham suburb and tries to be a diligent college student, but that pesky crime-fighter alter ego responsibility puts a strain on just about ev ...more

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Feb 29, 2016 Jeannette Nikolova rated it it was amazing

Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.

This is a love letter.

I know that not all of you will understand my infatuation with this particular graphic novel among all the books, comic or otherwise, that I have read and reviewed. I'm pretty sure at least one of you will and that's enough for me.

Looking back to two-three months ago, I'm pretty sure this is the first comic book issue I read in my adult life. That's reason enough to feel strongly about it.

HOWEVER,

the list of things I liked about ...more

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Apr 29, 2015 Steve rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: abandoned-books, sequential-art, read-in-2015, early-review-edelweiss

I received this from DC Comics and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Terrible. I'm not part of the target audience for this "new" Batgirl, obviously. This series went from a "grown-up" storyline to one focused on a much younger crowd, complete with drinking (and subsequent hangovers), no respect for authority, and a ton of teen and new adult angst. Nope, not for me. DNF @ 13%. ...more

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May 03, 2015 Pam rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: disappointing, dnf, pointless, bizarre, clunky, series, comics, superheroes, reboot

Lately, i haven't been giving star ratings to books that I didn't finish, but this was so spectacularly awful just after the first issue that I have to warn people away.

I know there was a brouhaha when Barbara was brought back and given the use of her legs again, thus nullifying Oracle and taking away one of the great representations of a PWD in comics. However, Gail Simone did a bang-up job with Batgirl, straddling a fine line between her new zest for life and the inner turmoil of her family. Lately, i haven't been giving star ratings to books that I didn't finish, but this was so spectacularly awful just after the first issue that I have to warn people away.

I know there was a brouhaha when Barbara was brought back and given the use of her legs again, thus nullifying Oracle and taking away one of the great representations of a PWD in comics. However, Gail Simone did a bang-up job with Batgirl, straddling a fine line between her new zest for life and the inner turmoil of her family. I admit that Batgirl made a Simone fangirl out of me, and I heartily wish DC would have kept her on, but after all that crap they pulled, I don't blame her for doing other awesome things.

I really love the character of Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, and the team on this particular run/reboot has completely peed all over Babs. This is horrible stuff. We suddenly flashback to Babs being in college again, but she moves to a hipster part of town with other hipsters (and away from Alysia, dangit!). Here she does stupid stuff like get drunk, make out with random dudes, and oh yeah, leave an incendiary in her van that's parked at Black Canary's dojo.

BOOM is right.

In the first issue, she fights a ... Social Media Villain. The kind of scumbag who posts your dirty laundry online. He's got goons running around Burnside (i.e. Hipster Gotham) stealing electronic devices and dumping their info into his giant server (um, no, that's not a euphemism. Moving on). Batgirl, of course, figures everything out and manages to ... scramble the bad guy's brain with a QR code. I think? I mean, for the love of Cthulhu, who is the target audience here? In Volume 2, will she solve a crime via Snapchat? Has anyone considered how ridiculously dated this will be in like six months?

I know Babs Tarr is up for an Eisner for her artwork. And the artwork is good, but it doesn't scream "Batgirl" to me. It's very poppy-yay-girly-pow-pow-fighting-woo-hoo. Everyone's got a button nose and interesting piercings and funky hair.

I will not be continuing with this run at all, unless they pull in someone else to write it. I'm off to go cry into my pile of Gail Simone Batgirls now. Thanks.

I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley. ...more

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Jun 05, 2015 Anna rated it liked it

I really liked the art and that's the main reason this gets three stars -- in reality, it's more like two and a half stars. This was just so freaking hipster that it was unreal. Not in a good way either!

Some artist guy pretending to be Batgirl to ruin her reputation, Barbara Gordon basically throwing tantrums when Dinah Lance (aka Black Canary) calls her out for her immature/inconsiderate behavior, and the storyline that centers around Barbara's thesis computer program overtaking an app that pe ...more

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Sep 03, 2017 Lauren Stoolfire rated it really liked it

Shelves: adventure, graphic-novels, sci-fi

This is my first ever Batgirl comic book! I'm only really familiar with the character from other media, though. While I felt out of the loop at times, the story is still more or less self-contained. I have to admit that I wish she was still a librarian or at least in training, but I'm still intrigued with this version of the character. I'm not all that familiar with DC characters, but I'd also like to get to know Dinah Lance better. I may be continuing this run in the future. ...more

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Feb 16, 2020 — nova rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018, young-adult, reviewed-or-ish, 4-stars, wishlist, first-in-a-series, love-the-art, poc, 2020-feb, queer

i understand why a lot of people didn’t enjoy this; it does pale in comparison to its predecessor. i went in with zero expectations and thought it was enjoyable. i really like the storyline - programs becoming sentient has always been really fascinating & simultaneously creepy to me.

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Mar 30, 2016 Dov Zeller rated it it was ok

Shelves: graphics-comics, middle-grade-ya, heroes-and-critters, war-and-fighting, not-for-moi, series

I went into this without ever having read any Batgirl comics but having recently read Ms. Marvell (after reading gr friends' praises.) I gave Ms. Marvell a 4 star rating, and that was mostly because I was excited to read an interesting variation on a female super hero. There was some nice diversity in there in terms of characters and predicaments. Ms. Marvel herself was complex and really struggling to figure out where she fits in with her Muslim family and the larger world of villains, heroes, ...more

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Mar 27, 2015 Lauren rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, superheroes

Electronic ARC provided by NetGalley.

There were a lot of things I really liked about this Batgirl reboot. First of all, Barbara's new costume is fantastic. I love the more utilitarian look of the outfit, emphasizing function over sex appeal. This is the kind of thing that I feel like a female superhero would actually wear. The art is dynamic and colorful, adding to the more youthful tone that the new creative team seems to be going for.

When DC started their New 52 line the thing that bothered m ...more

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Oct 09, 2015 Taylor Knight rated it it was amazing

I really loved the diversity of the characters.

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Nov 08, 2020 Kadi P rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews, batfam, mystery-for-the-soul, hoopla, 3-stars, ya, romance, epic-action, comics-graphic-novels, beautiful-covers

There's a quote from a review by IGN on the back of this vol that reads "not your daddy's Batgirl" and it couldn't be more accurate. This is your 14 year old's Batgirl. Washed down, perky, cute, and trying too hard to be hip and cool. Where's the character integrity? Not anywhere in this vol, that's for sure.

Barbara was so changed from what she once was regarded as that one of the other character's even pointed it out. I didn't really come here to see Babs fight villains based off of non-existe ...more

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Jul 14, 2015 Brian Poole rated it really liked it

Batgirl of Burnside provided the template for the post-Convergence DC Universe. How often does Batgirl get to do something like that?

As part of the New 52 reboot, DC took the opportunity to put Barbara Gordon, the most famous Batgirl, back in the suit. That involved a controversial cure for Barbara’s paralysis and erasing her long-running role as Oracle, one of the few superheroes with a physical disability. The reboot also shaved about a decade off Barbara’s age, knocking her back to her early ...more

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Apr 22, 2015 Michelle (In Libris Veritas) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, 2015, graphic-novels

First off I want to give a huge thank you to DC for approving me, because that has never happened before and it basically made my geeky little heart explode. Secondly, this graphic novel was so much fun!

Before I was huge into Marvel and same publishers DC was my main source of comic book goodness, that was pre-New 52 and I hung on for a while afterwards but the amount of comics I pick from DC have been few and far between since then. However everything I’ve read so far has been really great, and First off I want to give a huge thank you to DC for approving me, because that has never happened before and it basically made my geeky little heart explode. Secondly, this graphic novel was so much fun!

Before I was huge into Marvel and same publishers DC was my main source of comic book goodness, that was pre-New 52 and I hung on for a while afterwards but the amount of comics I pick from DC have been few and far between since then. However everything I’ve read so far has been really great, and I think that Batgirl is one of the best ones!

Barbara Gordon is off to Burnside, to get away from Batman (like pretty much all the other Bat family members) and to start a new life in Burnside across the river. She wants her own experiences without the taint of Gotham, and she wants to make her own mark as Batgirl. First off, kudos to her for getting away from Bruce…he’s such a downer sometimes and his proteges tend to do a lot better without him. Secondly her new costume is very awesome! It’s functional ,it doesn’t have unnecessary clinginess, and it honestly looks like someone who is a college budget can afford to put together. This new story for Batgirl seems to be aimed at the teenage audience, so it’s definitely got a more upbeat vibe to it than one of the normal Gotham fare. She’s not just a crime fighter anymore, she’s a college student who is using her smarts to help fight crime during the day as well. It also gets points for explaining the whole walking thing after the reboot, because while I’m super excited she’s no longer confined to being Oracle it’s still a hell of thing to recover from.

The story is action packed and full of cool little twists and turns. Her amazing memory and thinking come into play a lot and we get to see some true Batman family style sleuthing. The bad guys are a little more down-to-earth in terms of reality, and definitely not on the same scale as Joker or Catwoman…but they are dangerous in a difference sense. Barbara’s personality shift is explained, and I feel that the way she acts in this one could rub some fans the wrong way. But I’m just glad that despite being able to run around and kickbutt again, she is still using her brain and computer skills to bring down the bad guys. And of course the ever important mortality issue around vigilantes comes up again towards the end, so it will be interesting to see how much that affects her in the next set of issues. And the art is fantastic! I really love the character models and shapes in this one, and it stands out when compared to the super detailed and saturated world of DC.

Overall I think it’s a fun series that would be great to reach new younger audiences, and maybe even some of the older ones. I’ll be keeping up with the series from now own, even if it’s only through trade paperbacks, because it’s too good to miss out on. ...more

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Jun 28, 2015 Nancy O'Toole rated it it was ok

Shelves: superheroes, graphic-novels, library

So I think it's safe to say that reading this immediately after finishing up Gail Simone's run was a pretty big mistake.

On one hand, "Batgirl of Burnside" features of a lot of interesting elements. I love the new costume design. The artwork is appealing. I really enjoy the format a of a bunch of one shots that lead into a larger storyline. I also don't mind the lighter tone, as a fault of Simone's run is that it could feel excessively grim. Yet, at the same time I found myself kind of wishing t ...more

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Oct 08, 2018 Shannon rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-scifi, action, graphic-novels, books-reviewed

Batgirl moves to the artsy neighborhood of Burnside and comes across criminal activity through Smart Phones and Social Media. That's the big draw to this story and long overdue in the DC world.

OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus. ...more

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Apr 22, 2015 Mike rated it really liked it

Shelves: fun, i-want-to-draw-like-this, found-via-war-rocket-ajax, cautiously-optimistic

I was really jazzed by the concept of a reboot of a DC comic - even a well-regarded run by Gail Simone - into something pitched as fun, less serious, a little more grounded in real-girl problems. Fun art, a groovy costume redesign - how could this go wrong?

Then I saw the flood of reviews from GoodReads friends, and without re-reading them today, I'm going on the gut memory that they found the book boring, not well-written, a little disjointed or misfired. Disappointing all in all. Bummer.

So the I was really jazzed by the concept of a reboot of a DC comic - even a well-regarded run by Gail Simone - into something pitched as fun, less serious, a little more grounded in real-girl problems. Fun art, a groovy costume redesign - how could this go wrong?

Then I saw the flood of reviews from GoodReads friends, and without re-reading them today, I'm going on the gut memory that they found the book boring, not well-written, a little disjointed or misfired. Disappointing all in all. Bummer.

So the library recalled this book last week, which means I'm paying good money to keep this on my shelf, and I better just get the read over with.

What do *I* think, you ask half-heartedly? Well first off, I *love* the art - the character acting is wonderfully expressive and fun, and the action is fluid and graceful.

And the storyline is finally something *I* can relate to - tech and apps and data security and hacking and obscure pop culture and artisanal microbrew...*drool* This is definitely my kinda Barbara Gordon.

Aaaand then we come to the unfortunate moment when the male villain shows up in Batgirl's costumes. I didn't read this as "trans" suggestive until the climax when he goes off his nut, at which point I felt sufficiently squicked by the sudden psychopathic turn to trigger on the other trumped-up trigger here.

Yes, for those looking for a slight against trans people, this could be interpreted as such. However I see nothing in the villain's behaviours or speech to indicate anything other than someone who's stealing an identity and using the glam and shock value of cross-gender to elicit surprise.

Should the creators have anticipated this mistaken blowback? Maybe. It's too bad the surprise value of the reveal got washed out in the fury of gender politics, and we didn't just see this as an interesting if odd little storyline.

Other than that, I'm impressed how well the characters are handled. For a book with this many attractive females, it's nice to note they aren't heavily sexualized in either their costumes or their behaviour.

What isn't so impressive is the subplot about how capes are a menace to law&order, attention hogs, endangering people. It's a cliche of comics by now, and there's nothing new except which character is under scrutiny this time around.

Despite a couple of minor complaints, I really enjoyed this book. The writing seems unforced, the characters are interesting, the art is a blast to look at, and there's lots of potential for more fun in future volumes. Hope they stick with this team for a while.
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Mar 14, 2015 Alice rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: comic-books

I expected to like this but wow, I really hated it. What have they done to Barbara! Why is Batgirl now an annoying hipster? And the villains in this are laughable, they're so cartoony its almost childish and yet there is a weird imbalance with the more adult content about drinking, hangovers, sex and dating apps.

I do not like the new bat suit, the doc martens and leather jacket combination is so try-hard hipster it upsets me. All the integration of social media - it's everywhere - into the art ...more

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Jun 13, 2015 Stephanie rated it really liked it

I've been reading A LOT of comic books lately, but haven't really been listing them here on Goodreads. I do, however, have to make an exception for Batgirl of Burnside. It was freaking EXCELLENT.

Let me start by saying that I was really hesitant about even giving the "new" Batgirl a chance. I was charmed by Gail Simone's Batgirl and, after seeing previews of the first few pages of issue #35 thought this reworked version was not for me. I wasn't super down with the artwork and I thought the socia ...more

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