Gail Simone is known best for writing female characters.  She has a large fanbase of fans who love her portrait of Barbara Gordon as Oracle.  She has now taken Barbara Gordon out of the wheel chair and back in the action.

Overall she has done a really good job.  The characters are likeable and relatable.  She introduces her new artsy roommate and I actually care about her.  Her line about ‘bonding over thing we hate’ is very charming.

There are still plenty of mysteries to solve.  How did she get out of the chair?  What happened to the past Batgirl?  Does Batman know about this?  How does she afford a kickin’ motorcycle when she can’t afford rent?  and most importantly why does the mirror want to kill her?  All good enough to get me next issue too.

I’m not so sure I like everything about the new Batgirl.  She seems a little unsure ‘Alley McBiel’ for me, but I appreciate the relatable thought boxes that get us into her psyche and I”m sure she’ll get her act together fast.

The art was a great surprise.  Syaf adds a lot of detail.  The big splash pages are very good, but I actually like the smaller expressions best.  1) The bald man at the beginning, 2) commissioner Gordon drinking coffee 3) even the guy in the ghost sheet shows a lot of expressiveness and body posture to give him personality.

B+   —-   Don

It’s hard to go up in quality after an Art Adams cover, and I was expecting  a lot from the new Batgirl comic if DC was going to go rock the boat and bring Barbara Gordon out of the Oracle role and back as Batgirl. There is no explanation yet as to how she’s up and swinging from rooftops yet, but it doesn’t seem like her stint as Oracle is out of continuity either. The art is neat, even if it isn’t Adams, though some of the larger panels could have used better anatomy detail.

I’m  also a Gail Simone fan, so I’m on board for at least a few more issues of this book, and like many, it seems like future issues could hurt or help my appreciation of this story in retrospect, and I’m betting on the latter.

B  —- Ed

I agree with my colleague Ed on the art — what a fantastic cover by Art Adams. But I thought that the artwork inside is quite good and pretty. Lots of good stuff that isn’t distracting. I think in general, all elements of the comic should serve the story — not one thing should necessarily stand out from the rest.  So, Gail Simone is a good writer and I’m on board for awhile. Hopefully, she will answer the all important questions in future issues. (She wasn’t that forthcoming at the Comic Con panel).

How did Barbara get out of the chair? How long ago did it happen (not long ago it seems). Why does she have to move to a new apartment? Does she still have her computer and all her Oracle stuff? What happened to the “Birds of Prey” team?

I did like the fact that Barbara is struggling with being back in the action and dealing with her own injury and her brutal attack. I also appreciate the fact that Gail Simone is not completely dropping where Batgirl has been the last 3 years. That gives me hope that all of our questions will/should be answered. Hopefully. Because if they’re not, there will be a price to pay, if the questions about this book in particular and the emotional scene at the DC panel at Comic Con is any indication.

What I didn’t like? The fist-bump between Barbara and her new roommate. Really? A fist bump? Do people do that except as a joke? (Grrrr, shudder….)

But I’m on board with Batgirl. Looking forward to issue #2 and the rest. Ms.Simone don’t let us down.

B+     —–Kelly