Batgirl: Stephanie Brown—Volume 1

Comic Info

Batgirl (2) #1

Reprints Batgirl (2) #1-12 (September 2009-September 2010). Stephanie Brown hasn’t had it easy. The daughter of the Cluemaster, she started fighting crime by turning against her father as the Spoiler. When she was recruited as Robin by Batman, Stephanie was on top of the world…until she “murdered” by Black Mask. Now, Stephanie is back and setting out again as the new Batgirl. With Barbara Gordon guiding her as Oracle, Stephanie is out to reclaim her life and protect the city she loves…even if it seems like everyone is against her.

Written by Brian Q. Miller, Batgirl: Stephanie Brown—Volume 1 is a DC Comics Batman spin-off title. The collection features art by Lee Garbett, Trevor Scott, Sandra Hope, Pere Perez, Jonathan Glapion, Tim Levins, Dan Davis, Aaron Sowd, Oliver Nome, Talent Caldwell, Richard Friend, Rodney Ramos, Walden Wong, Yvel Guichet, and John Stanisci. Issues in this collection were also collected in Batgirl: Batgirl Rising and Batgirl: The Flood.

Having watched the 1960s Batman TV series in reruns all the time growing up, I liked the third season which added (and helped create) the Barbara Gordon Batgirl. While I liked the role that was developed for her as Oracle, I kind of missed the old Batgirl. Cassandra Cain wasn’t very much like Barbara, and she was her own thing. Stephanie and her personality are a bit closer to Barbara, and it was nice to kind of have some nostalgia in the series and less a less “grim” Bat title.

Batgirl (2) #3

With Bruce Wayne dead, the Bat titles were in real flux when the new Batgirl launched. You had Dick Grayson as Batman and trying to deal with Damian. It kind of made sense for the former “Batgirl” to launch and deal with a new Batgirl. Stephanie’s character had been put through the wringer (rather unsympathetically) and this title was a chance for the character to be redeemed.

While I like Stephanie and her “go get-em” attitude, the stories of the collection are a little less than inspired. There are some odd jumps in the storytelling (a few times I felt like I missed a page), and the comic is best when it is showcasing Stephanie’s attempts to grow both as Batgirl and in her life as a college student. If the series had gone complete Peter Parker, it feels like it would have worked better.

With a title like Batgirl, you always are on the defensive when it comes to its publishing. You know that unless sales remain strong, a series like this cannot continue, but you also know that if the writing and art are good (but not great) that the comic won’t click like it needs to…and Stephanie is always in danger. Batgirl will always have a place in the DC Universe, but the world seems to always turn again Stephanie’s chances. Batgirl: Stephanie Brown—Volume 1 was followed by Batgirl: Stephanie Brown—Volume 2.