DC's NEW 52-BATGIRL #1

One of the most anticipated books in DC's NEW 52 has to be BATGIRL. The buzz among comics fans was pretty intense, especially when it was revealed that this Batgirl was not going to be Helena Bertinelli(formerly The Huntress), Cassandra Cain(last seen as Black Bat), Stephanie Brown(soon to return to the new continuity as The Spoiler) or even Batwoman's sidekick Betty Kane. It was going to be Barbara Gordon, who had last been an active Batgirl in 1988 before being paralyzed by The Joker in Alan Moore's now legendary THE KILLING JOKE. Fans were outraged fearing that Moore's continuity would be washed away and all those years of her operating as Oracle would go with it.

Have no fear, some of those elements remain in place as Barbara Gordon soars again as Batgirl.

The Book begins with Graham Carter being murdered by a character known as The Mirror. But just a couple of pages later we get to see Barbara Gordon in her new costume(again-must EVERYONE in this new universe wear Kevlar?) soaring through the skyline of Gotham City. Her first act is to save a family from a brutal home invasion which she does with zeal and severe amounts of violence.

Then we get the payoff. The shooting from THE KILLING JOKE. Wow! I pretty much figured like the rest of the world that this would be gone but here it is in all it's bloody splendor.  Barabra wakes from this dream (is it a dream or just a vivid memory?) and we learn that after three years of being paralyzed she woke up one day and could walk again. She has a conversation with her father, Commissioner Gordon and explains how she needs to "stretch" her legs. So she moves in with a new roommate, who I assume we'll learn more about in coming issues.

The Mirror makes his/her way to Sacred Hands of Glory Hospital and goes on a rampage killing at least one Gotham City police officer and one hospital security guard. But Batgirl arrives on scene on her Bat Cycle(I couldn't resist) after picking up a police call. Facing The Mirror at gunpoint, our heroine freezes-just long enough to let the villain toss his victim out the hospital window. Now the police want her for murder.

Holy Big Time Trouble, Bat Fans!(Couldn't resist that one either).

Well, how is the book? It's good. Not great-but really better than I thought it would be. To see Babas Gordon in costume again was a fanboy dream for me(of course the killer Adam Hughes cover helps a lot). The multiple storylines running through the story sets up a whole bunch of pieces for future issues. Why does Barbara's roommate seem so mysterious? How did she suddenly regain the use of her legs? Who is The Mirror and why is Barbara Gordon on the villains hitlist?

Many fans had a lot of complaints with the story being to threadbare. C'mon boys and girls: it's Gail Simone who is absolutely one of the best writers out there today(if you weren't reading her work on titles like SECRET SIX, WONDER WOMAN and especially BIRDS OF PREY, you have missed some of the best dialogue in comics). Have faith: Gail's pacing isn't always throw everything at you at once. She sets you up before delivering on a plotline. I expect her to do the same here. Ardian Syaf's artwork is nice in a very George Perez/Phil Jiminez style. Hey-he gets points just for recreating Brian Bolland's work from THE KILLING JOKE.

This book is a keeper. Again, it is not the best book I have read in the NEW 52 but it is far from the worst. And with this creative team and this character, that's a real good reason to stay on board for the long haul.

BTW: the mysterious hooded woman is pretty well hidden in this book. She is see on the last panel on the next to the last page of the book, reflected in the soon to be broken window that The Mirror is preparing to push his victim out of.