By: Scott Beatty, Chuck Dixon Publisher: DC Comics Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: DC Comics Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 224 Publication Date: December 01, 2003 Reading Level: Young Adult Release Date: December 01, 2003
Lives up to the hype! This story is every bit as good as you have heard. Barbara/Batgirl has a very unique "voice" and the art has a beautiful, cinematic quality.
The villains are also very well crafted in that we see the real conflict and motivation behind their actions, which makes them both humorous and scary at the same time.
It would be great to see a follow-up series as long as they were able to re-assemble the same creative team from this book.
Graphic SF Reader A look at Batgirl's early screwups, and her motivations, well before the Joker blew out her spine. Barbara Bordon is a fun loving, bad guy arse kicking, black leather clad redhead brilliant bombshell. She revels in the fact, and has a lot of fun in the process, as you can see in this book.
Still one of my favorite Mini-Series Still one of my favorite Mini-Series, mostly thanks to the beautiful artwork by Marcos Martin, but it's a great retelling of the Batgirl origin. Essential for any Barbara Gordon fans, like me :)
A welcome look back at a classic heroine DC Comics' Batgirl: Year One trade paperback collects the entire 9-issue 2003 series by Scott Beatty, Chuck Dixon, Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez.
I'll admit to having a total fanboy crush on Batgirl, so I was eagerly anticipating this re-telling of her origin. Given the fact that Robin: Year One was quite good and Batman: Year One is one of the greatest Batman stories ever, the bar was set pretty high for this series. For the most part, Dixon et al do not disappoint.
Chuck Dixon is uniquely familiar with the Batman supporting cast, so he was the perfect choice for this project. He and Beatty serve up a relatively lighthearted tale in which Barbara Gordon's attempt to defy her father's wishes turns into an unexpected career fighting crime. The series covers her initial adventures, her unlikely nemesis the Killer Moth, early encounters with Batman, and team-ups with the Black Canary and Robin. The only drawback is that Batgirl's motives never seem equal to the choices she makes. Even Batman pointed this out when asking her why she chose this particular life. Still, the series is enjoyable, and maintains a fun and lighthearted feel throughout, particularly the times where Batgirl and Robin interact.
The fanboy in me might have preferred someone like Adam Hughes or Terry Dodson to provide artwork for this series, but Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez do an admirable job. Their work is very similar to Steve Rude's on the Worlds Finest miniseries, and is reminiscent of both Robin: Year One and the Batman animated series, which makes for a great complement to the type of story Beatty and Dixon provided.
Overall, Batgirl: Year One was an enjoyable look back at a classic character that, for obvious reasons (and if you haven't read the Killing Joke, you need to do that now) doesn't get much attention. The creators involved have crafted a fun and exciting adventure that is a perfect match to the nature of the character.
Batgirl the spunky I have always been a fan of the Batman universe. And, me being a girl with a fondness for amazing redheaded heroines, Batgirl was an obvious ultra-heroine.
Batgirl Year One is like the Holy Grail of graphic novels. It has wonderful art paired with amazing writing and a favorite character just being generally awesome throughout.
I'm told (but can't confirm) that it's the best out of the "Year One" books, but I can say that if you like Batgirl and don't pick it up, you'll regret it!
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