Broken Frontier

The goal with books like Batgirl is to ride the wave of popularity that the flagship book, in this case Batman & Robin, has caused.  It can also be to follow in the footsteps of an incredibly huge-selling event (Batman: RIP, Final Crisis, or Battle for the Cowl). The prime example of this is always X-Men, which has so many books it’s sometimes hard to figure out which X-Men book is the X-Men book.

Adamantium claws aside, these books are always hard to get off the ground. Characters like Robin and Batgirl are interesting in the main Batman book, because they’re sidekicks. They are, by definition, an assistant and possess less authority than the titular hero.  In storytelling terms, they are not the protagonist.  They are allies.

Now, you might say that books like Teen Titans throw that all aside.  The Titans are a team of sidekicks, and by my logic should never have worked.  However, though it may seem I am laying down rules for writing, also remember that for every rule there is an exception.  With great writing, and perhaps a little separation from heroes like Batman and Wonder Woman, the Titans grew to be their own team and popular title.

Batgirl doesn’t get this chance.  She’s tied so closely to the Batman Family and Gotham City that readers can really only see her as a sidekick to Batman, to Barbara Gordon, or to anyone else who has been in the cape-and-cowl game longer than she has.  As a result, her book feels less significant.

She lacks authority.

Batgirl Rising is a trade paperback collecting the first two arcs of the new Batgirl series, written by Bryan Q. Miller and accompanied by Lee Garbett and Tim Levins. The art chores switch back and forth, sometimes in the middle of an issue.

The story follows as Stephanie Brown, formerly the Spoiler, dons the mantle of the Bat and begins her own adventures.  As to why Cassandra Cain is no longer Batgirl, your guess is really as good as mine. She makes a short appearance, completely gives up being Batgirl, and walks away without so much as a “See you later.”

Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl and now Oracle, begrudgingly takes Stephanie under her wing. Together, the two work together to clean up the city. 

The real meat of the story is behind the masks and batarangs.  I give credit to Miller for trying to create a sympathetic hero.  Stephanie has never wholeheartedly committed to anything before. She wants to do the name of “Batgirl” justice, and she wants to finish college to appease her mother.

Barbara, as well, is going through a personally trying time, though no specific example is given. She’s angry all the time, and she needs to do something constructive with that anger. 

These are both compelling stories, but they feel mishandled.  In fact, a great deal of the book could be described as “adequate, but lacking effective delivery.” 

Miller introduces a possible relationship between Barbara and a new detective in Gotham, but their scenes are so few and far between that I found myself having little interest in their chemistry. Minor characters, like Stephanie’s classmates, are also introduced, but they lack definition. As a result, it is difficult to care if anything happens to them.

The art, as well, needs work.  The styles of both Garbett and Scott are lackluster. Scenes can be hard to follow, forcing the reader to retread old pages to figure out what exactly happened. 

There are very few panels, pages, or scenes that grabbed my attention, with one exception.  The second arc of the book, “Core Requirements,” features Batgirl in a team-up with the new Batman and Robin.  These two characters are vibrant and demand attention, and even though the art was heavily reminiscent of Quitely’s work on the flagship book, it was still fun. 

It only highlighted, however, that the new Batman and Robin have their own style, whereas this new Batgirl does not.

Phil Noto, on the other hand, is an artist capable of making this Batgirl dynamic and classic.  Noto draws the covers for the series, and each one is captivating.  His stark use of color, while also highlighting the costume’s classic look, is a breath of fresh air.

Batgirl Rising is the opening chapter of Stephanie Brown’s foray into this “Batman: Reborn” world, and while there is an attempt to give this character motivation and sympathy, it doesn’t get anywhere.  The only glimmer of hope in this book is the improvement in writing that occurred from page one and on.  Perhaps, as time goes by, Miller will get a better handle on this character.

If not, Batgirl will sadly go the way of so many spinoff books. Don’t worry, though. Batgirl will have plenty of X-Men spinoffs to keep her company.

Batgirl Rising is available from DC Comics priced $17.99.