As one of the most controversial books of DC Comics' New 52 initiative, Batgirl drew the ire of many who disapproved of Barbara Gordon leaving her wheelchair behind to return to her iconic mantle of Batgirl. More than a year into the title, Barbara's origins were retooled in the special issue #0 and she was updated for a modern audience with the constraints that the New 52 placed on its narratives.
If there's one person who understands Barbara Gordon best and makes her interesting, it is fan-favourite scribe Gail Simone. In fact, it can be said that it was Simone was the one who made Barbara so compelling as Oracle and enabled her to be more than just a symbol for those with disabilities. The character presented in the origin issue is free of future fears and comes across as an exuberant individual who is very driven. Furthermore, Barbara's self-deprecating humour from the main series is in tact and shows her remarkable ability to analyse herself and others. In combination with the present series, issue #0 reminds us that Barbara hasn't been this witty or funny in decades. After all, she tended to be the stuffy one in Birds of Prey in comparison to the wise-cracking Black Canary and the morally ambiguous Huntress. As we witness Barbara's former ambitions before she donned the cowl, we also get a glimpse into her fierce need to protect those she loves and will do anything to ensure that justice is served. Rather than don the Batgirl costume as a prank at a costume party as her previous origin had her do, Barbara adopts the identity out of necessity when a psychopath sets himself loose in a Gotham City police station. She transforms herself in order to protect her little brother and prevent any further damage from being done. It leaves the reader with a sense of respect for Barbara but also with a feeling of wariness. Simone handles Barbara's transformation admirably and lets it happen as organically as she can in one issue. Furthermore, she allows her to be something that has become a trademark of Simone's - she lets her be 100% badass.
Simone's former Birds of Prey partner-in-crime Ed Benes serves as the penciller for the issue. The art is dramatic and quite cinematic at times. Barbara looks beautiful and the action scenes are very dynamic. Unfortunately, there is a lack of expressiveness to the characters and Benes' inks are far too thin for his art style. It creates a sketchy effect that doesn't blend well with the lush colours present in the issue. Luckily, Benes didn't have the opportunity to fall into the other tropes he usually does. He is unable to make every female look the same since Barbara is really the only female in the book where attention is really paid and there's significantly less T&A which is likely due to Simone's tight writing, preventing the issue from being about Barbara's appearance and enabling it to be more about her motivations.
Batgirl #0 is a beautiful summation of Barbara's character and does a good job of reworking her origins. Simone's writing is excellent as usual and her ability to write introspection is to be commended especially since it can go wrong so easily (re: Roy's nauseating narration in Red Hood & The Outlaws penned by Scott Lobdell). I remain a fan of Simone's work and it was fun seeing her teamed up with Benes again. For those looking to get into comics and remember Batgirl from the cartoons, this is the perfect place to start.
Grade: B+
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