What is this book about?

The series depicts Barbara Gordon’s origin as Batgirl.

The reasoning for Barbara Gordon becoming Batgirl seems to have been created to become a lighthearted departure from the tortured characters of Batman and Robin, where they both are depicted as fighting crime to avenge the death of their parents; Babara Gordon’s motivation for being a superhero is driven by a sense of wanting to do the right thing. Which probably is inspired her father, Jim Gordon, who is the police Commissioner in Gotham city and close confidant to Batman. Which is one of the reasons she dons a bat-themed costume.

This book isn’t so much about the heroics and colorful themed costumed people she has to fight in order to do the right thing; it’s more about her struggle in defying expectations and common conventions and raising the bar.

For people who know about DC comics crises, this version of her origin is “post-zero hour” and “pre-infinite crisis.”

Why should you read this book?

Because she is an icon for women empowerment and she is portrayed as a constant victim of sexism, which in itself plays its part in her developing an interest in vigilantism, which makes for an interesting story.

However, despite my recommendation this might be the first negative review I give.

DC Comics likes to create publications, usually with the word, Crisis, in the title.
These publications serve to alter the history of the DC comic Universe, to fix continuity holes. So every now and then DC Comics will publish mini-series’ or one-shot’s rebooting the origins of its characters. Batgirl: Year one changes Barbara Gordon’s origin in order to reestablish her character for the Modern Age.

Here’s one my problem with that and this series:
In Batgirl: Year one, Barbara is shown buying and using computers. However, Barbara first appeared in 1967 and the first personal home computer wasn’t made available until 1981. Not only do these crises revamp origins, but it revamps the time period in which in happened. That makes no sense! Even for a fictional comic! Combining Earth’s and amalgamating them does not change the time period in which it happened! It really pisses me off. I feel like I wasted my money on a book that wasn’t edited well.

I recommend this book for it’s superb narration and the writer’s ability to tell a great compelling story; but like a book filled with spelling and grammatical errors I cannot enjoy reading it because I cannot get over the errors in continuity. I have no idea anymore what is someone’s “pre-crisis origin,” “post-crisis origin,” “pre-zero hour origin,” “post-zero hour origin,” “pre-infinite crisis origin,” OR “post-infinite crisis origin.” It’s insanity.

I feel like this is the bane of the DC comic writer’s existence. Trying to write a good story within the continuity travesty that are the DC comics crises.

It was difficult to enjoy this book because I kept wondering what origin I was reading. I suppose something like this shouldn’t intercede reading and enjoying an otherwise great book, but it does. I feel like there was a lack for attention to detail.

If you would like to see a better layout of Batgirl’s origins from the different points pre and post crisis, please visit this livejournal post.