Batgirl #1

Written by Gail Simone
Art by Adrian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes
Cover by Adam Hughes
On sale September 7, 2011 - 32 pages for $2.99
Rated T

My rating: 3/5
Will it be in my pull list? Yes. But not for the reason you think.

Previews Text: Yes, it's really happening!

Barbara Gordon is back as Batgirl - and she's going to have to face the city's most horrifying new villains as well as the dark secrets from her past. You won't want to miss this stunning debut issue from fan-favorite BIRDS OF PREY writer Gail Simone!

Alright. Here's the thing. Right off the bat. I have a very love/hate relationship with Batgirl. The character, not the series. (Okay, the series, too.) I adore Stephanie Brown. She's one of my favorite characters in comics in general, especially her run as Batgirl.

I. Hate. Barbara Gordon. I always have. She's one of those characters that is just too perfect for me to like. And I especially don't like that she's out of the chair and has taken the Batgirl name back. Okay, her being out of the chair doesn't bother me that much, it happens a lot in comics. I'm over that. But I just want Steph to have the bat back on her chest. And to, you know. Be somewhere in the comics.

That being said, I still gave the first issue of Batgirl a chance. There was much eyerolling at her and many thoughts of wanting her to go away, but I got through it. And the ending made me laugh. A lot.

None of this is because of Gail Simone though, because she's a fantastic writer, or because of Adrian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes's art, because they're pretty great too. It's simply because of the character. I just... I can't get behind her character. Seriously.

It's going in my pull list, but only because it's one of the books that Spoiler is rumored to be in eventually.

P.S. The mystery woman was hardest for me to spot in this issue.