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Batgirl:
Year One
[Reprints 1-9]
SEPT /2004
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Scott Beatty & Chuck Dixon
Pencils: Marcos Martin
Inks: Alvaro Lopez
Colors: Javier Rodriguez
Letters: Willie Schubert
Price: $17.95 US/R205.00 SA
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This series was voted by the editors of Wizard magazine
as the best mini-series of 2003. With a careful
mix of simplistically beautiful art and great storytelling it’s
easy to see why it topped the list.
Barbara Gordon wants to be a crime-fighter. She has studied it,
trained for it but she just can’t seem to make the cut. Her
father, James Gordon, is the police commissioner and the last thing
he wants or needs is his ‘little girl’ becoming a cop.
After applying for a position in the FBI and being unceremoniously
shown the door, Barbara decides to take the situation into her own
hands. Thus the legend of Batgirl begins…
This story is a heartwarming, quick-witted and highly entertaining
look at what it takes for a ‘regular Joe’ to become
a superhero. Barbara becomes a close friend as we read
about her struggles against her Father, Batman and organized crime
to become the hero she believes she is. Beatty
[Batman: Gotham Knights, Son of Vulcan]
and Dixon [El Cazador] write a
down to earth character that we can all relate to. She has more
faults than she does perfections and it’s the ‘learning
curve’ point of view that makes this story so interesting
and readable. Whether you’re a superhero nut or not this is
one book that is highly accessible to almost any reader out there.
Via a clever narrative account Beatty and Dixon get us inside the
head of Barbara Gordon and draw things out of the central protagonist
which build a relationship with the reader, thus cleverly attaching
us to her failures and successes as she slowly and sometimes painfully
learns how to be the crime fighting hero she always new she was.
Just in case you think this book is serious and focused on character
growth alone lets delve into another side of the story. There
is a ton of witty humour to be found within these pages
and many a wisecrack by the quick-witted Babs [Barbara] will have
you in stitches. It’s an old school book looking at the early
years of Batman’s Gotham City so the humour is also of that
era/nature in many places, but this does not make it any less effective
or downright hilarious in many instances.
Marcos Martin [Breach] bursts
forth with some of the most appealing and stylish ‘simplistic’
art since Cameron Stewarts heralded run on Catwoman. Martin
seems the perfect choice for this story as he renders a ‘classic’
look onto the City of Gotham and its people. His action scenes are
both dynamic and dramatic with some gorgeous angles portraying the
climatic scenes throughout the story.
His character design is well suited to the time period but yet has
a distinct funkier edge than most Bat books. Retro style art is
back people and after reading this I can’t wait for more from
Martin. An added extra is that his cover art is of such a high standard
you could fry an egg on it. With amazing new angles and ideas Martin
has surely opened many an eye to his talents with this mini-series’
awesome set of covers.
A story of a young woman coming of age as a crime fighter with a
focus on her down to earth origin. This is a personal story
of triumph against the odds that is marked with as many roadblocks
as it is light hearted moments of victory. A comic for
guys and girls of all persuasions, be sure to give this well rounded
story a look next time you’re in your local comic shop.
Score 9/10
Reviewed By:Iain Duncan
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Comic Reviews
