In short, I love Simones ability to tell stories. I understand she used to be a hair dresser. I have no idea how she was discovered, but have come to the following conclusion: DC should have hired more hair dressers for their reboot. Read Full Review

This cover matches so well with the story inside. Readers see a vulnerability to Batgirl, a trait true to the character, and a great first glimpse at the villain Mirror. Although the colors are somewhat muted, they work for the rainy scene Hughes is trying to create. The only qualm I have is a small one, I wish the cover matched the inside art just a tad more. I like Hughes difference in style but it feels somewhat opposing to the art work within the book itself, almost a touch misleading. Aside from that small hiccup, Hughes continues to deliver a solid cover. Read Full Review

Batgirl is definitely one of the characters that I was most intrigued by with the relaunch to see how it would go and the first issue definitely grabbed my attention, though I wasn't exactly enamored by the villains or bad guys in general. With this issue, we cement things more when it comes to the action side and get some good character material for her through the narration amidst the fight as well with what she does afterward, one segment with her roommate who is more than she seems and another with her physical therapist. As much as I enjoy Batgirl out in the streets and in action, I hope we get to see more of Barbara herself as she reconnects with the outside world in a new way. Similar to Dick Grayson, she's not the type to become as intense as Bruce Wayne but there's also a shy side to her that Dick doesn't have that needs to be explored. I'd almost want a separate book to deal with all of that so we can have the best of both worlds. Read Full Review

After two issues, Batgirl is definitely in the top tier of DC's New 52 books. It's clear that Gail Simone is having a blast writing this character back in the prime of her life. And with artist Adrian Syaf aboard, Batgirl continues to be in great hands. Read Full Review

It's obvious Simone has a lot of elements she wants to juggle, and that there's uncertainty as to which direction to take Ms. Gordon, but the series remains engaging and well-told. Read Full Review

Spoilers There's a car accident and only one man survives. The casualties are his wife and twin daughters. Tragic right? How does he go on? He wishes he was dead himself. So, instead of killing himself he decides to wear a costume and do research into what people miraculously escaped death, like how he was pulled out of the burning car and lived. He then hunts those people down and kills them because if he thinks he's better off dead, then surely they will think they're better off dead, too. Right? Or is that an overly complicated motive for a serial villain? Either way, Barbara and the rest of the cast better not see where this guy is coming from. This is not a Mr. Freeze level sympathetic villain. This is villainous motivation requires Olympic gold medal winning mental gymnastics. If Mirror isn't acknowledged as being utterly insane in the next issue, this villain is going to all completely flat for me. Read Full Review

Overall, a somewhat better effort this time around, but still a long way from restoring Batgirl to the upper ranks. Read Full Review

Overall, Batgirl #2 is an improvement on #1 (which, since I didn't review it, I should clarify was about a 3 star book for me) and makes me less worried about the larger character arc for Barbara Gordon. Read Full Review

Many of the superheroes in the DC Universe are hard to identify with. Unless you're a billionaire mastermind orphan, an alien from a lost race or a woman born of the gods, things don't always hit home. Yet, Barbara Gordon feels like someone that you've known your whole life, who managed to keep this tiny little secret from you. She's insecure, quirky and enough of a badass to fight crime. She sounds like a character that fell out of a Joss Whedon production. She makes mistakes and her humanity shines through, unlike many other current heroes in DC Universe. Read Full Review

I am quickly warming up to Gail Simone's Batgirl. It has her quintessential dialogue and thrift. She even throws in her patented after-battle lunch between Babs and a possible love interest, all without breaking the rhythm of the plot. What more could you ask for from a comic? Read Full Review

Ardian Syaf does some solid work here. I don’t know whether writer or artist decided to set the actual Batgirl sections in the rain, but it works perfectly. Syaf really communicates the numbing effect a constant rain can have on you. Things are darker, sadder; it allows the natural world to mimic how Barbara is feeling. My only critique is that Syaf’s action can be very stilted. Panels that should be bursting with movement seem frozen, even in small scenes. At times they come off like paintings. That lack of movement becomes distracting as the issue goes on. Overall, Batgirl #2 is a great read. One that brings me even closer to being excited about Barbara Gordon as Batgirl again. Read Full Review

Batgirl is exactly what I expect it to be: fun but with a hint of danger. Simone is putting across a fun version of the character who is smart but still learning the ropes. She's up against villains that are out of her league but probably wouldn't show up on Batman's radar. Overall, the issue is good and the arc is setting up to be a good introduction into the character. Generally, that seems like a recipe for a good series. Read Full Review

All in all, while I was disappointed with the story components, Gail Simone certainly knows how to write intelligent dialog. Im simply having trouble wrapping my brain around the sudden recovery and how amateurish Barbara is behaving. Maybe Im expecting too much, but this issue was still entertaining if nothing else. Read Full Review

A lot happens in this issue, and maybe it was a little bit too much but I think less action and a bigger focus on Babs' intellect and crime/problem solving capabilities would have this issue a lot more interesting. The art is great, however, and the colors are vibrant and beautiful and match the fast paced story line. My biggest issue right now, however, is that this doesn't really feel like a Barbara Gordon story -- at least not to me. I think that if you replaced her with blond hair, she would pass for Stephanie Brown. There's an interesting scene where Commissioner Gordon finds out that Barbara has returned, and the expression on his face in that panel makes me wonder whether he knows that Batgirl is his daughter. Very interesting. Read Full Review

As with the previous issue, Simone and Syaf leave us with a cliffhanger, but it's not a nail biter. It's a cliffhanger that doesn't threaten Batgirl directly. Overall this is a flat issue and I wouldn't be at all surprised if I don't recall much of it by the time the third rolls around. Read Full Review