Batgirl #40 is a great conclusion to this first story arc, wrapping up everything nicely with some stellar writing and artwork to go with it. Despite all of the controversy surrounding this title with the direction it took and the choices it made, I can't honestly recommend the book enough. It shows a very promising future that you should not miss out on. If you haven't already, see if you can pick up the entire run so far and have a read. Read Full Review

OK, drum roll please people" Black Canary is back, in a new series. I can't be the only one excited about this! Dinah is awesome, and has really helped Barbara throughout the course if this arc. As a major DC character, she is definitely deserving of her own series. She is always going to be there for Babs, but it's time for her to spread her wings. I can't wait to see what's next in store for both of them! Read Full Review

What this issue manages to achieve is rather impressive. Fans of the character since before the reboot or before the new 52 relaunch will be happy to see the references to what the character used to be as well as her past. While this is an effective nod to the fans, it is not heavy handed at all, and for those that are oblivious to the character's detailed past, this still reads as a tight plot with everything in the right proportions. There are those that might think that this first story arc is getting a bit tired with its constant focus on the role of technology in our lives, but this is the end of the menace of the algorithm, and the end of the first story arc of the new run. It will be interesting to see where they go from here, but so far this series has achieved unexpected success which is capped by this excellent issues. Read Full Review

It's not for everyone, but if you're looking for something fresh, this well worth trying. Read Full Review

The new Batgirl team are able to give their first story arc the big finale it deserved. This issue offers an exciting, tense finale that pits Barbara Gordon against her own troubled past. This issue's biggest accomplishment is putting that past to rest and setting the stage for Barbara and her new friends to embrace a brighter, more unpredictable future. Read Full Review

Fletcher, Stewart and Tarr set up lots of things to come in "Batgirl" #40. Not only do we get some more meat in Batgirl's relationship with Burnside's law enforcement (and one police officer in particular), but we have the official launching point for June's "Black Canary" #1 as well as what appears to be the setup for an all-new Oracle to be working with Batgirl. I'm already eager to see what's next and you should be, too. "Batgirl" #40 delivers a great comic by a great group of creators. Superhero comics don't get much better than this. Read Full Review

While the algorithm's final scheme will feel familiar to anyone who saw last year's Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the climax is still thrilling as hell, and seeing Barbara triumph over this dark, digital copy of herself resonates even further from all the added subtext of reclaiming and recovering her life from that darkness. The additional tease of a character becoming the new Oracle is merely icing on the cake. The Convergence break may mean a long two months until we get more Batgirl, but this team has proved they can make a book well worth the wait. Hurry back, Babs: the DCU is a brighter and more joyful place when you're in it. Read Full Review

There is a lot of amazing imagery going on in this series and it has been the most wonderful thing to see Tarrs abilities grow in this medium and get better every issue. There is one moment in this issue that encapsulates the entire arc and what is to come going forward and that is a celebratory scene in the end. Tarr portrays Barbara as being genuinely happy, and the happiest weve seen her in all the New 52. There is joy, and happiness, and what we have is an all-new, reinvigorated Barbara. Its quite the thing to see. Read Full Review

Finally, we have the Barbara promised, who has friends and support field around her to drive ahead and take on anything. The promise in the epilogue-like ending is thrilling and revealing, as long as DC Comics has the guts to follow through with what the story of Barbara's support crew could naturally unfold. Read Full Review

Batgirl #40 is a great ending to this first arc that pays off so many plot points that have been dropped along the way. Read Full Review

Batgirl is a comic that's firing on all cylinders. The story, the art, the characters and everything else all come together in a great package, delivering both superhero adventure and personal character growth. It's equally important that Burnside is saved and Barbara's college thesis is saved. This is a creative team that understands the importance of putting characters first, superheroes second. Read Full Review

Maris Wicks' unique and visually arresting use of color atop Babs Tarr's fluid and expressive hand make for a gorgeous conclusion to a story that suffers a little in this final chapter. While Stewart and Fletcher arrive at the destination of Barbara's emotional journey in style, they get there on a rickety and tired vehicle that seems better suited to an '80s cyberpunk protagonist than the fiercely modern Batgirl of Burnside. Read Full Review

Finally the issue I've been waiting for.  Batgirl has put her need to take selfies and becoming a internet celebrity behind her as she acts like the hero she's supposed to be and man am I happy about that.  A really nice conclusion to this story arc that has had me grinding my teeth at every issue but here it feels like the tone has finally shifted and this version of Batgirl might be something that I can finally get behind.......... Hopefully. Read Full Review

I understand what they're doing and they mean well and I do think it will get better but Batgirl continues to not fully understand what made Babs great. Batgirl did not make Babs great. Babs made Babs great. Oracle was a reflection of that. So let her really be great. Please. Give her power back. Read Full Review

This isnt a bad issue, but a disappointing one for me, and for subjective reasons. Read Full Review

After six issues with the new creative team, the tone of this book has been well-established. The art is excellent but the narrative consistently suffers from weak storytelling. Babs shows strength here unlike she's exhibited since the change, so that's a really positive thing, but the book lumbers under the weight of trying to do too much in the hands of writers who are either unclear of their own vision or so absorbed with their vision that they're forgetting to just write solid stories with any respect for the history of the character. This issue is a perfect example of a great idea coupled with mediocre execution (beautiful artwork notwithstanding). This is, unfortunately, what I've come to expect from this series. Read Full Review

This new Batgirl arc is clearly written for the young teen audience. There's a lot of hash-tagging and shorthand for words, almost to the point of needing a glossary. This book is definitely the strongest of this new arc and lacks all the soapy, self-absorbed qualities that the earlier issues had; it's a relief to see some redeeming moments. Read Full Review

Batgirl: most-improved. It was a hard task, taking over Babs's story after Gail Simone who, whether you like her or not, knew the character inside and out. Divorcing from the darker (if not frankly grim) stories of the Simone-era, the title had to find a voice, an identity, and it was far from convincing at first, but the last few issues have managed to established a balanced, individual tone to Batgirl's new stories. The art is still superb, and the writers have managed to move away from the sometimes stupid and superficial voice of the first issues to offer something truely exciting, balancing light-hearted moments with high-stakes episodes. Truely a gem.

Not bad, I enjoyed this issue. It had a decent plot and the art is still distinctly Babs Tarr which is to say it is one of the few books where you definitely know who drew the art. The story has a premise that hints at Babs' days as Oracle. I thought the crowd scene at Dinah's concert was a bit too rushed. I like how Black Canary is getting her own book and hopefully it has more character than Birds of Prey, which was one of the few New 52 titles that genuinely sucked.

The pacing and dialogue is still pretty clunky at times, but it's getting better. There's an interesting message about digital identity embedded in here. Overall, this new run had its share of flaws, but still shows promise, though it's not quite as good as some of the other "experimental" Batbooks like Catwoman, Grayson, or Gotham Academy.

I had such hope after the last issue ended, facing the possibility that this fool of a Batgirl we've had to suffer since the redesign really *wasn't* Barbara Gordon (which would explain so, so much), but alas we were left disappointed.