Stewart and Fletcher have successfully kept the feel of their monthly series intact here, while simultaneously matching that of each of the issue's visiting players. It's happily unexpected to see an annual this compelling, as the typical creative change-ups are rarely of this high caliber, or done with such great care. Stewcher (hey, it's better than Fletchwart), in tailoring this quasi-anthology to perfectly fit the acclaimed artistic talent involved, have written one of the prettiest comics you'll see this month. Read Full Review

What is most interesting about this story, is that while it is told in a series of separate vignettes, each with their own style, it also still manages to be a fluid story that makes sense, without the cameos seeming too forced. Barbara is still the star but she cedes that status easily to those that she teams up with, making this issue more than the sum of its parts. While the main series occasionally gets tied down in its own plots, this annual seems to represent a desire but the main creative team to cut loose a bit and have some fun with the character, and they succeeded. Read Full Review

This is fun and I like the story with its interwoven arcs and elements. I'm quite impressed to see what the writers are able to do when they actually allow Babs all over Gotham instead of confining her to just Burnside. It's so much more appealing to give her these more intricate plots. I think it's funny they acknowledged this through Helena as well. In all a good show for Batgirl and Batfam fans. Read Full Review

A fun romp, not just through Gotham, but through the world Barbaras contemporaries are inhabiting, Batgirl Annual #4 is a must-have for any fans of ANY of the ladies depicted, not the least of which Barbara herself. But more than anything, the combination of todays Batgirl with Gotham Academy elicits far too many squeees to pass up for any fan of great comics today. More more more, please. Read Full Review

The "Batgirl" annual is a nice trip through four of the Bat-verse titles. Batgirl is continues through the book trying to solve the same case, but she runs into a new character in each phase of the comic. The book is a fun read and brings out the best in Batgirl's characterization and provides a nice introduction to the supporting characters that make appearances. I highly recommend checking out this comic book if you have any interest in Batgirl, Grayson, Batwoman, Spoiler or Gotham Academy. This is a great read. Read Full Review

Overall this was a simple story made better by mostly great artwork and solid characterization throughout that really sells this as a crossover issue more so than a Batgirl Annual. A very fun read that is worth your time. Read Full Review

Over, “Batgirl Annual” #3 continues to prove that DC's Annuals are some of their strongest output. With an experimental structure that breaks up one story into four parts and having it illustrated by four different artists, Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart cement their take on Batgirl into the world of Gotham City by having her team up with characters from all over the city. The artists picked for each chapter are also perfect and their styles not only compliment each other, but give each chapter a unique feel from a up-close action story to a comedic team-up to a dramatic final fight and finally, an adorable epilogue. While the ending is somewhat sacrificed by the focus on letting the reader know that this story will be continued, the journey to get there is a blast and shows just how fun and varied one character can be in different settings. Read Full Review

The Batwoman pages were so different from the rest of this book it lowered my grade. Everything else is tops, but those six pages are just glaringly in the wrong book. Read Full Review

Batgirl Annual 3 is definitely worth reading and serves as the best jumping on point for this character that I could possibly think of. It not only nails everything great about Batgirl as a hero, but the heroines of Gotham in general. Read Full Review

There are some stories that don't flow into each other as readily as others, such as the far too convenient inclusion of the Gotham Academy kids for a bit of much-anticipated fan-service. Yet Batgirl Annual #3 is an innovative and original piece that showcases the best that the new DC talent have to offer. If you're looking for a way to inexpensively dip your toes into both Batgirl and Fletcher's other series, this is an excellent starter kit. Read Full Review

Batgirl Annual #3 is a great example of how annuals should work. Even as the villains were a bit disappointing Fletcher and Stewart more than make up for with how entertaining the team-ups were. The opening segment involving Dick Grayson and Helena Bartilleni in particular stood out with strong action and comedy scenes. The artwork was also able to keep the pace of the story moving in an entertaining fashion. By the end of this annual Fletcher and Stewart left me hoping to see Batgirl interacted with Dick Grayson, Helena Bartilleni, Batwoman, Spoiler and the Gotham Academy students again in the near future. Read Full Review

Ultimately, Batgirl's accessibility and likeability remains its strongest asset, and it's a smart move from DC to use its rising popularity to showcase some of the other Bat-books on the stands. While this story occasionally reads as a little thin or hard to follow, the sagging middle is forgivable when you remember how strong the beginning and end are. Read Full Review

"Batgirl Annual" #3 hits all of its marks well; it has solid story, good art and takes advantage of the longer format. I wish all five week months ended with annuals of this caliber. Once again, "Batgirl" is right on track. Read Full Review

Overall, this is a fun little read. It's a pretty straight forward case-of-the-week, and Batgirl handles herself quite well. The other heroes are all spot-on, but overall, the whole thing just kind of dragged. I realize that Annuals are longer than normal, but I would have been happier with a much shorter story. At least the art mostly holds up for the whole thing . Read Full Review

This Annual is not a necessary read for anyone, Batgirl readers or not.  It was fun, however, and great to see Batgirl interact with some of my favorite Gotham characters.  There were a truckload of artists on this issue and while it was a mixed bag, I enjoyed it for the most part.  If you can't get enough of this new Batgirl, go out and grab a copy of this Annual.  If you are looking to jump into Batgirl, go back and pick up the last two issues of the regular run. Read Full Review

This mostly feels like a bit of fluff, but action and cameo aficionados will most certainly enjoy it. Gauge your own interest by how much you love these characters because the story is just a fragment and has no real conclusion. Is it essential to tying in the objectives of these characters in their regular series? I'm not really sure. My sense is that anything critical that happens here will be later referenced, flashbacked, or explicated elsewhere. But if you like detective work (some of it a little lame), and enjoy the step-by-step reveals alongside a lot of fancy footwork (mostly kicks to the body and face), then you'll dig this annual regardless of its weight on any of the regular series it references. Read Full Review

Bengal draws the main part of the story, an almost-reunion between Barbara and Dick. That story is fun and works well, but the issue starts to fall apart once Batgirl teams up with other Bat-characters in the other parts of the story. Instead of feeling like a consistent plot, it just starts to feel like an advertisement for DC's other Gotham books. Read Full Review