Let's talk Batgirl, the spunky teenaged crime-fighter who is, in reality, Barbara Gordon, the daughter of police Commissioner Gordon. Many fans know Batgirl as the fiery redhead in the purple sparkles, as she was portrayed by Yvonne Craig in the old Batman TV series from 1966. Craig died last month, but not before inspiring a generation of girls that they could be heroes, too.
Batgirl's inspiration lives on in Batgirl #43. In this latest chapter of the comic, several of Barbara's friends have been involved in a series of deadly tiger attacks. A perfect place for new readers to start, this is an entertaining new drama for Batgirl and her friends.
While there's plenty of dialogue in Batgirl, the novel's jam-packed artwork adds so much more. Worried glances and cartoonish grimaces provide more story than any caption or word balloon ever would.
The downside to the dense layout is that it feels almost frantic at times, meaning some of the subtler plot points get lost as readers bounce from scene to scene with no time to catch their breath.
With so much action, energy and excitement, Batgirl #43 continues one of the most fun superhero books currently on the shelves.
In other news, it's been hinted that in the upcoming Batman v Superman film, we'll finally see Batgirl, played by actress Jena Malone.
Grade: B+