Written by Bryan Q. Miller & Grant Morrison.
Art by Pere Perez; Dustin Nguyen; Derek Fridolfs; Ramon Bachs; Cameron Stewart; Lee Garbett; Trevor Scott; Guy Major; Nathan Fairbairn; Travis Lanham; Dave Sharpe; Carlos M. Mangual; Sal Cipriano; & John J. Hill.
Collection Cover Art by Dustin Nguyen.
SUMMARY:
Released in 2018 by DC Comics, this 328-page trade paperback completes Stephanie Brown’s initial journey as Batgirl — that is, prior to DC’s New 52 continuity reboot. This volume collects Batgirl # 13-24; Bruce Wayne – The Road Home: Batgirl one-shot; and Stephanie’s overseas team-up with Bruce Wayne’s Batman in Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes # 1 — all originally released between 2010 and 2012. With Issue # 24, DC Comics cancelled this series, as its subsequent New 52 reboot would restore Barbara Gordon to the role as the original (and again teenage) Batgirl.
After Volume 1, Stephanie Brown’s on-the-job training as the newest Batgirl resumes, as she tries evading her prior rookie mistakes. Juggling her second semester as a Gotham University freshman, Batgirl must help enigmatic GCPD Detective Gage thwart a homicidal Clayface’s bank heist. Another team-up awaits Stephanie, as fellow teen Supergirl flies into Gotham City for some downtime with her new friend. Hence, they spend a wild Friday night pursuing twenty-four 3D clones of Count Dracula that have escaped from Gotham University’s campus movie screen into reality.
Stephanie’s combat and sleuthing skills are then tested by a mysteriously stealth-powered adversary, who is the person she least expects. Meanwhile, with Bruce Wayne still missing, a determined Vicki Vale confronts Barbara Gordon to confirm the original Dark Knight’s secret identity.
With Barbara and Wendy “Proxy” Harris providing her tech support from the Batcave and now the hidden ‘Firewall,’ Stephanie gains an unwanted ally in the ‘Grey Ghost’ in her pursuit of the sinister Reapers cult. Worse yet, an injured Batgirl finds herself a prime suspect after being framed in the cult’s homicide of one of her own classmates.
Stephanie, in the meantime, teams with Damian Wayne’s Robin in an undercover sting to rescue kidnaped children from their abductors. As his surrogate big sister, she later tries to demonstrate to ten-year-old Damian that he is still a child capable of innocent playtime.
Set amidst Valentine’s Day, Stephanie unexpectedly meets Klarion the Witchboy in Gotham City. Helping Klarion find a romantic playmate for Teekl (his feline mascot), Batgirl reluctantly finds herself undercover in Limbo Town. One friendly favor merits another, as Stephanie takes Klarion to a Valentine’s Day festival at Gotham University. With Detective Gage and ‘The Grey Ghost’ at her side, Batgirl next faces the first of the Reapers’ techno-mercenaries: Slipstream. Another of these techno-operatives, Harmony, subsequently challenges Batgirl. At the same time, months after her brother Marvin’s grisly homicide, Wendy is now haunted by his zombie-like ghost.
Assigned overseas to London by Bruce Wayne’s Batman, an undercover Stephanie teams up with her fellow teenage vigilante, the Squire, to rescue hostages. The Knight makes a cameo appearance in this adventure. Taken captive while probing a British boarding school, Stephanie confirms it’s an elitist front for a Leviathan terrorist recruitment center.
With Batgirl vastly outnumbered, it’s up to the original Dark Knight to help even the grim odds. Upon her return to Gotham City, Stephanie resumes her feud with The Reapers’ legion of armored thugs. With an ally fatally struck down, Batgirl must re-double her efforts. Hence, she summons the right kind of all-star firepower for this job: Supergirl, Miss Martin, Stargirl, and Bombshell.
As the series comes to an end, Stephanie is stunned by the return of her supposedly dead father: the Cluemaster. Rendered comatose, Batgirl’s life is saved by her beloved friends and the last person she wants discovering her secret identity. Having dreamt possible future adventures awaiting her, Stephanie makes peace with her life as is. She’s as ready for tomorrow as Batgirl as she’ll ever be.
Notes: This title is also available digitally. The prior volume complies Issues # 1-12, including a two-part crossover with Tim Drake’s Red Robin.
REVIEW:
Despite inevitable turnover with this franchise’s artistic personnel, Volume 2’s visuals are still well above-average. In particular, Dustin Nguyen’s distinctive artistic charm is an ideal fit for Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl.
In sync with a reliable visual look, writer Bryan Q. Miller proves consistently on his game progressing Stephanie’s “Lesson” as a rookie Batgirl. Not only is Miller’s storytelling a fresh take on a college-age heroine, but he plays up Stephanie’s exuberance and self-confidence for what it should be – i.e. she’s a plausible teenager.
Hence, energetic team-ups with Supergirl, Damian Wayne’s Robin, Klarion the Witchboy, and Stephanie’s British counterpart: the Squire, blend DC’s formulaic elements with the playful advantages this new Batgirl brings with her. Ending an issue with a bounce house scene with the skeptical Damian, for instance, demonstrates how Miller has made Stephanie an appealingly relatable character to readers.
With Barbara Gordon’s Oracle and Wendy Harris’ ‘Proxy’ leading the supporting cast, Miller ensures that his youthful protagonist isn’t overshadowed by a preponderance of too many Bat-characters crossing over. That even includes the Dark Knight himself, as his team-up with Stephanie in the “Leviathan Strikes” crossover is a welcome treat.
To Miller’s credit, he effectively phases in potential castmates that could stick around awhile or possibly prove expendable – it’s a welcome nod to unpredictability. More so, DC Comics evidently paid attention to how Miller had revitalized Batgirl’s significance to the Bat-Family, even after this series was regrettably cancelled.
One can recognize how many of Stephanie’s fun-loving traits were lifted for the New 52 Barbara Gordon to update the most famous Batgirl’s well-established persona with extra dimension. It’s unsurprising given how another New 52 consolidation tweaked Barry Allen’s Flash to more closely resemble Wally West’s hyperactivity. Hence, two Silver Age icons received contemporary personality makeovers while temporarily relegating both Stephanie and Wally to DC’s continuity dustbin.
Nearly fifteen years later, Miller’s take on this underrated Batgirl still hasn’t received its due reward – let’s just say the poignant series finale speaks for itself. Batgirl: Stephanie Brown, Volume 2, ultimately, is a teen-friendly gem well worth re-discovery.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
The original cover is presented in a full-page format followed by a posed Batgirl portrait taken from the interior artwork to precede each story. The cover artists are: Stanley “Artgem” Lau (Issues # 13-14); Shane Davis & Barbara Ciardo (Bruce Wayne – The Road Home: Batgirl); Dustin Nguyen (Issues # 15-24); and Chris Burnham & Nathan Fairbarn (Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes # 1).
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars
