Batgirl #35

   Sometimes continuity can be a burden to a comic series - not a help.

   Batgirl is a good example. When the series was rebooted for the "New 52," I was surprised that they kept the backstory for Barbara Gordon, including being shot and crippled by the Joker. (Apparently she got better.)

   So the early issues were plagued with concerns about her being injured again and how she overcame her injuries.

   With this issue, Batgirl apparently undergoes something of a reboot.

   What writers Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher have done is largely ignore past continuity and instead focus on telling fresh stories.

   So Babs gets new roommates in her apartment, she's forced to change her Batgirl costume, and the focus is on a fresh mystery, with nary a super-villain in sight.

   The other change is the look of the art, which takes some getting used to. Babs Tarr (working over Stewart's breakdowns) gives the series a fresh, fun look - though it's something of an adjustment. The style gives Barbara a new look by simply drawing her in a very different style. Gone is the curvy, buxom redhead. Instead we get a more lithe, normally-proportioned young woman.

   Tarr also creates  clever design for a double-page splash that gives a neat visualization for Barbara's incredible memory.

   There's one slightly distressing fact to note - it makes Babs looks 14. But don't worry, apparently she's still an adult.

   I have to admit, I enjoyed this issue more than the "New 52" reboot (which I dropped after a few issues). We'll see how long this new version maintains its fresh, unusual approach.

Grade: A-

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