Review by Karl Verhoven

This is a slightly larger and more episodic collection of Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl than seen in Volume 1, and due to the difference of tone it’s a more varied collection than the first. We have everything from a quirky bonding chapter with Supergirl to the return of Bruce Wayne as Batman.

Let’s start with that. In other titles featuring Batman’s return the story sprawled, but while Brian Q. Miller feeds into the bigger picture, he keeps the focus on Stephanie and her issues with Batman, although his narrative plays a part. Miller’s good with narrative captions. Stephanie naturally dominates, but we also read the thoughts of Barbara Gordon, Oracle, and Wendy Harris, Proxy, who acts as Batgirl’s back-up, feeding information into an earpiece when she’s in action. Miller also has Stephanie give a good reckoning of herself with “I’m not a hero, I’m just someone who’s doing what she thinks is right”.

Miller has a talent for not letting characters go to waste. Proxy is a good example, and someone seen in the first volume presumed to be a throwaway here recurs as the Grey Ghost, ostensibly helping Batgirl, but actually a distracting nuisance. A scientific genius first seen accidentally releasing hologram vampires subsequently proves incredibly troublesome for Stephanie in a different way. Nor does Miller forget the fractious relationship between Stephanie and Robin, Damien Wayne version. So, pay attention to what may seem minor members of the supporting cast, as Miller foreshadows extremely well. He also has some interesting takes on other heroes, some never directly referenced here, but you’ll pick up the intention.

Lee Garbett drew most of the first volume, but his only contribution here is the fun Supergirl team-up. Several other artists contribute, but between them Dustin Nguyen and Pére Pérez draw the bulk of this book. They have different approaches, Pérez being more demonstrative, while Nguyen’s art is a little more delicate and will briefly change. There’s the watercolours he’d later use so effectively on Descender, and the cartooning seen on the sample art, but the artists are equally good, and Pérez really shines on a dream sequence at the end. Ramon Bachs has the talent, but twists Batgirl into some appalling poses.

Unusually, even for 2009, Miller creates most of his own villains for Batgirl, but despite them being very serviceable here, none have progressed to become DC legacy villains. Most are attached to a shadowy organisation recruiting college students with illusory promises, and some have a greater weight in terms of ongoing plots. As Miller moves toward the end he has one final big surprise and readers who haven’t picked up the clues will be slapping their foreheads at the revelation as to who’s behind Batgirl’s problems. It’s brilliantly dropped.

This is substantially the same collection as Batgirl: The Lesson, which omits the opening two chapters (collected in The Flood). Here, though, there’s an additional a story from Grant Morrison and Cameron Stewart with Stephanie undercover in a perverse British public school. It’s silly fun and preceded by Miller’s equally enjoyable run through London clichés teaming Batgirl with Squire.

Miller is a TV writer who hasn’t written many comics, which on this basis is a great shame. His Batgirl is creative and illustrated by some great artists.