Review by Ian Keogh

There have been several Batgirls over the years, but it took the writing team of Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad to consider uniting them. Barbara Gordon will occasionally still put on the costume, but largely remains as Oracle, acting as mentor to the ebullient Stephanie Brown and the more reserved Cassandra Cain, both still teenagers. The sparkling One Way or Another ended with the Batgirls tracked down by Seer, who’s been a troublesome enemy.

She claimed she needed help, and Bat Girls Summer opens with help provided, although it’s not quite as simple as that makes it sound. The Saints are on the loose again, and Seer is complicated. Capping a twisty thriller, Cloonan and Conrad supply a great joke about the old Robin costume.

After being instrumental in defining the look of Batgirls, Jorge Corona has departed elsewhere. Robbi Rodriguez turns in a stylish two chapters exploring Seer’s preoccupations, but the title story is drawn by Neil Googe. He’s attractively modified his usual style to something closer to the look established by Corona.

A plot thread uncompleted in One Way or Another was Stephanie convinced Gotham Hill’s serial killer was their grumpy neighbour, on whom she’s been spying to gather evidence. That theory, though, evaporates when the neighbour becomes the latest victim, and it sets off the title story. Gotham’s hot, and a vacation isn’t on the agenda.

Cloonan and Conrad continue with the all-knowing first person narrative captions, and while these can slip into becoming twee and too self-aware, especially when the editor joins in, on the whole a unique voice is a good idea. Another of those is reporter Grace O’Halloran, now providing videocast commentary, her change of heart about the Batgirls surviving her humiliation, while good use is made of both Nightwing and a couple of lesser seen Gotham villains. Another nice touch is the serial killer’s victims not just being there for a plot device, but memorialised as citizens come together.

The result is another fast paced dose of fun blending the right mixture of action and personal moments injected with humour. Sadly Girls to the Front is the final volume, but it’s also the bulkiest.