Batman: No Man's Land, vol 1

Batman:  No Man's Land volume 1 (various authors and artists); graphic novel; 200 pages

Following the devastating earthquake from Cataclysm, Gotham is struggling to get back on its feet when the unthinkable happens:  the US government declares the city unsalvageable, orders and evacuation, and seals the remains off.  Of course there are a fair number of people who chose not to leave the city, including most of its crime bosses, police force, and masked vigilantes.

Reading this arc requires a little suspension of disbelief.  I had a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea that the government would disown the DCU equivalent to New York City, however bad the damage from the quake (this is especially had to fathom after seeing how the whole country pulled together after Hurricaine Katrina).  But they don't just disown it--they actually seal it off, trapping the remaining residents inside and turning away any kind of food or supplies that humanitarian groups try to send in.  It doesn't make any sense, but when this book opens, Gotham has already been shut down, so we don't' get to see the rationale behind that decision (this is another case where I think someone has fallen down on the job of collecting these titles; clearly SOMETHING pretty big happened between Cataclysm and No Man's Land, but that wasn't included in the trade for some reason.  I feel like this a scheme from someone else's villain--it has a Lex Luthor vibe to it--but it would have been nice to at least get an explanation in the summary at the beginning). 

So when this book opens, Gotham has already become a classic dystopia in the three months since the quake.  The city is divided between gangs and crime bosses who rule like kings over their respective territories, while the residents just struggle to survive in a city with swiftly dwindling resources.  There are two arcs in this volume:  one just introduces the situation as it currently stands, and follows GCPD (now little different from any of the other street gangs) as they try to take back the city one block at a time; the second arc is more psychological, and follows Scarecrow as he insinuates himself into a church-run refugee center and starts to plant the seeds of chaos.  This volume also marks the first appearance of the new Batgirl, though her identity has yet to be revealed (I'm guessing this is the Cassandra Cain incarnation, since she seems way to competent to be Stephanie Brown). 

Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection

Batgirl:  The Darkest Reflection (New 52 Batgirl vol. 1), by Gail Simone; graphic novel; 144 pages

Three years after the Joker's attack left her confined to a wheelchair, Barbara Gordon has regained her mobility and is back in her beloved role as Batgirl.  In her first mission, she sqaures off against Mirror, a serial killer who targets people who have escaped close brushes with death (including Babs herself).

Okay, my review of this book is going to be colored by my pre-reboot reading, so ye be warned.

I enjoyed this book a lot.  Simone is a good writer with lots of experience writing for Barbara Gordon (see almost the entire run of Birds of Prey), and the art was really stand-out here (a nice change from the occasionally dated artwork of the original Birds series).  The story was good, with a great balance between Babs' own insecurities and family drama, and the thrill of chasing a killer across the dark skyline.  Simone even throws in two fights that made my little fangirl heart glow:  Batgirl vs. Nightwing (their past flirting apparently survived the reboot, if not the Nightwing-cheating-on-Babs-with-Huntress part), and Batgirl vs. a mind-controlled Bruce Wayne (who of course still has all his Batman skills, so she's also got to worry about protecting his secret identity and not injuring him too badly).  

Despite the excellent art and writing, though, I had trouble really getting into this story.  Mostly, I found myself confused at the choices DC made for this character.  Don't get me wrong--I love Babs as Batgirl, and I think she's still the best Batgirl out of all the characters who have held that title.  Also, in traditional continuity, she's a librarian by day, and superhero by night, so OF COURSE she's my favorite female superhero.  But as much as I loved Babs as Batgirl, I loved her as Oracle so much more.  For one, Oracle fills an important need in Gotham's superhero community:  someone to monitor communications and keep things running smoothly; someone to send backup if needed, or orchestrate elaborate missions--basically acting as mission command; someone to hack into government computers or offshore back accounts to gather much-needed information--and sometimes reallocate dirty money which can be better used to fund the Bat-family's brand of vigilante justice.  While all the members of the Bat-family are skilled with computers, I don't see anyone besides Batman and Tim Drake actually doing this for themselves now that Oracle's gone (or never existed, as the case may be*).  As Oracle, Babs is irreplaceable and unique; more importantly, she proves that someone can still be a superhero despite a physical disability, and brains can be just as important as physical abilities.  As Batgirl (and it pains me to say this, because as I said, I love Babs as Batgirl) she's just another caped hero in the streets of Gotham.  I might also be a little bitter that Barbara's career as a librarian has been retconned right out of the series, but I'm trying not to let my personal biases color this review too much.  For what it's worth, I got the feeling Simone felt the same way (there's one scene in particular where Batgirl is in deperate need of backup, but she can't get in touch with anyone--hmm, wouldn't it be great if there was someone in Gotham who could, say, coordinate that??).

I'll definitely keep reading this series if I can track down the collected editions.  The writing is sharp and smart, and Babs is still one of my favorite characters (though now I'm wondering what's holding the New 52 Birds of Prey together, if not Oracle).  I also love the artists that DC has hired on for the New 52--the style is very unified throughout all the titles, but it still doesn't feel comic-y.  Good job, DC.  But can we at least have Babs get a part time library job for old times sake? 

*Edited to add:  According to Wikipedia, in the New 52 Barbara did serve as Oracle for the three years between the Joker's shooting and her recovery, then apparently left her post to become Batgirl, leaving Black Canary in charge of the Birds.  Sorry, DC, Dinah's great and all, but she's not a replacement for Oracle....