After the 'Death of Oracle' this latest issue, entitled 'Which Reason Knows Not Of', opens in the Chinese district of Gotham City as Huntress – Helena Bertinelli – charges through a busy street market in pursuit of a jewel thief: just an everyday event in Gotham we're reminded!   As the thief prepares to speed away on a motorcycle Huntress shouts out her final warning … before drawing her crossbow, letting fire and puncturing a tire, sending the rider head first over the…

Tags: barbara gordon, batgirl, birds of prey, black canary, blackgate, brad pitt, captain marvel, catman, deadshot, dinah lance, gail simone, gotham city, helena bertinelli, huntress, joker, kord tower, lex luthor, mimi ardrian, nei ruffino, oracle, pere perez, rickie lowlife, stanley lau, superman, thomas blake, two-face

"The Gristle and the Ghostly", the concluding part in "The Death of Oracle" story-arc, opens with a fantastic, immediately recognizable, close-up of Helena Bertinelli – Huntress: needless to say she's angry, challenging Calculator to explain his actions after he orders Oracle's aircraft to be shot from the sky.   For once Calculator is a little lost for words, stammering somewhat as he tries to justify his actions. As his men look on Helena senses her captors vulnerability and looks to exploit the situation…

Tags: barbara gordon, batgirl, batman, birds of prey, black canary, blue beetle, booster gold, bruce wayne, calculator, cassandra cain, catwoman, charlotte radcliffe-gage, current, dawn granger, dick grayson, dinah lance, dove, el paso, gail simone, gotham city, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, inaki miranda, lady blackhawk, mammoth, manhunter, misfit, mortis, moscow, oracle, pere perez, red robin, selina kyle, stanley lau, stephanie brown, tim drake, zinda blake

'The Death of Oracle' continues with the third installment of this four-part story-arc. 'The Soul and the Sacrifice' opens with something of a surprise: Dinah 'Black Canary' Lance's late mother – Dinah Drake Lance – greeting her daughter from the headquarters of the JSA. When her mother asks why everything she loves dies and, as only a mother can, why she won't wear her hair differently, Dinah understandably becomes emotional.   Moments later she finds herself in the company of her father -…

Tags: barbara gordon, batman, birds of prey, black canary, bolt, bruce wayne, calculator, current, dawn granger, dinah drake lance, dinah lance, dove, gail simone, gotham city, green arrow, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, inaki miranda, justice society of america, kord tower, lady blackhawk, mammoth, mortis, oliver queen, oracle, penguin, red arrow, roy harper, savant, sin, stanley lau, zinda blake

"The Death of Oracle" continues with the second part of this four-part story-arc entitled "The Gauntlets and the Guillotine". Having smashed their way into the nightclub where the Birds of Prey were enjoying a girls night out, Mortis – the self-proclaimed "Goddess of the Forgotten Dead" – accompanied by Mammoth and the "newbie" villain known as Current confronts the Birds demanding, for the final time they are told, to know which of them is Oracle.   Zinda Blake – Lady Blackhawk – steps…

Tags: ardian syaf, barbara gordon, batman, birds of prey, black canary, bruce wayne, calculator, current, dawn granger, dinah lance, dove, gail simone, guillem march, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, iceberg lounge, kord tower, lady blackhawk, mammoth, mortis, oracle, oswald cobblepot, penguin, savant, stanley lau, zinda blake

'The Cape and the Cadaver' – first of the four part 'Death of Oracle' story-arc – opens at the window of a fairly anonymous looking Gotham City high-rise. At the window stands a man – The Calculator – surveying the city before him, wondering aloud just why Gotham's villains choose to make the city their home, the scene of their crimes.   Interrupted by one of his associates, Calculator is introduced to a visitor: Brian Durlin aka Savant. Comfortable that Savant isn't carrying…

Tags: aleksandr creote, ardian syaf, baran flinders, barbara gordon, batman, batman incorporated, birds of prey, black canary, brian durlin, bruce wayne, calculator, creote, dawn granger, dinah lance, dove, gail simone, gotham city, hank hall, hawk, helena bertinelli, huntress, kord tower, lady blackhawk, leslie thompkins, mammoth, mortis, nei ruffino, oracle, savant, stanley lau, vicente cifuentes, zinda blake

We're promised 'Terror in the 3rd Dimension' in Batgirl #14 and as the story opens we see Batgirl – Stephanie Brown – and Supergirl – Kara Zor-El – struggling to release themselves from their captive: as Stephanie explains, she was just hoping for a quiet, normal, evening; kicking back, relaxing with a friend – instead, these friends find themselves in a grip of a monochrome Dracula!   Much earlier, at the Brown household, we are witness to a much calmer scene as the young Stephanie is slumped over the table…

Tags: barbara gordon, batgirl, birds of prey, bryan q miller, dracula, firewall, gotham city, guy major, kara zor-el, lee garbett, phil noto, scrabble, stanley lau, stephanie brown, supergirl, travis lanham, trevor scott, wendy harris

With the events of 'The Flood' firmly behind her, Stephanie Brown has most certainly grown – both as a young woman and, just as importantly, as a member of the Batgirl 'team'.   Our story – appropriately entitled 'Trust' – begins with Stephanie, sweat dripping from her brow, facing her opponent who in turn stares back and throws down a verbal challenge. Moment later, it's game on as Steph lets loose a tremendous shot … much to the surprise of her opposite number.   We're at Gotham U, it's the second half…

Tags: arkham asylum, barbara gordon, basil karlo, batgirl, bryan q miller, calculator, clayface, damian wayne, gotham university, lee garbett, nick gage, oracle, pere perez, proxy, stanley lau, stephanie brown, wendy harris

This issue of Batgirl has very much a 'coming of age' feel about it as we witnessed the concluding part of the 'Batgirl Rising: The Flood' story-arc and with it the end of Stephanie Brown's first year in the role of Batgirl.   Having leapt from an aircraft piloted by Wendy Harris at the close of issue #10 this issue opens with Stephanie plunging towards Calculator's compound in deep in Slaughter Swamp. In the compound, she knows, is Oracle – Barbara Gordon – who's being held captive.   As Steph's parachute opens…

Tags: barbara gordon, batgirl, bryan q miller, calculator, lee garbett, pere perez, stanley lau, stephanie brown, walden wong, wendy harris

After the dark, threatening close to Batgirl #10 this, the third of the four part 'The Flood' story-arc, opens with quite a different tone, and it's immediately clear not everything is as it at first seems …   Barbara Gordon wakes from her nights sleep with a bit of a start and sits up in her bed as Dick Grayson enters the room, gives her a kiss and urges her to get up and dressed. As her extended family relax, Barbara is racing around the kitchen preparing what appears to…

Tags: barbara gordon, batgirl, bryan q miller, calculator, catwoman, damian wayne, dick grayson, guy major, huntress, lee garbett, man-bat, pere perez, stanley lau, stephanie brown, walden wong, wendy harris

Following one or two reservations – okay, I'll say it, disappointments – with the previous issue I'd really been looking forward to seeing the return of a more familiar Batgirl with this release. 'Batgirl Rising: The Flood' marks the start of a new four-part story-arc that begins aboard a train screeching along the tracks through Gotham City. From the conversation between the driver and his Control it's clear something is amiss, that the driver isn't able to stop the train. Inside one of the carriages a middle-aged man…

Tags: barbara gordon, batcave, batgirl, calculator, gotham city, jim gordon, nick gage, oracle, phil noto, stanley lau, stephanie brown, wendy harris