Batgirl: Year One
Written by Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon
Art by Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez
ISBN: 978140120080s
Publisher: DC Comics
Date of Publication: 2004
Reader’s Annotation:
Barbara Gordon’s first year of fighting crime as Batgirl.
Plot Summary:
Barbara Gordon wants to be a detective like her father, Gotham City Police Comissioner Jim Gordon. The problem is that Barbara is having is that no one is taking her dreams seriously. She’s been rejected by the FBI and the Gotham City Police Academy. As Barbara continues to work at the local library, she can’t help but dream for her desired future.
At the Gotham City Police Department’s Masquerade Ball, Barbara’s costume gives her the opportunity to do what she has always wanted to do; fight the bad guys. Now she has a chance to prove her worth to the city and to Batman and Robin. That is if she can survived these first days as Batgirl.
Critical Evaluation:
Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon treats the rise of Batgirl with care. Barbara Gordon’s portrayed as a strong willed woman with legitimate dreams and desires. Her role at the library isn’t shown as a waste of her time and provides the reader reasons why research is a detective’s best asset.
When someone else decides you are unworthy of your goals and dreams, you can either stand up and fight or walk away disappointed. Barbara’s refusal to give up is inspiring and proves to be a great example for young female readers.
The art by Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez is fresh and exciting, providing bright colors without making the book too flashy and girly. Readers looking to enter the comic book medium would be better served picking up this fun story.
Information about the Authors:
From Chuck Dixon’s Amazon Biography, with over twenty-five years of comic book experience, Dixon has maintained a reputation as a talented writer. He has worked for both big comic publishers, DC and Marvel, as well as independent comic publishers. Dixon is the author of action novels as well.
From Scott Beatty’s Wikipedia page, Beatty has worked in the comic industry since the mid-90s. He has written comic book guides as well as comic book stories.
Information about the Artists:
From Marcos Martin’s Wikipedia page, Martin is a Spanish artist who has worked on projects for both DC and Marvel comics.
Beyond a credit for the book, there is no further information about Alvaro Lopez
Genre:
Superhero, Comics/Graphic Novels
Curriculum Ties:
Self-worth
Booktalking Ideas:
If you could be a superhero, what kind would you be?
Why is research important in detective work?
Reading Level/Interest Age:
15 and up.
Challenging Issues:
There are no current challenges for this book. The American Library Association’s Guide to Library Materials Challenges is a great resource if the book is challenged in the future.
Why did I include this book in the title selections?
Barbara Gordon is the Patron Saint of librarians. Her story does have a tragic background but her spirit is inspiring. Her intelligence should be admired by teens as something one should achieve.
Reference:
Amazon. (n.d.). Chuck Dixon. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Chuck-Dixon/e/B001HOL26O
Wikipedia. (n.d.) Scott Beatty. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Beatty
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Marcos Martin. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcos_Mart%C3%ADn