Lighter tone and millennial themes
Uncanny Omar explains that this run brings a major stylistic and tonal shift, featuring a 20-something cast dealing with social media and everyday youth drama alongside superheroics.
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Batgirl of Burnside: DC Compact Comics Edition
Batgirl of Burnside Review: Art Praised, Tone Draws Mixed Notes (Stewart, Fletcher)
Batgirl of Burnside: DC Compact Comics Edition collects Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher's run with artist Babs Tarr, in which Barbara Gordon rebuilds as a viral vigilante in Burnside. Its art earns the clearest praise; Big Red Nerd also flags cringe moments and criticism of issue 37.
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Best for
Readers who want a lighter Barbara Gordon with a vivid art-led identity and a fresh-start premise, rather than the darker Oracle-era Gotham of earlier Batgirl stories.
Worth it if
Worth reading if you want a youthful, art-forward Batgirl run and can accept a few awkward tonal stumbles, such as the party scenes and one twist, in exchange for the new Burnside cast and Babs Tarr's artwork.
Skip if
Skip it if you prefer Barbara Gordon's older, more serious Oracle-era stories, or if the transphobia criticism Big Red Nerd notes about issue 37 or the cringe-worthy party moments would sour the run for you.
Where reviewers agree and split
- Mixed
Big Red Nerd · Book blog: strong art and characters undermined by cringe moments and transphobia
- Mixed · 4 sheep
I Smell Sheep · Book blog: entertaining fresh start with tonal inconsistency between crime and villain design
What readers & critics say
One review that weighs the story in detail leans positive on the art and the new cast but flags uncomfortable scenes, a twist that unsettled the reviewer, and criticism over issue 37. The blogger at ismellsheep.com, writing about the original volume, also leans positive, calling it a good starting point for newcomers while finding the villains slightly out of step with the grounded tone.
Sources: Big Red Nerd, ismellsheep.comUncanny Omar from Near Mint Condition reviews Batgirl of Burnside: DC Compact Comics Edition
Uncanny Omar presents an in-depth overview and review of the Batgirl of Burnside Omnibus by Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher.
A BookTube review by Near Mint Condition, 2022 · 18.7K views · 140K subscribers · Watch on YouTube ·
Their views, not ours. The points are our AI summary of what they say, each playing from where they say it.
Another view · loved it
The reviewer thoroughly enjoyed the Batgirl of Burnside run, admiring its youthful, energetic, and contemporary approach. They appreciated how refreshing it felt compared to typically grim and dull superhero storylines, finding it engaging and lighthearted. In addition, they praised the physical presentation of the omnibus, noting the strong paper quality, art reproduction, and included design extras. COMICSNCULTURE on YouTube
Anime-inspired artwork
Uncanny Omar notes the art style by Babs Tarr and Bengal is cartoony and heavily influenced by anime, which fits the lighter tone well even if some readers prefer serious visuals.
Supporting cast and Barbara's life
Unlike the preceding run which relied heavily on internal monologue, this series balances Barbara's superhero life equally with a lively supporting friend group in Burnside.
Proper chronological issue mapping
Uncanny Omar praises the omnibus for mapping the Endgame story into its correct narrative spot between volumes rather than sticking it awkwardly at the end like previous paperbacks.
Preview the book
+4
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Batgirl of Burnside: DC Compact Comics Edition collects the Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher run with artist Babs Tarr, in which Barbara Gordon rebuilds her life and costume in Gotham's trendiest neighbourhood. The clearest praise goes to the art, and the Big Red Nerd blogger also credits the new supporting cast. It suits readers who want a lighter, youth-oriented Batgirl, with the caveats that the same blogger found some party scenes cringe-worthy, was unsettled by the Oracle twist, and notes criticism of issue 37.
- Is it worth reading?
- It is worth it if you want an art-forward, youthful Batgirl and can tolerate a few tonal stumbles. The Big Red Nerd blogger, the fullest reviewer we have, rates Babs Tarr's art as his favourite part of the series and likes the new cast. The same blogger found some party moments uncomfortable.
- Similar books
- The related picks that fit are Cameron Stewart's Family Business, Brenden Fletcher and Becky Cloonan's Gotham Academy Vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy, and Ryan North's The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 1: Squirrel Power. The first two share a creator with this run, and Squirrel Power is a lighter-toned superhero comic in a similar spirit. The held sources do not compare this collection to any of them; the only comparison the Big Red Nerd blogger makes is to the earlier Oracle stories by John Ostrander, Kim Yale and Gail Simone.
- Who should read this?
- It suits readers who want a modern, contemporary Barbara Gordon rather than darker continuity. It is a looser fit for anyone who prefers her older, more serious Oracle-era stories. Readers put off by the transphobia concerns raised about issue 37 should look into that issue before buying.
- What age is it for?
- The older single-volume edition was rated Teen by DC, according to its own listing. That is not an official rating for this collection, and no reviewer describes the content in detail beyond the plot premise. Parents should read the content details on the retailer page and the criticism the Big Red Nerd blogger notes about issue 37.
- About Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher
- Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher are comic book writers best known for collaborating on DC Comics' Batgirl series. In 2014 they took over as co-writers on Batgirl, joined by artist Babs Tarr and colorist Jordie Bellaire, reinventing Barbara Gordon in the critically praised Batgirl of Burnside storyline. Fletcher also contributed scripts to the animated miniseries Intruder II.
- What should I know about the issue 37 criticism?
- The Big Red Nerd noted that the book drew criticism over transphobia in issue 37. He does not detail the criticism in what we hold, and no other reviewer addresses it. Readers who want to judge it themselves should look at that specific issue before buying, since this collection contains it.
- Which edition should I buy?
- This compact edition is a reissue of the earlier collections. Penguin Random House lists it as Batgirl #35-45 plus Annual #3, Secret Origins #10 and a DC Sneak Peek, while other listings give #35-52. Amazon dates publication to September 15, 2026 and Third Eye lists September 16, 2026, so verify the contents and date with your retailer.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
What age is it for?
About Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher
What should I know about the issue 37 criticism?
Which edition should I buy?
Summarize this book
After a fire destroys her belongings, Barbara Gordon relocates to Burnside and builds a new Batgirl identity with a DIY costume, new roommates and a new school. Her sudden popularity makes her a viral vigilante, which brings enemies who want her spotlight, including twin sister assassins on motorcycles in the opening arc. Per Third Eye Comics, the run also features an excess of rival Batgirls, one out to kill the original, and her father announcing he is the new Batman with orders to arrest unsanctioned heroes.
Follow up
What issues does this collection include?
Is it a fresh starting point?
Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review
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Answers come from our editorial notes on this book. If we haven't covered something, we'll say so.
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Our Review
We review the evidence: published critics, reader verdicts and BookTube reviews, gathered and weighed with AI assistance and edited by LuvemBooks, rather than one reader's first-hand take.
A fire wipes out Barbara Gordon's belongings, and the Batgirl who rises from it is a new-look, social-media-famous hero in Gotham's hippest neighbourhood. The sources offer one review of the story, from a blogger who grades the art very highly and flags real cringe moments and a criticism over transphobia in one issue.
What happens in Batgirl of Burnside?
Barbara Gordon crosses the bridge to Burnside, the neighbourhood the publisher calls Gotham's coolest, after a freak fire burns up her costume and gear. DC's own description says she then builds an all-new Batgirl from the wreckage.
Third Eye Comics adds that she has new roommates, a new school and a new costume, and that as her popularity grows, Burnside soon has "an excess of Batgirls", one of them out to kill the original.
The publisher says she barely pulls on the DIY costume before Batgirl is trending as Gotham's first viral vigilante. That fame draws enemies who want her social-media spotlight, while Babs deals with college classes and a dating scene that is dismal in its own way.
DC's description of the opening arc adds twin sister assassins on motorcycles.
Third Eye also describes a turn in which her father announces he is the new Batman, with a mandate to arrest unsanctioned heroes, Batgirl included. This is the premise in the retailer's words, not a quality verdict.
What did reviewers make of Batgirl of Burnside?
The fullest review among the sources is from the book blogger behind Big Red Nerd, who frames the run as a lighter-toned relaunch within the New 52 era. He picks out Babs Tarr's art as his favourite thing about the series and notes she became the first long-term female artist on a Bat-comic.
That same blogger names the cast the run introduces, including Frankie Charles and Liz, alongside the return of Dinah Lance and Alysia Yeoh. He also lists new villains such as Riot Black, Yuri, Yuki Katsura and Dagger Type.
His reservations are specific. He found some moments cringe-worthy, such as Barbara kissing a stranger at a party or getting plastered, and he notes criticism of the book over transphobia in issue 37.
That review is of a different collection, so it speaks to the art's role rather than to this edition's contents.
What does the DC Compact Comics Edition collect?
Penguin Random House lists the contents as Batgirl #35-45, Batgirl Annual #3, Secret Origins #10 and a DC Sneak Peek: Batgirl #1. A wider range, #35-52, is listed elsewhere, so the issue range differs between retailer listings and is worth checking before buying.
The brownsbfs.co.uk listing describes the collected issues as spanning a substantial run: eleven main series issues plus three additional entries.
The creative team is Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher on story, with Babs Tarr on art, who Penguin Random House says reinvent Barbara Gordon "from the boots up". The compact format is a reissue of the earlier collections, and Amazon dates this edition's publication to September 15, 2026; Third Eye lists a September 16, 2026 release date.
The original first volume went on sale in May 2015 at a US price of $24.99, rated Teen by DC, per its own listing. That is the older single-volume edition, not this one.
Is Batgirl of Burnside worth reading?
Weighing these reviews, the tension is between a fresh, youth-oriented tone and the moments where that tone stumbles. The publisher, naturally, sells only the sunny side: a viral hero, new friends, a fresh start.
That points the book towards readers who want a lighter Batgirl with a modern, social-media framing and a strong art-led identity, and away from readers who prefer Barbara Gordon's older, more serious Oracle-era stories. It also points away from anyone who would be put off by the transphobia criticism the Big Red Nerd blogger mentions.
For comparison, the Big Red Nerd blogger measures it against John Ostrander, Kim Yale and Gail Simone's earlier Oracle stories, which he remembers fondly. Read as a lighter relaunch rather than a continuation of those, it is the kind of book a reader would pick for tone and art more than for dark continuity.
Is Batgirl of Burnside suitable for teens?
No source we hold describes the book's content in detail beyond the plot premise. DC's listing for the original first volume rated that edition Teen, but that is not an official rating for this collection.
Parents who want to know more should read the issue range listed on the retailer page and the criticism the Big Red Nerd blogger mentions about issue 37 before deciding.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- 1
leagueofcomicgeeks.com
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
barnesandnoble.com
- 6
- 7
- 8
shop.thirdeyecomics.com
- 9
- 10
ismellsheep.com
Age & Reading Level
Our age band
Ages 12+
Reading level
Young adult
Our age band groups books for browsing; it isn't an age a review gave.
3 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
a character kissing a stranger and getting drunk at a party
Oracle recast as a villain
criticism over transphobia in issue 37
Best for: Teens (about 12+) — DC rated the original first volume Teen; this is not an official rating for the compact edition
Skip if you prefer Barbara Gordon's darker, more serious Oracle-era stories or would be put off by the issue 37 criticism.
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