Batgirl #3 Is this Buffy or Batgirl?
So I picked up Batgirl #3 today despite being one of the biggest Stephine Brown haters on this site. At this point I'm only reading it in hopes of catching a guest appearance by Cassandra Cain. From the start of the series it was easy to see what direction Bryan Q Miller would be taking the book and to be honest, its the exact same thing the t.v. series Buffy the Vampire Slayer did. A teenage girl dealing with the pressures of school, home, and family, while at the same time secretly fighting crime and hoping not to get caught by mother. Maybe I'm just to old for the new direction Batgirl has taken. Frat parties, secret crushes, getting grounded, and crying about an ex boyfriend are things I'd expect to see in a Spiderman comic, not my Batgirl comics. Now remember, this is just my point of view. I'm sure lots of readers can easily relate to the vulnerability of Steph. She's constantly searching for her place and it gives the reader a glimpse at a hero who doesn't always have the answers and lacks the self confidence of an established crime fighter. Her insecurities make her more human then the other characters we usually see wearing the Bat suits.
I will admit Steph is a fighter. Not so much skill wise but emotionally. She refuses to quit or be told she's not good enough which is admirable. The only problem is, sometimes when people tell you you're not good enough........they're right. But it seems in this case Steph has won over at least one person. By the end of the issue we see where, and by whom, the new Batgirl suit comes from. Which is good for Steph as she no longer has to run around in Cassandra's hand me downs. She's got her own look now and one of the greatest minds in the DCU backing her up. Time will tell if she'll be able to replace the last two Batgirls.
This is just my own theory here, but I think Calculator's daughter, Wendy Harris, will end up being Batgirl at some point. She keeps showing up with the most random appearances not to have an important role to play. Keep an eye on her.