By Eric D. Giovanni

If you look closely, there’s a building in this picture

Don’t be fooled by the title, this is all about Barbara Gordon, the newly minted Batgirl, a buxom red-handed spitfire.

The magazine collects issues 17 to 21 of the series Batman Confidential. It opens with Gordon, a librarian trying to decode a notebook that belongs to her father, Commissioner Gordon. The book is stolen by Catwoman and she’s on the chase. What seems at first like a case of petty theft soon turns into something much deeper.

We never find out what’s in the notebook, but it takes us everywhere from a club, to a junkyard, to the rooftops of Gotham, all the way into the headquarters of the Russian Mafia. Catwoman, in order to save a friend of hers from servitude, steals the notebook to use as a bargaining chip. Batman comes to help just as the mob takes the notebook and enlists the help of The Riddler. The final issue takes Batgirl through the bowels of Arkham Asylum, where, and I’m not making this up, she avoids confrontation with The Joker by winning a riddle contest.

What drew me to the book was writer Fabian Nicieza. His previous writing credits include X-Men and Citizen V, and was the editor in chief for the short-lived Acclaim Comics from which we get the Turok series of video games. However, he is best known for co-creating Deadpool with Rob Liefeld. So I went in expecting some witty, light hearted adventure that remains true to the spirit of the characters. Oh, and a shit ton of inner monologues.

My only complaint is the layout. Kevin McGuire’s art is really expressive, but whenever a fight scene took place, things got claustrophobic and hard to follow. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read. Would I buy it? Not at the $13 recommended asking price. Still, it got me interested in Batman Confidential, so at the very least that series has a new reader.

As a side note, if you’re expecting girl-on-girl action, Batgirl and Catwoman totally wrestle naked in a hedonist club. I’m just sayin’.