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Batgirl: Year One follows in the same footsteps as Batman: Year One and Robin: Year One in that the book goes back to the origin story of the character and reinvents him (or her in this case). To me, Batgirl has always had more of a fluid origin story. You can't mess with Batman's too much because the hard facts are always that his parents got killed and he takes on the villainy in Gotham City as a way to both avenge and honor them. Batgirl feels more open to different interpretations as to why she goes crazy enough to throw on a mask and fight crime.

I really enjoyed how this book handles this, demonstrating how she wanted to be a legitimate police officer, but was rejected for being too short (really? that's a thing?). Soon she witnesses the good Batman can do in Gotham and seeks to make use of her own set of skills. Her crash course in the Batcave as well as Robin's somewhat guiding hand is a nice touch. In many ways, it's as if we are being inducted into the Bat family as well with Batgirl as our proxy.

Also, the main villains of these first several issues are Killer Moth and Firefly. I thought this was a nice touch as neither really gets the spotlight in the same way that Joker, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow, etc. do. Also, comparatively they are B or C list villains, just menacing enough that Batgirl can cut her teeth on her first foes, but not as hardcore as Joker (there's a nice reference to the Killing Joke during her training). By the end, it feels like Batgirl is finally the character that we've known for years. A great introduction that also doesn't shy away from hinting at her future as Oracle as well.