BARBARA

In the wake of her brutal depiction in the “Batman: The Killing Joke” film adaptation and a humdrum “Batgirl and the Birds of Prey: Rebirth” issue, Barbara Gordon needed a break. As a character who has been broken and battered over the years, she deserves to be more than a plot device or part of a one-shot that weakly sets up a dynamic group series. She deserves hope. Enter Hope Larson. The writer teams up with artist Rafael Albuquerque and colorist Dave McCaig to give fans the ambitious Barbara Gordon we know and love. In “Batgirl” #1, Larson’s first ever DC property, Babs hits the ground running; Larson’s script is smart and bold and — above all — adventurous, as our favorite redhead sets off on a pilgrimage through East Asia. It’s a fresh start for both readers and Batgirl herself. Where she is woefully unprepared in “The Killing Joke,” she is capable and flush with a skill set that proves her to be adept at handling whatever life throws her way here. Larson’s keen sense for sto