I hate to like a Chuck Dixon book but I have to admit Batgirl: Year One was a great read. One of the most fascinating things about this comic to me was its relationship to Barbara's identity as a female superhero. As someone who reads a fair amount of older comics I was poised to pick up on how quintessentially early 2000s Dixon and Beatty's engagement with gender was here. In some ways the gender of it all felt a tad juvenile (Babs and Dicks dynamic had a slightly tedious "girls rule; boys drool tinge). I was also exasperated by Batman's place as the condescending patriarchal figure who's never wrong.

But despite my (very mild) annoyances Batgirl: Year One's great character writing spoke for itself. Beatty and Dixon lovingly crafted Barbara here. I loved her determination, how rough around the edges she was and her relentless passion for the job. The art was stunning crisp and simple (slightly reminiscent of Darwyn Cooke) and elevated the story from good to great. Overall Batgirl: Year One has probably made its way to one of my favourite comics of the year.