Bleeding Cool reported on Gail Simone leaving Batgirl over creative differences with the editor – who then also left. At the time, Simone tweeted,

No, it isn't. I am sad to leave, but glad they are finally allowing Batgirl to not be so grim every issue. @aloudernoise — Gail Simone (@GailSimone) July 11, 2014

And:

The positive thing is, the new editor has been great and I get to go out doing some fun stuff in this last story. Like including Huntress! — Gail Simone (@GailSimone) July 11, 2014

She's right, there really is some fun stuff. Today's Batgirl #34, co-edited by Chris Conroy, is Gail Simone's final issue on the comic she relaunched for the DC New 52.

And while it remains an all-action thrill, no one gets stabbed in the spine, it's not constantly a maudlin experience and the characters seem to enjoy their role for a change. This, basically, is Batgirl as Gail would have liked to have written it.

With people smiling a lot.

Characters enjoying their roles.

And taking away one of the things that had been hanging over Barbara Gordon like a dark cloud for the last year.



You'll get another one of those on the final page as well. And here, just to underline the point, is a panel that would just not have appeared in a previous issue of the series.

Bring on the yellow Doc Martens!

Comics courtesy of Comic Connections of Banbury, Oxfordshire. Who are running a special summer promotion though August, with a different offer announced on Facebook every Monday.