Batgirl Vol 3 5

"Batgirl Rising: Core Requirements, Part One"
Batgirl #5
December 9, 2011
Written by	Bryan Q. Miller
Cover by	Phil Noto
Pencilled by	Lee Garbett
Inked by	Sandra Hope, Oliver Nome
Colored by	Guy Major
Lettering by	John J. Hill
Edited by	Harvey Richards, Michael Siglain
Previous Issue	Batgirl #4
Next Issue	Batgirl #6

It’s Bat vs. Bat in “Core Requirements” part 1! As Gotham City burns, the new Batgirl comes face-to-face with Batman and Robin, who are anything but happy about her running around with a bat-symbol on her costume. Batman confronts Oracle as Damian confronts Stephanie in the ultimate Bat-family feud.

Summary of Stephness: The issue opens with Stephanie fighting an unintelligent villain named Diesel. Steph figured out that since his fire pumps are connected to his palms, that his blood must be made of gasoline. He broke out of the ice Steph had trapped him in via her ice disks, and she noted that if she cut his "lifelines" he'd bleed out and the fire would get worse.

Batman and Robin showed up to crash the party, and Diesel yelled, "Batman and Robin Finally!" causing Steph to snort, "Well, now I'm just offended." Stephanie tried to tell the duo how Diesel's bloodstream worked, but they cut her off and charged in. Soon, Damian found himself on top of a puddle of gasoline with Diesel about to blow both of themselves up. Against Oracle and Batman's warning, Stephanie threw more ice disks at the pair. She managed to put out the fire and send Diesel to the hospital, but she also accidentally froze Damian, much to both his and Dick's consternation.

Dick was not impressed with Stephanie's recklessness and argued with Barbara over what she was thinking, throwing someone like that out into the field. Barbara defended herself and Stephanie, saying that Steph had put out the fire and that at least Barbara wasn't training a murderous twit. Dick yelled at Barbara, saying that especially since Black Mask was back, Bruce would have never let her get away with sending Steph into the field alone. Babs ended up snapping that Bruce wasn't there anymore.

Meanwhile, Damian was informing Stephanie that he hated her. When Steph (put off by someone so young being so angry) responded he didn't know her, he scoffed that he'd heard enough about her incompetence to make a judgement. He also mentioned that he would much rather have met Cassandra, because she sounded wonderful.

Dick yelled at Babs to rein Stephanie in and move out of the cave, then he stormed off with Damian. So Stephanie decided to take the night off. She went back to the job she had taken, sorting books in the library to pay for her college, and overheard that Francisco Gracia was in some trouble thanks to his dad's shady activities.

Stephanie went to talk about it with him. Francisco admitted that he didn't like talking about his father, and Stephanie told him that she could relate. To her embarrassment she blurted out, "we have so much in common!" but Francisco was not deterred and asked if they could hang out later, assuring her that Jordanna wasn't his girlfriend. Stephanie accepted, but Francisco said she should lose the "little Omen fanboy giving you the stink eye" who turned out to be Damian.

Stephanie promptly went to chew him out for almost compromising their secrets. "And you guys think I'm the screw up?" Damian dismissed her, claiming he was in urban camouflage mode. While drawing a Batgirl in the snow, he admitted he was trying to understand her because she wasn't uber-skilled and wasn't interested in vengeance. He couldn't see what use she was to anyone. Stephanie tried to explain that she and Barbara didn't want to inspire fear in people, but hope, but Damian continued not to understand. Stephanie gave up, saying, "Of course you don't! You're ten! And stop staring at my chest." Damian replied, "What chest?" and Stephanie stomped off, grumbling, "HATE" to herself.

When Francisco didn't text her, she found herself worrying, and also wondering if she could go on a date so soon after what happened with Tim. While patrolling as Batgirl, she spotted him arguing with his dad over the phone. Knowing that she couldn't afford to wait if Francisco was in trouble, she borrowed the only clothes that fit her from Barbara- a slip and a trench coat. No sooner than she had accosted a panicked Francisco, a car full of masked men showed up to grab him. Stephanie fought the thugs, but was grazed by a bullet, and Francisco was taken away by the men while she collapsed and bled.

Other Formats/Collected In:
Digital Comic Book
Batgirl: Batgirl Rising TPB

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