When Shadow Of The Bat begins, mob boss Rupert Thorne is taken down by the Gotham City Police, thanks to the efforts of Assistant Commissioner Gil Mason, who receives juicy tips about the underworld from a mysterious source. However, when the same source implicates Commissioner Gordon in a bribery scandal, leaving Mason no choice but to arrest his boss, Batman decides to start his own investigation by going undercover in the criminal underworld as Matches Malone. In an effort to root out the person who implicated Gordon, Batman discovers a plot to consolidate the gangs of Gotham City under one rule, but whose?

Meanwhile, Barbara Gordon, the college-age daughter of James Gordon, isn't taking her father's imprisonment sitting down. When plans are made for a rally to support Gordon, Barbara pleads with the Batman to show his support by making an appearance. But the Batman, deep in his investigation of the person or persons behind Gordon's framing, flatly turns her down due to the lack of time on his hands. Yet the ever-resourceful Barbara decides to don a Batman outfit and impersonate the Dark Knight at the rally. A natural gymnast, Barbara has no trouble performing the Batman's acrobatics, and as long as she stays far enough away from the rally-goers, they won't be able to tell it's really a woman wearing the outfit from a distance. But when machine-gun toting thugs open fire on the crowd, the Batman-clad Barbara finds herself fighting them right alongside Robin, who is not too happy to see this new kid on the block.

Shadow Of The Bat is a terrific start to the third volume of Batman: The Animated Series because, after several episodes of foreshadowing in Volume Two, it finally introduces Batgirl in all her glory. Batman and Robin's initial reaction to this new caped crime fighter is understandable skepticism--but they, like the viewer, are won over by Batgirl's problem solving abilities, as well as her spunk. Barbara Gordon's debut as a bona fide super heroine is a joy to watch. And Batgirl's unveiling is handled with style and intelligence. A great example of this is when Robin first meets her at the rally, he tries to grab Batgirl by the nape of he neck--only to tear off the fabric at the back of her cowl, exposing Barbara's long red hair and inadvertently creating the look of Batgirl's outfit. And a refreshing aspect of the Batgirl character is that she's not cocky, or arrogant--she's still very much a rookie who is determined to learn as much as she can. And this, plus her natural doggedness, is what makes Batgirl a welcome addition to the Batman family.