#Batgirl #21 - A Review

The element of the unknown is the key to all top-notch horror stories.  There is nothing so scary as that which we do not understand and cannot perceive.  Batgirl #21 offers us many horrible sights, including a seemingly mobile ventriloquist dummy with murder and/or sex on its' mind.  Yet the most disturbing aspect of this story is that we still have no clue just how Gail Simone's new Ventriloquist character does what she does at the end of it.  Magic?  Psionics?  Or is that creepy demon doll actually alive...?


Simone is second to none when it comes to crafting disturbing imagery.  Yet this issue hits many other emotional touchstones, with several sweet moments between Barbara and her roommate and a touching opening where Dick Grayson checks up on how Barbara is doing in the wake of recent events.  My favorite moment, however, involves another star-crossed couple - Jim Gordon and his ex-wife Barbara.


Thankfully Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion prove professionally capable of handling such variety.  There are many art teams that can handle high-action, horror or the softer scenes that center around two people talking but surprisingly few can manage all three.  Batgirl is one of the few titles today where the artwork truly equals the writing.