Batgirl #17 - A Review

Years ago, a case involving designer drugs, The Mad Hatter and the first friend Barbara Gordon made after moving to Gotham City brought Batgirl and Robin together. Now, Nightwing has joined with her again as a new villain called The Red Queen has come out of the woodwork seeking revenge. Can Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon work past their old wounds to save the day?


There's not much I can say about this issue without spoiling one of the best multi-part stories I've read in some time. It's a credit to Hope Larson's skill as a writer that she can tell two stories set in two different points in time so well, much less two mysteries! She also has a great handle on the characters of Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon .

The artwork is equally impressive. Chris Wildgoose is an amazing penciler, who draws a smooth action sequence. Both Jose Marzan Jr and Andy Owens do a fantastic job keeping the inks uniform. Mat Lopes's colors leave every panel popping. Even letterer Deron Bennett adds to the visuals in surprisingly subtle ways.

The Final Analysis: 10/10. A perfect conclusion to an amazing arc.

Batgirl 16 - A Review

Then, Robin and Batgirl teamed up to investigate Mad Hatter's turning to nanotech drug dealing. They discovered that Ainsley -  Barbara Gordon's one friend since moving to Gotham City (apart from Robin, of course) - was helping The Hatter and using Barbara's coding skills to do it!

Now, a new villain called The Red Queen has stolen The Mad Hatter's technology and is it using it to strike against everyone who ever hurt Ainsley... including Nightwing and Batgirl! Barbara thought her old friend had reformed, but now she isn't so sure...


The most miraculous thing about the current Batgirl arc is how well Hope Larson has balanced the flashbacks and the story set in the present. Both stories are honestly surprising and well-paced as far as mysteries go. Larson also has a great grasp of Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon's personalities at both points in time and the interaction between them is a joy to read.

Larson's script is well matched by the art team. Chris Wildgoose is phenomenal and easily the best artist to work on this series since Daniel Sampere. Both inkers - Messrs. Marzan and Owens do a fantastic job of shading the artwork without blanketing the page in blackness. The colors of Mat Lopes provide the perfect finishes.

The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. A must read for all Bat-Fans!

The Flash #19 - A Review

The trail of Daniel West - the second man to call himself The Reverse Flash and Wally West's biological father - leads The Flash and Kid Flash to Australia in search of Captain Boomerang, who may have served with Daniel in The Suicide Squad. Unfortunately, their swift arrival blows the not-so-good captain's cover and they're soon at the mercy of a gang of weapons dealers known as The Weavers. Like it or not, the old enemies are going to have to work together to save themselves, but can even Captain Boomerang and The Flash stage a comeback from this setback in The Outback?



The artwork on The Flash #19 is a little more erratic than usual. Both Jesus Merino and Carmine Di Giandomenico are great artists yet they have decidedly different styles and strengths and the way the workload is split in the story is curiously conflicted. One oddity is that Carmine Di Giandomenico - whose strength lies in kinetic action sequences - handles the quieter section near the end of the book, where Barry and Wally have a long overdue talk. The sequence works, however, despite seemingly not playing to the regular artist's strengths. It should also be noted that the colors by Chris Sotomayor are fantastic throughout.


Whatever conflicts exist in the art are not born of the story. Joshua Williamson's work is as fine as ever and he writes a wonderful Digger Harkness here - every bit the professional and sleazeball, yet with enough of a soft-side to inspire a modicum of sympathy. The closing scenes between Barry and Wally, however, may have you reaching for your tissues.

The Flash #18 - A Review

Wally West had a hard enough time coping with the idea that his Uncle Daniel was a crook or that he had become new Reverse Flash. The revelation that Daniel West was his biological father was even worse. Still, the young man needs closure and The Flash (who Wally doesn't know is really his Aunt Iris' friend Barry Allen), means to help his sidekick get it... even if means breaking into Belle Reeve prison!


The Flash #18 brings a new art-team to the book and they're a definitive improvement over the erratic artwork in the previous issue. Former Superman penciler Jesus Merino sports a cinematographic style where each panel boasts an amazing amount of detail as the viewpoint continually shifts from one angle to another. Inker Andy Owens enhances the pencils without over-shading them. This, coupled with Chris Sotomayor's colors, leaves the finished art popping on the page.

I'm afraid I have nothing new to say about Joshua Williamson's writing on this series. It's as fantastic as ever and his love and knowledge of these characters and their personalities is crystal clear. Williamson also does a fantastic job of recapping the backstory for new readers without getting mired in continuity. One last note: those Captain Boomerang fans disappointed by Digger Harkness' absence from the recent Rogues reunion should know he shows up near the end of this issue.

Injustice: Ground Zero #15 - A Review

Back under the spell of Mistah J (albeit one from a parallel Earth), Harley Quinn is unable to help Batman and his otherworldly allies from the parallel Justice League in their raid on Stryker's Island. But Harley isn't entirely helpless and a twist of fate and a little magic may help her save her army... if not herself.


If ever a comic proved that a good inker can make or break a book, it is this latest volume of Injustice: Ground Zero. The difference between the two inkers who worked on this issue is like night and day. One uses a light touch that enhances the original pencils of Derlis Santacruz. The other uses thick lines to outline everything, leaving the finished artwork looking like a coloring book page. Granted, it's a fantastically colored page thanks to Rex Lokus, but it's still distracting and amateurish.


Christopher Sebela's script remains the high point of the series. There's little he can do fight the repetitive feeling within the sections of the story which replicate the action from the original video game Injustice: Gods Among Us. His take on Harley Quinn, however, is pitch perfect, presenting a Harley who only acts dumb and is crazy like a fox.