Batgirl #49 - A Review

With Barbara Gordon's mind shattered in the wake of The Fugue's psychic assault, it will take a miracle to bring her back at all, much less as the woman she once was. Luckily, Frankie still has the digital back-up that Barbara made of her mind - the same one that took on a life of its own and became a hostile artificial intelligence. But even if Frankie can keep Babs' wandering mind under control, can it still be used to determine which parts of Barbara's memories are real?

This issue utilizes its multiple artists to marvelous effect. Having different artists with vastly varied styles draw the various aspects of Barbara Gordon's mind visually symbolizes the conflict of the issue perfectly. The final effect crafts a perfectly jarring counterpoint to the text of the story.


Unfortunately, the actual text of the story is still something of a mess. And while Fletcher and Stewart have finally given one of Barbara's supporting cast a distinct personality, it seems that Frankie has been given the personality of the pre-New 52 Oracle-era Barbara Gordon. And making me think of better Barbara Gordon comics while reading this one is never a good idea.

At this point, I am content to write off any incongruity I've noticed in this series regarding Batgirl's personality as being due to the manipulations of The Fuege. To that end, I'm dropping this title immediately and hoping someone else is writing the Batgirl books post-Rebirth.

Batgirl #48 - A Review

Barbara Gordon's perfect memory is failing her and her friends have reported her acting strangely. This happened once before when an artificial intelligence born of Barbara's rage following her paralysis tried to take over her life. Could it have returned? Barbara's going to need some help figuring it out and there's only one person who can match her when it comes to solving mysteries and kicking butt - Black Canary!


I wish Batgirl was written like this on a more frequent basis. There's not a lot of chaff in Fletcher and Stewart's script this time around. And I'm in favor of anything that helps to explain away Barbara's out of character behavior.


Alas, it seems that this month it is the artwork's turn to be uneven. With two different artists working breakdowns and two colorists, there's not a lot of uniformity. None of it looks bad, persay, but the sudden shifts between Tarr's sketchy breakdowns and Rob Haynes thicker inks coupled with the brighter palette used by Lapointe conflicting with the more neutral one favored by Loughridge make it hard for the book to maintain a consistent visual tone.

Batgirl #46 - A Review

Gangs are becoming an increasing problem in Burnside - both because of how they're forcibly recruiting young men and in how they're trying to force the working poor out of their homes. It's a problem Barbara Gordon tries to tackle both as an activist and as Batgirl, but tonight she has more immediate problems. One of the mobs has put a hit out on The Spoiler and the more inexperienced heroine is in need of a rescue.
I can't say enough about the phenomenal Babs Tarr's artwork. Tarr has an amazing grasp of action and her work is full of personality and the colors of Serge Lapointe build perfectly upon her foundation. This is one of the best-looking books on the market today.
Alas, the script this month doesn't quite live up to the visuals. It's fortunate that Tarr's artwork has personality because the supporting cast doesn't. Even Batgirl herself has been reduced to a generic strong female protagonist. There's none of the wit or humor from when Gail Simone was writing the series.

Batgirl #45 - A Review

It's Wedding Day for Babs' best friend Alysia and she's totally rocking the Maid of Honor duties, solving all the last minute problems from sudden dress stains to lost earrings with ease. It's going to be a magical day and the best part is finally getting some time with Luke Fox, her new maybe-boyfriend. Unfortunately, this is the moment Dick "Wait, aren't you dead?" Grayson chooses to come back into her life... and steals the wedding ring to lure Babs into a talk about where they stand!


Your enjoyment of this issue will come down to one simple question - how do you feel about Dick Grayson being written as an unreformed Flynn Rider? I'll admit to not having read Grayson or much of the earlier Nightwing book, but was a decision made at some point that Dick should live up to his name in the New 52 universe? Because I can't believe that the character who was always Batman with sensitivity training would be as thoughtless as he is in this issue.


At least the artwork by Babs Tarr continues to be amazing. Her characters are cute yet sporty and the issue's one action sequence is very well blocked. And the colors by Serge Lapointe perfectly enhance Tarr's pencils and inks.

Batgirl #43 - A Review

Techies all around Gotham's Burnside district are dying from tiger attacks.  Even by the standards of Gotham City, this is a strange case. Unfortunately, between helping her ex-roommate plan her wedding and stopping her current roommate from taking to the streets to assist in Batgirl's crime-fighting, Barbara Gordon already has her hands full!


I enjoy Babs Tarr's art style. It reminds me of Bruce Timm's designs for the classic Batman: The Animated Series for all the right reasons while also maintaining an aesthetic that would not look out of place in a Shojo manga. Yet I have to praise her more than usual for her tigers, which are more realistic than I expected yet somehow blend in perfectly with the cartoonish people.


The story by Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart is a hoot. We've seen this broad story before - the hero has difficulty balancing friends, work and heroism in the face of a case only they can solve. Yet despite the trope-filled plot, the execution is handled very well and the sheer absurdity of the concept of techies being assassinated by tigers does much to mitigate any sense of familiarity.

Batgirl #42 - A Review

The good news for Batgirl is that the new Batman - who is secretly her father, Jim Gordon - is trying to dodge his orders to bring in the rest of Gotham City's vigilantes. The bad news is that he's also after Livewire - an electricity manipulating metahuman who can easily overcome the defenses of his power armor.  Can Batgirl help him ground Livewire without blowing Batman's cover or her own secret identity?!

I was skeptical about the idea of Jim Gordon as a police-backed Batman... and I still am. But the script for this issue, by Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart, makes the idea work by playing off the sheer absurdity of Barbara's position in having to help her father while not revealing herself. And it's nice to see Livewire - a favorite from the Batman/Superman Animated Series - being given new life and an update from her shock-jock DJ origins as a YouTube sensation.


The artwork for this issue is, in a word, phenomenal. This may be Babs Tarr's best issue yet, which is saying a lot. There's a great sense of motion in this issue and the battles between Batgirl and Livewire are particularly well blocked. And the colors by Serge Lapointe are incredibly vivid and well-chosen.

Batgirl #41 - A Review

Things have gotten complicated in Barbara Gordon's life. Even more complicated than usual and that's saying something! Her roommate has been clued in on her secret identity and is determined to help Babs with her Batgirl work whether she wants it or not.

Of course Batgirl could use the help with an escaped super-villain from Metropolis called Live Wire on the loose in Burnside. But there's a new Batman, backed by the GCPD, who is working to bring down every masked hero in Gotham City. And the man behind the mech-suit is Barbara's father!


Stewart and Fletcher are to be commended for using this issue to immediately address the elephant in the room post-Batman #41  -  how does Barbara react to her father revealing that he too has a double life? While the very idea of Jim Gordon in power armor as Batman was enough to lead me to drop the current Batman book, this needed to be taken on immediately. And the issue is well-handled despite my fear that we're going to be treated to more of the same faux-drama that dominated the end of Gail Simone's Batgirl run, vis-à-vis Jim Gordon having a mad-on for Batgirl.  Thankfully, the rest of the issue more than makes up for it and the bits with Barbara fighting Live Wire are an amazing bit of action.


The artwork proves to be equally astonishing!  Babs Tarr has made this book her own and it is hard to imagine anyone else drawing it now.  The backgrounds by Joel Gomez are well-done and the color art by Serge Lapointe rounds the final package out perfectly.

Batgirl #40 - A Review

I think enough has been said about the alternate cover that almost was that I don't need to say anything more about it here. Heaven knows I've said enough on Facebook and Twitter already. And if you don't know what I'm talking about, there's an excellent article, complete with timeline and references, up on Polygon.

Suffice it to say, while I thought the cover in question was well done, I do think it was rather at odds with the story being told in this series. And to utilize a cover like that in connection to a light-hearted, just-plain fun comic like Batgirl... well, it would be like putting Rainbow Dash snuff porn from DeviantArt on the cover of IDW's My Little Pony comic.


So what do we have in this book, which many have stood up to protest the censorship of but few have professed to reading?  Barbara Gordon vs. Barbara Gordon in a no-holds-barred battle for the body and soul of Barbara Gordon!

Confused?  That's to be expected, as this is the final issue of the books' first major story arc under Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher. But while this isn't a good issue to jump on with and find out just what the heck all the fuss is about, it is a fitting conclusion to the storyline at hand.


What can I say about Babs Tarr's artwork?  Quite a bit. But in keeping with the general positive vibe we have going here, I think I will just say that I love it. Love it. Love it. Love it. Just as I love everything else about this book and would encourage all of you to track down the back issues and read it.

Batgirl #39 - A Review

I was taken to task by several people over my review of Batgirl #38.  This surprised me, because while I was rather vocal about not liking the portrayal of Barbara Gordon and was contemplating whether or not I'd continue picking this title up because of it, I never said it was a bad comic.  But looking over the review, I realize that neither did I say that Brendan Fletcher and Cameron Stewart had written a good script.  And they did.

Batgirl #38 had a good story. I just thought it would be more appropriate to the Stephanie Brown incarnation of Batgirl than Barbara Gordon.  And in hindsight, I could have been clearer in articulating that point.  Not all critics make that distinction, after all - that there is a difference between something good I don't enjoy and something that is bad.  And Batgirl #38 was not bad.

Still, I was persuaded by several people - including my pal David Tai and Sporadatak of Gone Catawampus - to pick up Batgirl #39. And boy, am I glad they did! Because this... this is the issue where everything starts coming together.


The book's opening sees Barbara starting to think - really think - about what Dinah said in the last issue and start analyzing her behavior for any incongruities.  Then someone puts a bounty on Batgirl's head to the tune of 20 million dollars. The Birds reunite to deal with that crisis and Barbara comes to a starling revelation about just who - or what - might be out to ruin her life.

I can't say much more about this issue beyond that for fear of spoilers. What I can say is that Babs Tarr's artwork is as amazing as ever.  The character designs are distinctive and the action is well depicted.


Suffice it to say that my concerns over Barbara's character are being addressed and appear to be the lead in to something big.  So if you quit Batgirl because Babs didn't seem to be Babs anymore, I'd urge you to give it one more chance for at least two more issues. You can trust me - I'm the guy who called the upcoming Black Canary comic, after all. :)

Batgirl #38 - A Review

It isn't often that a comic manages to change my opinion of it in one issue but Batgirl #38 managed this task. Ironically, it did this by trying to defend its new direction on a metatextual level.  It seems I was willing to forgive this title its flaws until it began pointing them out, like a nervous homeowner during a tour of their house.

The book opens with a scene of Barbara Gordon enjoying her new-found celebrity status as the defender of Gotham's Burnside district. This doesn't sit well with Dinah Lance (aka Black Canary), who is currently crashing on her couch and still harboring a grudge over Barbara accidentally burning down her hideout. It's a long story...

To cut that long story short, Dinah acts as a proxy for the critics of Batgirl's new direction. She points out that Babs is no longer the studious bookworm she once was and that Babs has apparently forgotten all about her former best friend and roommate, Alysia.  Babs counters that there's nothing wrong with her wanting to have fun and enjoy herself after everything she's been through recently and tells Dinah to get out of her life if she's going to act like this.


The hell of it is, Dinah is right. Babs IS acting childish and is totally out of character.  And the rest of the issue showcases not only how Dinah is right about Barbara's changed personality but how the detractors of this title have been 100% right about everything else.

This book is not about Barbara Gordon. The Barbara Gordon I know and love would never be as stupid and short-sighted as the heroine in this bat costume we see in this issue. With all the horrible things going on in Gotham, who does this Batgirl choose to focus on?  Some rich douche-bag who - while a douche-bag who commits numerous petty crimes and then gets off because he's rich and famous - is ultimately less responsible for the destruction that occurs than Barbara.

In the middle of this, I realized that while many detractors of this title have focused on Barbara abandoning the one friend she had during the Gail Simone run, nobody has made the same complaint about Barbara's love life.  Whatever happened to Ricky Gutierrez - the ex street thug gone good Barbara began seeing during Simone's run?  Apparently he's been abandoned for Officer Powell - a goody two-shoes cop who hates vigilantes like Barbara hates clowns.


While I may grouse about the writing, I have no such complaints about the artwork of Babs Tarr.  Her energetic style is a perfect complement to the story. I just wish she had better material to work with.

The crazy thing is that there is a story I'd like to read in this comic but it isn't about Barbara Gordon learning a Very Important Lesson about popularity being fleeting and power needing to be used responsibly.  I want to read a comic about Dinah Lance trying to rebuild her life and getting a gig singing for a rock band. And if Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart ever elect to tell that story, I'll be the first in line for that book.

As it is, I think I'm done with Batgirl for now.  There are good stories to tell about a newbie heroine who learns from her mistakes and I wish Brenden Fletcher and Cameron Stewart would tell them. I just wish they used a heroine besides Barbara Gordon to do it.

Batgirl #37 - A Review

An impostor Batgirl is making Barbara Gordon's life difficult.  Bad enough that the faux Dark Knight Damsel has been impersonating her on-line.  Now the copycat is helping criminals and posing for sexualized artwork!  Worst of all, they seem to know her secret identity!


The new direction of this series is starting to grow on me.  Brazen Gail Simone fanboy that I am, I do miss the old tone of Batgirl.  But the book's new attitude is not a bad one, driven as it is by modern trends and selfie culture.  Trying to write Barbara Gordon as a college-age woman dealing with the society that real twenty-something women have to cope with is not a bad idea at all and pitting Barbara against an enemy who exemplifies the worst aspects of that culture is a brilliant conceit. The artwork emulates that same level of manic energy and even when the characters are at rest there is a grand sense of motion to everything.



I was going to say something about the controversy sparked by this issue.  Yet I find that my former Comics Nexus colleague - noted comics expert and LGBT activist Dr. Manolis Vamvounis - has already said everything I wished to say and with far greater authority than I could ever muster.  Suffice it to say, I believe that the shock and disbelief expressed by Barbara and the crowds upon the fake-Batgirl's unmasking was honest shock and disbelief and not based upon any kind of prejudice on the part of the creative team.

Batgirl #36 - A Review

It's been a stressful week for Barbara Gordon. Bad enough that her home-life has been upended thanks to the presence of a vengeful Dinah Lance (Hell hath no furry like the former best friend whose home you accidentally burned down) and her thesis was endangered thanks to a fragged hard-drive. Now there's a gang of wannabe ninjas on motorcycles who have it out for Batgirl!


Batgirl #36 continues the bold new direction that began in the previous issue.  And yet, despite the changes, the new creative team has fashioned a book that seems like it belongs among the classic comics of yesteryear.  Much like the early issues of Amazing Spider-Man were just as much about Peter Parker's life out of costume as they were about Spider-Man fighting the villain-of-the-month, so too is this book about Barbara Gordon as both a doctoral student and a vigilante.




The artwork by Babs Tarr and Cameron Stewart is perfectly suited to this story.  The layout of this issue is reminiscent of many slice-of-life manga, with an irregular grid structure to the panels.  The action sequences of the book continue this aesthetic, with elongated figures and speed lines.

Batgirl #35 - A Review

Rudyard Kipling once said that "There are nine and sixty ways of constructing tribal lays. And every single one of them is right!" I first heard this quote in an article Dennis O'Neil had written about Batman and his belief that Kipling's saying could be applied to writing Batman. Be it the space-fairing scientist of the 1950s, the campy Batman of the 1960's TV Series or the grim urban legend of the 1990s, all Batmen are equally legitimate takes on the character, according to O'Neil.

I thought of this quote reading Batgirl #35 and how - on the surface - the Barbara Gordon we see in this book is quite different from the Barbara Gordon we've seen written by Gail Simone over the past few years. It's hard to picture Simone's workaholic bookworm getting drunk at a party and making out with some random guy. It's also hard to believe that someone as security-conscious as Babs would move into an apartment with two virtual strangers while trying to maintain a secret identity, even if she is keeping her Batgirl gear off-site.


Once a reader gets past those changes, they will find that this Barbara Gordon is still the same smart. competent Batgirl we know and love. Indeed, some of the changes are an improvement as we see Barbara taking advantage of her perfect memory several times through the issue in ways unlike anything this series have ever dared attempt.  We even get a scene where she, to borrow a phrase from Sherlock, goes into her mind-palace to bring about total recall of a crime scene.  We also get an interesting new enemy - a hacker/DJ named Riot Black, who steals personal information and pictures to publicly shame his victims at his shows.


The artwork by Babs Tarr is as different from anything we've seen on any DC Comics book in recent memory as the script for this issue is compared to previous Batgirl comics.  Tarr's style looks more appropriate to a slice-of-life web-comic than a superheroine title.  Given that more of the comic's focus is on Barbara Gordon's day-to-day problems than it is her time in the cowl, that's probably fitting.  Still, the action - once it comes - is well depicted and Tarr's character designs are unique and vivid.

Bottom Line: If you haven't been reading Batgirl, now is a good time to start.  If you have been reading Batgirl, there is no reason to stop.  It's different but it isn't bad.  Far from it.