Batgirl #17 - A Review

So here we are.  The first issue of Batgirl not written by Gail Simone since The New 52 revamp.  What was meant to be Ray Fawkes' first issue on the book.  At least, what was going to be his first issue before a fan uprising forced a reversal of whatever decision caused Gail Simone to be fired from this book in this first place and led to her rehiring and impending return with the upcoming Issue #19.

Did we dodge a bullet?  Yes and no.  While I'm a brazen Gail Simone fanboy and have loved her work on Batgirl, Fawkes' work here isn't bad.  The plot, detailing Barbara's efforts to bring her murderous brother to justice and clean up the other wreckage of her life following the events of Death of the Family. is a solid one.  More importantly, Barbara is still the brilliant genius she should always be portrayed as.  Indeed, Fawkes plays up an aspect of Barbara's character that is often under-utilized - her photographic memory - and shows her using it in a way to help the police that doesn't involve putting on a mask or vaulting along rooftops. 


So what's the problem?  Well, it's a minor point but a significant one.  Until now, all of Batgirl's stories have been told from Barbara's point-of-view.  This issue switches between two narrators and neither of them is Barbara.  The first is the typical unseen voiceless narrator common to comic books, who tells us what Barbara is thinking and doing rather than letting Babs tell us herself.  The second is James Gordon Jr, who narrates the action as he observes his sister in the second act.  The sudden shift in tense between narrators is awkwardly handled and there's no indication of the change in the text, the font or the coloration of the text boxes. 


Thankfully, the art is as strong as ever.  Daniel Sampere and Vicente Cifuentes lend this book a visual sense of continuity that helps ease the reader through any oddities in the script.  Simply said, this book is gorgeous and still benefits from some of the finest artwork you can find in any monthly comic title.

Is Batgirl #17 worth picking up?  I'd say so, even if you aren't inclined to keep your collection complete.  While the narration is a tad off-putting, it's not enough to distract from the good story and amazing artwork.  Hopefully Ray Fawkes will find his footing elsewhere because there is far more good in this script than bad and he deserves a chance at a monthly title elsewhere. 

Batman #17 - A Review

I downloaded the digital edition of Batman #17 the day of its' release, after being shocked into action following a rather horrific preview which suggested something rather unpleasant about the final fate of the abducted Alfred Pennyworth.  Since that time, I've struggled to find the precise words to summarize this book to someone who has not been reading the Death Of The Family saga so far.  There are no words.


What can I say to convey how splendidly Scott Snyder has captured the essence of The Joker, moving him beyond the static serial killer I feared he was stuck as and turning "Mistah J" into an unpredictable force of chaos? How can I encompass how he explores the duality of Bruce Wayne's nature and turned it on its' head using The Joker as a dark mirror?  How many more alliterative adjectives must I discover to describe the glorious Gothic grotesque grandeur of Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapions artwork?

Nothing.  There is nothing I can add at this point.  Either you will read Batman and enjoy it or you will remain woefully ignorant.  The rest is silence. 

Batman #16 - A Review

Batman #16 continues the conceit put forth in the opening chapters of Death Of The Family - i.e. that Batman is the King of Gotham and his rogues gallery make up a sort of demented court.  It's an idea that makes sense in the twisted mind of The Joker (the jester of the court, naturally) who has recruited his fellow baddies in remaking Arkham Asylum into a fortress worthy of their lord and master.  The main action of the issue centers upon Batman infiltrating Arkham  and working his way past the various traps and dangers.


Scott Snyder plays the characters perfectly against one another and there a lot of great Joker lines and good character moments here.  Sadly, the new layer of paint does little to disguise the cliched plot.  How many Batman stories have involved the inmates taking over the asylum?  More than I care to try and count.  The back-up story Snyder co-wrote with James Tynion IV proves more interesting, examining the relationships between Batman's rogues in greater depth.


The artwork continues to be all-around excellent.  Former Spawn artist Greg Capullo continues to deliver some of the best work of his career, drawing upon his background in horror comics to depict a truly disgusting and nightmarish Joker, whose maggot-ridden face has begun to sprout flies.  The back-up story by Jock is also well-illustrated. 

Despite an excellent script and amazing artwork, Batman #16 fails to overcome the feeling that we've seen this before.  It is not a bad comic by any means but we've seen the base story many times before even if the execution is top-notch.  Definitely worth a read, though you'll want to start with the first few issues of Death of The Family.

Batgirl #16 - A Review

Batgirl #16 concludes Gail Simone's contribution to the Death of the Family storyline and it is every bit as eerie and disturbing as we could have hoped for.  With her mother's life placed in danger, Barbara Gordon has little choice but to play along with The Joker's latest sick scheme.  A scheme which, for some reason, requires her to marry him!


Simone's script is full of psychological torment, as Barbara finds herself pushed to her limits and beyond.  An opening flashback (with a cameo by Dr. Andrea Letamendi of the wonderful Under The Mask blog) sets the stage, showcasing Barbara's understandable anger at The Joker for what he did to her.  The theme continues into the later part of the book, as Barbara is given a chance to act upon her anger and does not freeze up.  Indeed, she finds herself with no reason at all to hold back and is oddly unfrightened by this!


The art in this issue is all-around amazing.  Indeed, if I hadn't looked at the credits page to see that this book had two separate art teams, I never would have guessed it!  Ed Benes pencils and inks the first half of the book with his usual skill and an amazing (for him) lack of fan-service.  The team of penciler David Sampere and inker Vincent Cifuentes close the book out with equal skill. 

I have nothing else I can say about this book, save it is great.  Just look at the sample scans above (I included one from each team) and I think you'll agree Batgirl is one of the best-looking books on the market as well as one of the best written.  Batgirl is a must read for all fans of quality comics!

Batman #15 - A Review

Like Batgirl #15 before it, Batman #15 defies simple summation and classification.  From the very first page, it is clear that this is not going to be a standard Batman fighting Joker story.  Scott Snyder's script compares favorably to the works of Stephen King - both in the crafting of the details and in the horror depicted.


The back-up story by Snyder and co-author James Tynion IV is notable as it marks the first appearance of The Riddler in the New 52 universe.  The Riddler presented here is the same smarmy genius we've come to expect in most of his incarnations but seems more of a savant than a puzzle-obsessed loon.  Perhaps most impressively, this Riddler is treated as a peer by The Joker and one can easily see him being capable of honestly challenging Batman.


The artwork for both stories is excellent.  Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion present the same dark, atmospheric art that has made Batman one of the best books of the New 52.  Jock, a favorite of mine since Green Arrow: Year One, lends his uniquely disjointed style to the back-up tale.

If this issue has a flaw, it's that it is not a good issue for new readers to jump in with.  The story might still be accessible to new readers but you get a lot more out of it if you read the previous chapter.  Grab Batman #14 if you can along with this issue and prepare yourself for a treat.

Batgirl #15 - A Review

Three days later and I'm still reeling from the news.  How, how can anyone, for any reason, not want this book to go on forever and ever as it is?  Who could fail to recognize this book - under Gail Simone's authorship - as one of the finest on the market today?  I could go on but Simone has asked that no mud be slung on her behalf and I am content to respect those wishes. 

It is also out of respect for Gail Simone's wishes that critics not spoil the centerpiece of this issue that I'm staying mum on much of the story.  So I shan't discuss in detail nor show scans of what is - as I write this - quickly becoming known on Twitter and the blogosphere as "the big scene".  A scene Simone has reportedly wanted to write into a Barbara Gordon story for over ten years.  I will say this much - it was worth the wait and is something every Batgirl fan has longed to see, even if we never realized it until we saw it.

The rest of the issue beyond "the scene" is developed with equal care.  A framing device showcases The Joker discussing his plans in Arkham sometime before the events of Death Of The Family.  Simone's take on The Joker is a perfect compromise between the dark, demented serial killer of modern-day Bat-books and Steve Englehart's humorous Harlequin of Hate.  This Joker goes about his business, seemingly unaware or uncaring of how his every action disturbs all around him, endeavoring to sound oh-so reasonable as he describes the journal he's written in blood and apologizes for the sloppy hand-writing. 



Speaking of handwriting, I'd like to single out letterer Dave Sharpe for praise.  Letterers often have a thankless job in the comic industry and even I, as a critic, rarely notice the font or set of the words I'm reading unless there is something horribly wrong.  But Sharpe's lettering is exceptional, with the letters to The Joker's words having a disjointed, physical edge to them.  Indeed, and forgive me this bad pun worthy of The Joker himself, they look Sharpe enough to cut yourself on. 

The rest of the art team deserves high praise as well.  Daniel Sampere, who penciled the conclusions of both Batgirl #14 and the recent Batgirl Annual is finally given an entire issue to work on solo.  He does not disappoint.  Colorist Ulises Arreola picks a perfect palette for everything.  Even inker Vicente Cifuntes, whom I condemned last month for overly-outlining the physical characters relative to the backgrounds, does a fine job this time around.

I do not know if I'll be sticking with this book after Gail Simone leaves.  Reading a book about Barbara Gordon without Gail Simone now seems to be like reading The Sandman without Neil Gaiman.  If you're of a similar mindset, send a polite letter to DC Comics letting them know of your intentions.  Then buy this issue.  Buy a copy of this one and the last for a friend.  Let them see the glory that is Gail Simone's Batgirl while there is still a chance! 

Batman #14 - A Review

How wrong is it that I find a throw-away concept from the first page of Batamn #14 more interesting than the rest of the book?  We open on Batman, trapped in a vat that is quickly filling with the same chemicals that created The Joker.  Lured there by Harley Quinn, she muses that maybe he'll become as crazy as The Joker and wind up being like he used to be "back then".

Not that what follows this is bad but I'm fascinated by that concept - Harley Quinn tries to make a new Joker that fits her idea of what "Mistah J" should be.  It would be the full cycle culmination of their relationship, with Harley finally becoming a true equal to The Joker in monstrous behavior - psychologically trying to shape others toward her own ends!  It would also be a damn-sight more interesting than anything else they've done with Harley ever since her transformation into a Suicide Girl with a clown fetish.  But I digress.


Naturally, Batman gets free of the trap and returns home to find that The Joker has kidnapped Alfred.  The good news is that he doesn't think The Joker has figured out his secret identity.  The bad news is that still doesn't bode well for Alfred or anyone else in Gotham, since The Joker is loose and needs Alfred for a big party he's planning, as he's going about reenacting some of his earliest crimes with new twists.  After his latest attack leaves Jim Gordon in the hospital, Batman determines to take The Joker down alone rather than risk the lives of his allies needlessly.

Scott Snyder does a great job of keeping the action flowing.  More, he actually keeps us guessing as to what The Joker is up to and what his next action will be.  He understands that first and foremost, The Joker is a comedian playing to an audience.  Indeed, he takes that conceit a step further here and has Joker likening himself as a court jester to the Batman's King of Gotham.  This leads to a truly shocking climax in which Joker, like the fools of old, delivers some bad news to "his lord" with a smile.
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The art team proves as strong and capable as ever, though I do find Greg Capullo's expressions on Nightwing to be somewhat inappropriate.  There are several panels where Dick seems to be ginning like an idiot when the dialogue suggests he should be biting his lip or yelling at Bruce.  That's the only quibble I have with some otherwise excellent artwork.  Glapion's inks, though hard to see at times among the dark colors in the palette chosen by colorist FCD Plascencia, are skillfully applied at the points where the inking is obvious.

Batman has drawn high praise as one of the best books DC Comics published in recent months.  It is well deserved.  Pick up this issue and find out why, if you have not already.

Batgirl #14 - A Review

Batgirl #14 starts fast and doesn't slow down for a moment.  It all begins with Barbara Gordon getting a call in the middle of the night from a figure with a disguised voice.  The man on the other end knows all about the night in which Barbara Gordon was paralyzed - all the fine details, like how three men were there when it happened.  He warns Barbara that three such men took her mother away earlier in the evening and that they are on the way for her now.  After an epic ass-kicking ensues, Barbara goes after the only person who could be responsible for all of this and the man who put her in a wheelchair for three years... The Joker. 


Gail Simone's script can only be described as intense.  For the first time, we see Barbara truly frightened and get some insight into the sheer scope of her trauma.  Yet Barbara is no shrinking violet and when her fight-or-flight response kicks in, the only things flying are her fists and feet.  Any who still doubt that this is the same Barbara Gordon from Birds of Prey who once said she could easily kill The Joker without remorse if given the opportunity would be well advised to reconsider that assessment.  Barbara Gordon is a woman to be reckoned and make no mistake about it.

I also love Simone's take on The Joker, who is just as creepy here as in this week's new Batman comic.  In fact, I dare say he's creepier here because Simone has captured the one aspect of The Joker that so many writers miss out on - spontaneity.  Written properly, you should never be exactly sure what The Joker will do in any given situation.  Comedy is all about the unexpected, after all, and first and foremost The Joker should be a comedian.  It may be the dark comedy of the man falling down an open manhole and dying but his main motivator is still playing to an audience and provoking a reaction.  That's why I loved the final pages of this book - because they honestly surprised me and The Joker's actions, seemingly nonsensical, make a paradoxical sense on that level.


The artwork by Ed Benes and Daniel Sampere is equally as good as the scripts, though made somewhat uneven in its' inking.  The first part of the story has a Mike Grellian aspect, with the inks heavy and blending into the blacks of the dark room.  The later half of the comic, inked by Vincent Cifuetes, outlines the figures a bit too much in my estimation, with Barbara looking as if she used a Sharpie marker as a lip-liner at one point.  To my mind, the middle pages linking the two halves of the story (inked by Mark Irwin) find the right balance of light and shadow.  Sadly, they only amount to two pages.

Despite this quibbling over the fine details, I have no reservations about declaring Batgirl a must-read comic.

Batman #13 - A Review

When I first heard about the concept of Death Of The Family, I became concerned.  I was less than enamored of the storyline, started in Tony Daniel's Detective Comics, where The Joker had his face surgically removed.  Even with Scott Snyder taking the lead on the plotting I feared this might become yet another Joker story that was strange and disgusting purely for the sake of being strange and disgusting.



I should have known better.  Though I dislike the take on The Joker offered up here, who seems closer to Hannibal Lecter than The Harlequin of Hate I grew up with, I must admit that Snyder does an effective job of conveying just how much of a threat The Joker should be even if most of the humor falls flat.  To my mind, The Joker should be scary but he should also be looking for laughs.  This Joker seems to be in it for the screams.  Artist Greg Capullo, backed by the inks of Jonathan Galpion, does a masterful job of establishing and depicting the terror The Joker inspires throughout the main part of the book.


It is a credit to Mr. Snyder and his collaborator James Tyrion IV that their skillful writing can make even the New 52 Harley Quinn from Suicide Girls... I mean, Suicide Squad tolerable.  The back-up story detailing her and Joker's reunion is appropriately scary and somber.  The artwork by Jock does a perfect job of capturing the twisted world both characters inhabit.  I appreciate the craft of it, though I still prefer a Harley Quinn who isn't half-dressed and half-competent.