Batgirl #20 - A Review

The Penguin has become Burnside's biggest hero, clearing the streets and offering shelter to the poor and hungry in the wake of a freak blizzard that took the city by surprise. Batgirl smells something far more sinister at work than a simple plot to disable Gotham's early-warning weather monitoring systems, however, and will soon find herself facing another old enemy...


A definite improvement on last month's issue, Hope Larson's script forgoes forced political commentary in favor of action. Guest artist Sami Basri proves perfectly capable of capturing that action and bringing it to life with Jessica Kholinne's colors providing the perfect finishes. Not a good entry issue to this series, but a fantastic finish to a troubled storyline.

The Final Analysis: 8 out of 10. A solid issue of a great series. 

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 #12 - A Review

Batgirl doesn't usually take requests when it comes to her work. But when a local family recreation center finds itself besieged by a seemingly spectral figure, the threat to the community and the mystery is too much for her to resist. Of course Barbara Gordon doesn't believe in ghosts but can she get to the bottom of things with a clicks-crazy ghost-hunter getting in her way?


Batgirl #12 is easily the best one-shot comic I've read in recent memory. Hope Larson spins a riveting ghost story and it's an interesting twist to put Barbara outside of her comfort zone - both in operating publicly and throwing her against a seemingly supernatural threat. Still, Barbara's character comes out in subtle ways and the same idealism that made her seek training as a librarian to serve her community comes into play in this story.

Eleonora Carlini's artwork proves the perfect match to Larson's script. I've greatly enjoyed Carlini's previous work on other series and her work here is up to her usual high standard. Colorist Cris Peter does a fantastic job varying the palettes based on location and time of day. A shame they aren't sticking around for next month but I hope these two are paired together again soon.


The Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. A perfect entry point for those who have yet to give this amazing book a chance.