Batgirl #10 - A Review

A chance encounter with The Penguin ends surprisingly peacefully, yet it only prompts more questions about Ethan Cobblepot and more problems for Batgirl. Barbara knows her would-be suitor is up to something shady but the nature of the game still eludes her. Still, a little help from her friends may help her find the way.


Honestly, I could read an entire Hope Larson-penned book about Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon talking while riding motorcycles. The issue has a bit more action than that, of course, but the focus here is on Barbara's relationships with her friends and  talents as a detective. The script is smartly written, with great dialogue. The whole thing is brought to life beautifully by the art team and the story flows naturally despite the unique panel placements on some page.

Final Analysis: 10 out of 10. One of the best books of the Rebirth line.

Batgirl #9 - A Review

Balancing grad school, her volunteer work with the kid's coding club at the library and her work as Batgirl leaves Barbara Gordon little time for her friends and less time for romance. She'd like to spend more time with Ethan Cobblepot but Babs can't help but shake the feeling there's something shady about the charming young tech magnate, who just happens to be the bastard son of The Penguin! Someone is definitely using the apps Ethan's company makes for nefarious purposes and now they seem to be using a hot new game to troll Batgirl...


Batgirl has fast become one of my favorite comics. Writer Hope Larson has forged a mighty alloy made up of the classic Batgirl comics of the Bronze Age and the best bits of the The New 52 and Burnside eras. More, Larson has clearly done her research as to what a modern librarian's work entails (i.e. community outreach and tech skills - not dusting books) and worked that into the mix as well. It's a minor point but it's a fine example of just how Larson goes the extra mile in building this world.

The artwork sports an equally intricate level of detail. Chris Wildgoose is an amazing penciler, equally adept at depicting high-action and soft conversations. Mat Lopes and Jon Lame provide the perfect finishes with their colors and inks. All in all, this is one book to keep an eye on!

Batgirl #8 - A Review

Despite her best efforts - up to and including a date that went far better than expected - Barbara Gordon can't find anything dirty about Ethan Cobblepot - a bastard son of The Penguin whose fingers seem to be in every new tech-based start-up in Gotham. Yet Babs can't shake the feeling that something is shady about Ethan even before she finds out that the supervillain Magpie is being employed by his new business that provides safety in numbers to ladies in need of someone to walk home with them.


When thinking of easy comparisons to the new Batgirl series, I have to go all the way back to the original run of Amazing Spider-Man. Much as Stan Lee and Steve Ditko focused on Peter Parker's life as a student and photographer as much as his exploits as Spidey, Hope Larson splits the story's focus between Barbara's life as an aspiring librarian and her beating people up as Batgirl.

The series borrows from the best aspects of the Gail Simone and "Burnside" eras of this series, utilizing the former runs' full cast of supporting characters. Further props must be given for promoting MIT's App Inventor project and showcasing Barabra's compassion and how she puts her talents to work helping others outside of her superheroics.


Larson is backed by an equally skilled art team. Chris Wildgoose has quickly become one of my favorite pencilers after only two issues on this series. Jon Lam has a perfect sense of what to emphasize with the inks and what to leave unshaded. And colorist Mat Lopes adds to the emotion of the story with some well-chosen changes to the background colors during the action sequences.

Bottom line - this is one of the best books to come out of DC Rebirth.