Gail Simone: writer
Daniel Sampere: pencils
Vicente Cifuentes: inks
Solicitation and Preview
Review
I just wish we could get some consistency from this book.
The latest news for Batgirl has been troubling. First Simone was kicked off the book, then she was brought back on. The art team seems to be a rotating cast of a couple artists.
Beyond those issues, we have a really great ass kicking Batgirl in this book. Which is great, unless you get halfway through the comic where she recoils her character. Again. All due to a single "sniper" shot from out of nowhere. But where is the sniper at in this low-ceiling of a skating rink? And if the sniper is in the area, why couldn't she just find him and take him out from within the skating rink? Just in the same way she took out random villain guy on her way out before icing her mom's finger?
We also get a reveal that James and Barbara's former roommate are together in some way. I've been missing issues of this comic so I can only guess as to what their relationship is. But wouldn't you be cautious of some guy who dresses up like he came from the Matrix and whose part in his hair switches from side to side? I know I would have a beef or two with him.
And when I read lines like "every day for four years" coming from Batgirl, I just have to cringe a little. I tire of trying to fit everything into some Bat-timeline between the titles. I'll leave it up to someone nerdier than myself to come up with a complete timeline of events and then I'll give a crap about it.
The Joker flashback story only tangentially connects with the main story. Some of the idea of what Joker is doing since he came back faceless was this motif of him repeating his crimes, albeit with a flare for the more dangerous this time through. So to give the proper context of the ending of the book, we get the flashback of Joker detailing how he did this before. I get it and understand it, and it is a different way of telling that part of the story that the other bat books haven't really done. With the execution of that story telling device, I'm left a little iffy on it. I can't tell if it needs to be shorter, expanded in some areas, or if it crashes too much into the main story. I like it more than I liked Batgirl leaving the skating rink, so that does give it a place.
I did like the story overall. It just felt like a giant pivot was made when it was getting really good. The sniper shot just felt like the decision Barbara was about to make was taken out of her hands, and I would have rather seen a character moment there instead of what was done.
Grades
Words: 7/10
Pictures: 7/10
Buy Next Issue: Maybe. That's a big maybe.
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