I’ve been liking this new direction for Batgirl. The characters are charming, the world is far more colorful and lively and it’s much more upbeat; it’s like we are getting back to classic, more positive Barbara Gordon Batgirl, from her Year One story or her portrayals in the cartoons.
Can the latest issue keep up this level of quality? Is it good?
Batgirl #37 (DC Comics)
As Batgirl becomes more and more popular in Gotham, an imitator appears, posturing and dressing exactly like her. She’s trying to supplant Barbara as the new Batgirl, taking advantage of her recent popularity and also doing crimes dressed like her. Barbara needs to figure out who this is before she causes anymore to her reputation and anyone else.
Man, Batgirl has one hell of kick. I mean, it caused that girl to break her spine like that!
Like with the previous two issues, this was a lot of fun and an enjoyable read from start to finish. Batgirl #37 is probably the weirdest and most out-there issue of the run yet given the reveal and ending, but it was a lot of fun like usual.
Batgirl #37 is a done-in-one tale about Batgirl trying to track down her imposter, following leads and finding out what this person knows about her. It’s more ingrained in pop culture and modern media than the previous issue, but the story makes it so goofy and seems to be satirizing/parodying said elements that it’s fun to read. The story also has some good character and story moments, plus some nice twists and surprises that caught me off guard. Overall, besides the odd reveal that is a bit hard to take seriously, it’s another enjoyable issue to get into.
Barbara is still a very fun and enjoyable character to follow. There aren’t many advancements with her character that we haven’t seen before, although she does act far more serious in this issue than in the previous two (maybe due to the contrast with her imitator). The villains in the book are incredibly flashy and so over the top they are, admittedly, incredibly fun to watch. Again, maybe a bit too hard to find believable, but they certainly leave an impression. The weakest of the bunch is probably Black Canary, who still feels rather bitchy and mean; there are some instances of Canary’s behavior that work, like the gallery scene, but overall it’s starting to get a tad old. It’s understandable for her to be mad at Barbara for accidently burning her home, but it wasn’t on purpose or anything. To see her refuse to answer a call for backup is a bit too far for her, so hopefully she gets out of this grumpy and jerkish mood soon.
The writing is still pretty solid in general. There are a lot of dialogue and panels in the book, making the book a very dense read from start to finish. That’s not a bad thing mind you, especially if the story and work on the book are as good as they are in this series — just give us more to love. The dialogue and narration are well-crafted and provide plenty of good, funny, and goofy as hell bits. It’s an enjoyable issue from beginning to end with the writing and I look forward to reading more of it in the future.
The artwork by Babs Tarr and Cameron Stewart continues to shine. The characters all look really great, flashy, and memorable, especially in the area of their fantastic expressions. The layouts are well done and the scenery and backgrounds are really lively (when there is a background mind you). The action flows very well from panel to panel, looking very exciting to watch unfold. Of course, the coloring also really lends itself to making the book look even better with how it makes the characters, action, and settings really pop. Just a damn good looking comic from start to finish.
…where the hell are they driving?
Is It Good?
Batgirl #37 was another fun, if sillier than usual, installment for the series. There’s so much fun to be had with this comic — from the enjoyable story and flashy characters to the lovely looking artwork on every single page. Batgirl used to be a rather miserable, gritty, and frankly forgettable read but with its new direction it has done one hell of a 180 and all I can say is that it is for the better. After a great finish for the year, I look forward to where the title goes in 2015.
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