Batgirl #2 – Review

By: Gail Simone (writer), Ardian Syaf (penciller), Vicente Cifuentes (inker), Ulises Arreola (colorist)

The Story: Maybe spending most of her free time reading doesn’t sound so bad after all.

The Review: I essentially stopped watching The Office after Steve Carrell (who played the show’s lead and emotional center, Michael Scott) left.  Without the character I cared most about, the show didn’t have a pull on me anymore.  I’ve seen clips of the show since then, and some of them have been funny, and no doubt some people still have good reason to love the show.  I’m not about to say the show instantly became terrible because my favorite character is gone.

So yes, the departure of Stephanie Brown and, in a way, Oracle, for the sake of bringing back Barbara Gordon as Batgirl may be painful, but it shouldn’t stop you from seeing the pluses of the move.  For one thing, Babs comes into the role with very complicated baggage.  You have to remember she started out as Batgirl pretty young, got cut down in her prime, and now returns to the cowl having grown and matured quite a bit.  And that’s before we get to her trauma issues.

Simone balances all these layers to Batgirl’s personality very well.  As Babs confronts Mirror, her inner narrative fires on all gears, bringing to the forefront her fear of getting shot again, embarrassment at her own rustiness, and her determination to fight on regardless.  In a way, it’s a message to us: she may be starting from square one in the direct crime-fighting biz, and she may be in way over her head, but she has no plan to step back now, nor should we expect her to.

One thing that doesn’t quite compute is Mirror’s motivations.  You can accept that the particular tragedies he experienced made him go nutty—in Gotham, that’s hardly news—but you don’t quite buy Batgirl’s conclusion that, “This guy doesn’t want to kill.  He wants to die.”  His list of people he wants to bump off out of projected bitterness indicates otherwise.  Simone’s attempts to characterize him as a zealot rather than a psycho come off clumsy and have little merit.

Batgirl #2 – Review

By Brian Q. Miller (writer), Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott with Sandra Hope (artists), Guy Major (colorist)

The Story: Young Stephanie Nolan is breaking promises again, putting herself in over her head as she follows the trail of drug dealers in Devil’s Square and at Gotham U. Barbara Gordon has forced herself into Stephanie’s life at home and in costume, but doesn’t have much more luck than Stephanie’s mother at talking some sense into the girl.

What’s Good: Barbara Gordon is a strong adult figure who still kicks butt through her intelligence network into the underworld, her access to big-time resources like the Bat Cave, or by throwing the occasional battarang. Barbara is the perfect hero to tell Stephanie that this isn’t a game and point out that people will be out to kill her just for bragging rights. The art team does a great job at the mood of Gotham, the action scenes and the expressions; everything you need to tell a great Bat family story.

What’s Not So Good: This is less a flaw than perhaps a deliberate choice on the part of the writer, but the story is a bit jumpy. I found myself working to follow the plot threads as we went from one scene to the next.

In terms of character work, Stephanie’s trouble fitting in and her naiveté felt a bit tinny at times, and even hard to believe. For example, why would any teenage freshman be surprised to find a farm-themed party at a University, or that someone would spike the punch? It’s hard to reconcile that contrived innocence with the fact that as Batgirl, before that as Spoiler, and also just as somebody who grew up in Gotham, Stephanie has already seen the seediness that seems to be surprising her now.

Some of the surrounding characters also came off feeling a bit unoriginal too, especially Jordanna, who seems to be just another bully without motivation. Maybe Stephanie really is a socially awkward dork (it’s hard to tell from just two issues), but you can’t treat the nerd Stephanie Nolan in the same way as you would treat the nerd Peter Parker. There is a double standard in life. The reality is that most guys would be falling all over themselves to be with someone who looks like Stephanie, no matter her oddball worldview or her quirky, awkward conversation. So the whole bully set up falls a bit flat.

Conculsion: Despite some growing pains in finding the character, the addition of Barbara Gordon makes for a strong story with powerful resonances.

Grade: B-

-DS Arsenault

WCBR’s Picks Of The Week

Ray’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Blackest Night: Batman #2 – Although this issue wasn’t anything special, it was still entertaining as hell. Tomasi delivered with this fast-paced,action-packed issue. It was enough to reignite my interest in DC’s ongoing event.

Most Anticipated: Blackest Night #3 – Who or what can stop the Black Lanterns?! This’ll definitely be my first read for the week.

Other Top Picks: Action Comics #881, Batgirl #2, Batman and Robin #4, The Brave and Bold #27

Kyle’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Unwritten #5 – Alex’s excellent review covers all the reasons why Unwritten #5 was easily the best book of the past week.

Most Anticipated: Batman and Robin #4/Walking Dead #65 (Tie) – Superhero comics don’t get much better than Grant Morrison’s Batman and Robin.  As for The Walking Dead #65, the ending of T.W.D. #64 set the stage for what should be a very memorable issue.

Other Top Picks: Dark Avengers #9, Wednesday Comics #11, Agents of Atlas #11, Dark Reign: The List – Daredevil, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #3, Vengence of the Moon Knight #1, Invincible Iron Man #18

Alex’s Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: The Unwritten #5 – Five months in a row now, the Unwritten remains the most consistently excellent book on the stands, and certainly the smartest.  Going out on a limb this month and abandoning its main characters and main plot, the series chose to explore some history and backstory and hit a homerun in the doing.

Most Anticipated: Captain America: Reborn #3 – After a somewhat tepid first issue, this miniseries really upped its game last month.  I’m curious to see whether the upward trend continues this Wednesday.

DS’ Top Picks

Best of the Past Week: Red Robin #4 – flat out running action around the world as Tim Wayne is on everyone’s list as either the only crazy man or the only sane man in the room.

Most Anticipated: Batman and Robin #4 – With Professor Pyg out of the way, what’s up with this new villain – Morrison and Quitely will deliver the goods.

Other Top Picks: R.E.B.E.L.S. #8, Blackest Night #3, Agents of Atlas #11, Captain America Reborn #3, M.O.D.O.K.: Reign Delay #1, Thor Annual #1