Batgirl 23 is the beginning of the three part story arc BATGIRL WANTED! This will be a SPOILER FREE Review!!!
After getting sorta caught up on the beginning of Gail Simone’s run here on Batgirl. I now see where everything connects. Ms. Simone has told an amazing story through out the last 22 issues of this New 52 title. After the events of DEATH OF THE FAMILY, “killing” her own brother as Batgirl no less, and dealing with The Ventriloquist, Barbara Gordon has every intention of giving up the Bat. And in Batgirl WANTED Part 1 she pretty much has. As she is running around in some sort of ninja outfit.
Writing:
Gail Simone can do no wrong in my eyes, when it comes to writing the characters in Barbara Gordon’s universe. The writing in BG Wanted Part 1 is just as good as the previous 22 issues of this amazing ongoing series. Just the way the characters are handled, it is so damn good. I find it fascinating not having Babs in the Batsuit, because she can do so much more. Yeah sure it’d be great to have the gadgets, but Barbara is a very resourceful young woman. I love how Simone writes Commissioner Gordon, and the emotion that is put behind his character. In short this issue will knock you on your ass. I’m not just saying that, I couldn’t put it down. There are some comics where I’ll start reading them, then have to take a break, and go do something else. With Batgirl, when I read this series, that never happens.
Art:
The team of Fernando Pasarin and Jonathan Glapion on pencils and inks is just freakin’ amazing in this issue. Plus Alex Garner’s cover looks as if it could be hung in a museum!!! Love that cover!!!! Because of the fact that Babs has given up the Bat, the art really is all about the regular non costumed characters. There are several wide shots of characters that I didn’t like how scrunched up their faces were, but that’s a nitpick, and lets face it far away shots are gonna be like that. Other than that the art fits the story so well. Love all the different locations, and the backgrounds are very well done. There is one panel of Commissioner Gordon near the end of the book that is just BAD ASS!!!! All in all another fully loaded issue of awesome art!!!
Final Thoughts:
WHY can’t this be a weekly series…. ahhh I wanna know what happens next RIGHT THE HELL NOW!!!!!! If you haven’t been reading Batgirl, you better get started!!! I’d suggest going back to the beginning, but really you can start at issue #20 to feel as if you hadn’t missed anything. Still if you are a BG fan you will love this first part into the BATGIRL WANTED storyline!!!!!
Final Rating:
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