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Review of Batgirl #19

Batgirl 19 Expanded Cover

Batgirl 19 finds our heroine dealing with her serial killing psychopath of a brother James Gordon Jr! The man who served her up to the Joker during DEATH OF THE FAMILY! Now the sibling rivalry is center stage! SPOILERS BELOW!!!

Batgirl 19 Expanded Cover

I started reading Batgirl at issue #13 in the NEW 52. I’ve always loved Batgirl/Barbara Gordon. Going all the way back to the 80s when I’d see reruns of the 66 Batman show. I fell in love with the character even more in the DC Animated Universe. Now I had heard this issue would reveal something very big, but I had no idea what. I tend to stay away from comic reviews before I read the book. Because I wanna be surprised, as I’ve only jumped into comics full tilt in the last few months. So when Babs’ roommate is revealed to be transgendered, I was kinda shocked. However it was a great interaction between Barbara and Alysia.

Batgirl 19 image 1

Writing: 

This is Gail Simone’s return to the book, after being absent the last two issues of Batgirl. I have to say that I’m sooo happy the fan outcry reached the people at DC’s hearts, because when I read issues #17-18, I just wasn’t enjoying them as much. No offense to Ray Fawkes, but I liked Simone’s style of storytelling better.

In this issue we have the sibling rivalry coming to an epic conclusion. The story is told in present day, and flashbacks as well. It gives you glimpses into James Jr and Barbara’s past as kids. It also has twists and turns, as far as who actually set the trap for James Jr. For me I love reading about the Gordon Family, don’t misunderstand me I love the rest of the Bat Family. However I’ve always wanted more about Gordon, his wife, and children. I will admit when I first started reading the title in the New 52, I was quite taken aback that James Gordon, Jr. is a psycho. Granted my first exposure to him was in the Nolan films, but that was it. However I do enjoy reading compelling stories of good versus evil.

Gail Simone is a wonderful writer and I can’t wait for the upcoming stories in Batgirl. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The ending to Batgirl 19 is shocking and you just have to read it for yourself!!

Batgirl 19 image 2

Art:

I’m still loving the art in the Batgirl title. Even though it has had an artist change from Ed Benes to Daniel Sampere. The art still remains beautiful, explosive, and eye catching. I love that the 19 issue is a splash cover. I think that is just amazing, and I wish they’d do that more often. I love how sleek, and smooth edged the art is. The whole scene in the rainstorm was just eye popping.

Final Thoughts:

If you haven’t been reading Batgirl, you should be. While I’m a firm believer in starting from the beginning of anything, if you wanted to jump in here, that would be fine. Batgirl 19 kept me on the edge of my seat, with every page I turned. The story was just so compelling. Batgirl 19 is in comic shops everywhere, and I’m sure you can find it online as well.

Overall Score: 10/10

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TFG1Mike

TFG1Mike is a geek with many interests. He has been podcasting for over a decade, and sees no stopping point in sight. From Transformers, He-Man, Batman, Comics, movies, video games, cartoons, and so much more, Mike has a zeal for the things he loves, and he will bring the hammer down on the things that he has a disdain for. He's generally a postive person, but negativity can creep in there. Mike is all about the innuendos and innuendon'ts too. You'll hear him on many of The GCRN podcasts!

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