Review: Batgirl #29

Mairghread Scott has wrapped up her first arc since taking over the writing duties on Batgirl in fantastic fashion. Art of the Crime has kicked off Scott’s tenure on the title with a story that is compelling, poignant, intriguing and doesn’t skimp when it comes to serving up the knuckle sandwiches. Barbara Gordon, like many of her millennial peers, has moved home. Of course she has a pretty good reason for needing some parental assistance in that she is recovering from injuries sustained while confronting the villainous Grotesque. During her convalescence her father, police commissioner Jim Gordon hires her to do some run of the mill I.T. work at the precinct unknowingly providing Babs with a perfect opportunity to hack her way into the GCPD database in search of anything she can use to capture Grotesque. This leads to Batgirl uncovering Grotesque’s true intentions which are far more sinister than she thought. Now faced with not only taking down Grotesque, but saving the reputation and lives of the GCPD officers involved in guarding the Gotham Art Museum.

Scott has done an impressive job of finding the voice of Barbara Gordon as well as matching the tonal quality of the title originally set by Hope Larson. Her Batgirl is a strong-willed young woman with a firm resolve to do what is right no matter the risk to her personal safety, this is perhaps a pre-requisite attitude for a super heroine, however that doesn’t always come through as clearly as it does here. Scott seems to have a firm grasp of what makes Batgirl tick, not just her motivation to fight crime but, what makes her the person she is in and out of the costume. There is a beating heart beneath that Bat logo emblazoned upon her chest and that is what makes this story so engrossing. The real battle is inside Barbara, whether it is her decision to move back home or her upcoming surgery there are real world issues the inform Scott’s iteration of this character. It is this deeply detailed character development that allows this Batgirl to speak with such authenticity, subsequently allowing us to feel real empathy for her and become so deeply emotionally invested in her in a relatively short time. I would love to see Scott stay on this title for a good long run and really show us what makes Batgirl tick by developing the supporting cast of characters in a similarly painstaking fashion.

The narrative unfolds much like a police proceduralÂ at times relying on crime scene banter and dialogue to progress the plot and provide background information. This works extremely well in any narrative that features Commissioner Gordon as Scott’s does here. The pace is quite a bit faster than previous issues in the arc since the majority of the set up has been done allowing for more action heavy sequences and a completely satisfying plot resolution.

Prolific artist Paul Pelletier provides the visuals for this arc. If you’ve read a comic book in the past 25 years you have most likely seen Pelletier’s amazing work. Recently he handled the pencils on the New 52 Aquaman title as well as issues of just about every other DC title on the racks. His work is detailed and energetic, maintaining a very traditional feel with his page designs and use of panels. His Batgirl is spot on capturing that whimsical sense that has been a part of the character since her debut. Pelletier does a solid job when drawing monsters or more horror based creatures as he does here with Grotesque and his band of beastly baddies. He has an amazing ability to juxtapose the fantastic with the mundane, rendering each with equal attention to detail. Norm Rapmund’s inks and Jordie Bellaire’s colors finish the visuals very nicely providing an overall cinematic feel to Scott’s narrative. Jordie Bellaire has become the preeminent colorist working in comic books today and one look at her work on this issue will show you why.

This issue of Batgirl is indicative of the caliber of storytelling we have come to expect from this title. The current creative team has knocked this one completely out of the park. The story is eloquently told both visually and textually with heart, soul and intelligence. I’ve been reading Batgirl since the Rebirth event series debut and this is a high point in a series that has consistently taken big swings and very often connected. 4/5

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Writer- Mairghread Scott
Artist- Paul Pelletier
Inks- Norm Rapmund
Colors- Jordie Bellaire
Letterer- Deron Bennett