Review: Batgirl #35

STORY

It wasn’t very long ago that I hated Batgirl. I hated the campy stories, I hated the art, I hated the purple costume. So it was with some trepidation that I decided to review this comic and boy am I glad I did. This team is getting everything right that the previous crew was getting wrong. This issue was great! Batgirl is deal with a new set of villains called the Terrible Trio. Animal mask wearing, high society types who specialize in catering to the most debased desires of the wealthy elite. Its a nice change from the typical Bat villain and I like these new guys a lot. They are sophisticated, smart and have some interesting dynamics between the three of them. They are the perfect sort of villain for a street level heroine like Batgirl. On top of that the Batgirl herself is written as intelligent, competent and daring. Gone are all those personality traits that made the woman who used to be Oracle into some sort of one dimensional nit-wit. This Batgirl uses her brains, grit and skills to outwit and out fight her enemies. She is the Batgirl fans have been missing for a while now and its good to have her back.

Add to all of this a parallel story of Babs business partner, Alysia Yeoh, being put into a terrible position while she is forced to deal with a hostile takeover of their company by herself due to Barbara having a double life as Batgirl. This issue has all the drama, action and tension one could want from a superhero comic. Additionally we get to see how Babs relationships and personal life are being affected by her duty as a crime fighter. Scott really delivers, covering all the bases and giving you enough context in story that I was able to jump right into Part 2 of this three parter without feeling lost at all without even the benefit of some sort of introductory paragraph to get me up to speed. Bravo!

ART

The art is fantastic which only serves to make a great story all the better. The pencils are sharp and the action dynamically charged, practically leaping off the page. It really stands out compared to the last time I read a Batgirl comic. Panel layout and page flow are all solid, there are nicely detailed backgrounds and expressive characters. The inks are tight and the colors pop. The colorist’s style is almost retro in its approach looking a lot like something from the early 90’s of digital coloring but more refined.. A lot of the colors are almost flat but are shaded just enough and in the right places that I didnt miss the comic not having a more rendered heavy style.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This was a great issue, just flawless in my opinion. It really had everything I want in a comic book and more and actually got me excited once more about a character I had given up on. It really shows what a difference a change in creative team can make. Move over cosplay Batgirl, the real thing is back in town! 5 out of 5!

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

BATGIRL #35
Writer:Â Mairghread Scott
Art:Â Paul Pelletier
Inks: Norm Rapmund and Jose Marzan Jr.
Colors:Â Jordie Bellaire