Batgirl and Batwoman, together in the same book. I’ve been curious how long it would take for this to happen and now I have my answer. Although I am not a fan of conflict between heroes, I will admit that it makes for good stories and endless debate about who could take who in a fight.
That is not what makes this issue of Batgirl notable this month. The conflict between the two heroes is very short and the inevitable team-up happens sooner than I would have really liked it to. That’s not saying that the entire book is a bust, because it just isn’t. Batgirl #12 had a lot going for it, but could have used a little more character development and a bit more conflict between Batgirl and Batwoman.
Throw a less than squeaky clean Gotham police detective into the mix and you have a threesome of unlikely allies teaming up to take down a gang of particularly nasty bad guys. Barbara is certainly in over her head with this group and outside of Batman himself, you couldn’t have asked for a better partner to team with than Batwoman.
Batwoman’s absence from Night of the Owls was felt (at least by me) and left us wondering just how she was fitting into this newly revamped Batman family. I for one am happy to see her use outside her own book and happier still to see her appear in one of my favorite Bat-family titles.
The group of baddies led by Knightfall (which always throws me) has more surprises for Batgirl than she knows about at this point and although I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, there is a big surprise that comes in the middle of the story. For those reading the book regularly, it isn’t totally unexpected, but raises the question of just how this will affect Barbara going forward.
“She’s doing what I do. She’s calculating. She’s learning how to beat me. She already knows about the shock plates in my suit. And she’s gauging her reach against mine. So, of course, she comes in close. Why risk my speed advantage? The only question is, does she go for the knee again…or the forehead smash.”
Brilliant writing (as usual) by Gail Simone mixed with equally brilliant artwork by the team of Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes make this a must read title this month and as always a Word of the Nerd staff pick for the week. This is the one Batgirl story arc that I have enjoyed the most (so far) and the toughest challenge for Barbara yet; but it’s not over yet.
The one thing that really gets me will be having to wait two months for the next issue and the continuation of the story. However we will be treated to Batgirl #0 next month to help tie us over while we wait. DC Comics, oh how you vex me so.
About Bryan Brown
The Nerd – Or Bryan as many of us call him is the creative inspiration of Word of the Nerd. His tireless work makes all this possible. He rules with an iron fist…not really…he’s a great boss and even better leader. He can often be found lurking over our shoulders or in his local comic book store. Bryan is an all around nerd, from Star Trek to comic books to collecting action figures. If it's nerd related, he's into it or at least has an opinion on it..
You must log in to post a comment.