For the first ever meeting of Batgirl and Batwoman, I was sure it was going to come off forced and they were going to make some cute little self-aware jokes at each other. Nope. Gail Simone plays it straight and uses Batwoman to add to the tensions of the book, which were already running high between Knightfall’s twisted plan and the escape of a certain psychopath you might remember from last year’s Detective Comics Black Mirror story by Scott Snyder.
Adrian Syaf starts the book off with an amazing double-page spread that would give Flash artist Francis Manapul a run for his money. Everything from the paneling taking on the form of the shattering window to the bat symbol carved into Batwoman’s serious red boot makes for a stunning image. There are some lapses in quality when it comes to the proportions of characters throughout the issue, and things get crowded when the narrative starts to get complicated, but Syaf turns in a good looking book overall.
I’ve said it a thousand times, but it’s Simone’s perfect command over Batgirl’s inner voice that makes this title a joy to read. Her stories have dark themes and sadistic villains, but Barabara Gordon’s plucky spirit combined with a dash of humor always puts a smile on my face. Simone does her best when given the time to develop a character, so perhaps that is why this particular story does not feel as focused as everything that came before it. There’s not only Knightfall but her three henchmen and then James Jr. operating in the background. It’s a lot, but Simone does manage to make this overstuffed story work because her lovable Batgirl rises above it all.
Joshua is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter or IGN, where he is hell-bent on making sure you know his opinion about comic books.
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