After her difficult battle with the villainous Knightfall, Batgirl discovers that her mother has been kidnapped by the Joker. If that weren't enough, it seems that her psychotic brother has joined forces with the crazed clown.
Batgirl Volume 3: Death of the Family collects Batgirl Annual #1 and Batgirl #14-19, written by Gail Simone and Ray Fawkes with art by Ed Benes and Daniel Sampere.
From its first issue, Batgirl has marked itself as a wild ride full of action and complex character work. However, the stakes have never been quite as high as they are in Death of the Family. Simone expertly weaves a narrative that incorporates elements of the editorially mandated Death of the Family initiative and the threads of her own stories from previous arcs. It works much more effectively than it did in Catwoman and Teen Titans, which no doubt speaks to Simone's level of talent and Batgirl's tragic connection with the Joker. Death of the Family is the cumulation of what Simone had been working towards, giving readers a much-needed confrontation between Batgirl and the Joker as well as a showdown against James Gordon Jr. Arguably, the Joker and James Gordon Jr. are the most twisted foes she's faced to date. That's why it's so easy to root for Batgirl, especially when the lives of those she holds dearest lie in the balance.
Of all the individual issues in this collection, issue #19 stands as one of the strongest Simone has ever written. It's incredibly tight and the tension is nearly unbearable. In this story, we finally see Batgirl face off against her brother and the result is a total page-turner. In fact, it's quite easily defined as a game-changer for the title and leads to a pivotal moment for the titular heroine. Not only that, but the reveal of Alysia as transgender continues to show Simone's dedication to writing comics that will relate to a more diverse audience.
It's also worth discussing the annual that kicks off this collection. As a long-time fan of Catwoman, I'll admit to being quite gleeful whenever Simone includes her in a story and the fact that the annual was a Batgirl/Catwoman team-up makes that all the more worth squealing over. It's an excellent standalone story and really emphasizes the fact that we really need to see Simone writing more of Catwoman. In this adventure, Catwoman is hired to break out one of the Court of Owls' assassins from jail and comes up against Batgirl in the process. There is a clear understanding of just how complex the Feline Fatale is in this issue and we get to see her play the role of the hero.
The art in this trade paperback is quite eclectic. Simone's long-time collaborator Ed Benes takes a very traditional approach to his art, which means he draws Batgirl a little more bodacious than she needs to be. It's also a little rough in some panels and doesn't necessary suit the tone of the title. Daniel Sampere, however, is perfection. His pencils are incredibly dynamic and constantly adapt to the mood of the writing.
Batgirl: Death of the Family proves once more why Gail Simone is the quintessential Batgirl writer. Her dialogue is strong, her character work is impeccable and her plotting is admirable. While Ray Fawkes does a commendable job on the issues he wrote in this collection, there's really no denying that Simone is just as much the star of the this book as Batgirl herself.
Rating: A
No comments:
Post a Comment