Gotham City Garage #5 – Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing, Writers; Carmen Carnero, Artist; Trish Mulvihill, Colorist
Ray – 7.5/10
Corrina: Kara & Babs: Besties
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW
Ray: One of the best issues of the series divides the focus neatly between two estranged sisters – Kara and Barbara Gordon. Kara, the protagonist, had been on the run since the start of the series, while Barbara had been loyal to Luthor’s regime and working as law enforcement. Barbara’s role had been a complaint about this series, so seeing her take the focus in this issue is welcome, even if her eventual face-turn does seem a bit abrupt. The issue makes good use of clever page design, essentially being two issues in one – the top of each page being devoted to one heroine, the bottom half to another. I’m not quite sure why it switches back and forth every page, though – it’s a bit distracting and ruins the smoothness of the story at times. But a good story relies on good characters, and this issue has two to carry it.
Kara’s story takes the form of her in the wilderness, writing a letter to Barbara while doubting her sister even wants to hear from her. There’s a nice poignancy to this segment, while Barbara’s segment is more action-packed as she investigates her father’s death and her sister’s seeming betrayal. This leads to her discovering the truth, in a bit of a hurry, and facing off against the Batman in a showdown as she makes a hurried exit from Luthor’s walled city. It all builds to an emotional reunion between the sisters and the Gotham City Garage getting a new ally. It seems like this series has a lot less to do with motorcycle action than expected, instead being mostly about a resistance to a dystopian cyberpunk future. It’s not the smoothest read, but issues like this have a strong core to them that wins over the reader.
Corrina: Before the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, Batgirl and Supergirl were best friends. That’s part of why I loved this series imagining them as sisters. But, so far, Barbara has been a tool of the authoritarian regime led by Luthor.
But sisterly bonds cannot be broken that easily.
This is my favorite issue so far of this series because it depends on those emotional bonds. The separate narratives work perfectly, leading up to the moment when Babs finds out who really killed her father and, finally, the terrific reunion with Kara.
I’d no expectations for this series and I was less than thrilled with the first few issues but the last two have me seeing all the amazing possibilities in the world that has been built.
Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
