Batgirls #4 – Becky Cloonan/Michael W. Conrad, Writers; Jorge Corona, Artist; Sarah Stern, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: The Bat-books by and large tend to be pretty grim—it comes with the territory—and this title does grapple with some heavy themes and dark villains. But despite all that, there’s a constant sunniness and light energy to the two main characters that makes it feel like a perfect antidote to that darkness. The fast pace of their adventures in this little corner of Gotham often seems to be inspired by classic kids’ detective adventures, complete with eccentric neighbors possibly up to no good and unique settings like a local bookstore. The progress the two are making in their own way is fascinating—Cass learning to read as she slowly adapts to something resembling a normal life, while Steph gets better at trusting people after a traumatic early life. And all the while, Barbara shows off her skills as Oracle. The end of the issue hints that “three Batgirls are better than two,” but two plus Oracle are doing their thing pretty well.
A lot of new characters have been introduced in this series, including Barbara’s old flame Charles Dante and the mysterious band of ex-Magistrate soldiers out for blood, but it’s the psychic Tutor who has been the biggest threat. His ability to manipulate Steph’s mind has been a major threat, but the bond she and Cass have comes into play in a big way when it comes to that thread. The reveal of what’s under Tutor’s mask may not exactly make total sense—and plays into a pattern with Gotham villains—but the end of the issue indicates there’s a bigger threat at play here, and one who has never made an impact in Gotham before—at least not in this timeline. While the plotting is strong, this is a case where the leads are really what drives this comic. Steph and Cass may not exactly be what they were before Flashpoint, but this book captures their joyful energy in a way no one has in years.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
