Batgirls #7 – Becky Cloonan/Michael W. Conrad, Writers; Robbi Rodriguez, Artist; Rico Renzi, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: After the six-issue first arc, we’re off on a new adventure with guest artist Robbi Rodriguez stepping in for Jorge Corona. The Batgirls survived the assault of Tutor and Spellbinder, but some other villains from the first arc are still out there—namely the Saints, the ruthless acolytes of Simon Saint. Also tormenting them is Seer, the teenage hacker responsible for most of their current plight—but Seer has now showed up at their base, seeking their help. Seems she pissed off the Saints and is now being hunted, and the Batgirls have to protect their pint-sized arch-nemesis. An elaborate plan to use Seer as bait to determine who really wants to get ahold of her is set up, although this issue does seem to forget that Cass has the strictest “no one dies” code in the entire Bat-family—a line about helping Seer would have worked better if it had been switched between the two younger Batgirls.
The action centers around the Iceberg Lounge, which is a common site for major Bat-plots but somehow rarely gets explored in-depth. A common mob hangout, it leads to a little more in the way of reveals of who Seer is and why she’s so determined to prove herself. With the Batgirls stationed on the roof, Barbara takes lead on the mission—undercover and with a guest-star as her date. This issue’s plot isn’t as dense as the previous arc, which featured multiple villains, but the dialogue and banter is as good as always. The story is full of little details like the girls’ pet robot dog—purloined from the Saints—and it’s great to see Cass and Steph’s friendship continue to get a focus. Barbara’s plotlines are rarely as compelling, but its Gotham feels alive in a way the city rarely does. Between the strong plotting and dialogue and the excellent guest art, this continues to be one of the top gems of the Bat-line.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
