Batgirls #15 – Becky Cloonan/Michael W. Conrad, Writers; Neil Googe, Artist; Rico Renzi, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: This arc has been the most emotionally fraught of the series, although it’s also had the most mood whiplash. Last month’s brilliant silent issue had Cassandra Cain tearing across the city in search of Steph—only to come across a grim scene at the end. This issue picks up right before that, as Stephanie wakes up to find herself in her father’s cabin—forced to participate in a deranged game show where Cluemaster asks her a series of bizarre questions and hits her with electric shocks. It’s a very different, darker Cluemaster than we’ve seen, and it all comes back to how he came back from the dead. Stephanie manages to finally tell him exactly where he stands with her, but she can’t get away on her own—and that’s where Cass comes in, saving the day in a dramatic entrance that drives home why she’s one of the most visually interesting characters in DC’s roster.
What Cloonan and Conrad are doing with Cluemaster is interesting—creating a pitiful but monstrous man who does see the error of his ways eventually, but may be too far gone to do anything about it. But to get there, we have to go through one of the most bizarre cases of mood whiplash I’ve ever seen in a comic, as the story takes a very dark turn and seemingly upends its entire concept—only to undo it a few pages later and leave that twist with very little emotional impact. It’s so powerful that it almost seems to undermine what comes next. The emotional connection between the two leads is so strong that I wonder if the writers are leaning towards a romantic connection for Cass and Steph, but this issue seemed like it would have been the perfect time to move on it if they were. While Neil Googe’s art is more cartoony than Jonathan Case’s master class last month, he does a great job with the harder segments, and this issue is another strong installment.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
