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Even Batgirls need to talk
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Even Batgirls need to talk
Technically, Batgirl #3 came out last week, but I didn’t get a chance to read it until last night. I felt this issue, for better or worse, deserved a review. I’m really trying to enjoy this series. Both Bryan Q. Miller’s writing and Lee Garbett’s art have been decent up to this point, it is the character in the Batgirl costume that I am not too fond of: Stephanie Brown.
I liked her as Spoiler, because she was her own character and she could afford to make mistakes and grow. Then DC started putting her in legacy character roles. When Tim Drake quit being Robin for a minute, Stephanie was right there to take over. Now with Cassandra Cain quitting as Batgirl, Stephanie is once again right there to take over. She doesn’t deserve any of these spots. The most formal training she has had in her career was during her run as Robin, and that probably lasted two weeks in comic book time.
I will say that I do like that Oracle, former Batgirl, is in this series. From the looks of things it seems like some other female characters will be joining as well. Is this the new Birds of Prey? They should re-title this book Batgirls.
The setup for this issue has a new drug called thrill hitting the streets. The drug induces episodes of extreme violent rage in the users. With the help of Oracle, Batgirl finds out that thrill is laced with the Scarecrow’s fear toxin. She is able to track him down, and Scarecrow is offended that Batman sent out one of the sidekicks to nab him.
The fight scene between Scarecrow and Batgirl was awesome, and I felt that I was finally on board with this series. He was able to spray her with some fear gas, and then went to town on her as she saw visions of Tim Drake Robin and herself as Spoiler. I have to say that I was really impressed with the story plot, the artwork, and the panel sequencing. I went from loving this book to hating it with a turn of the page.
Right as the Scarecrow is about to deliver the final blow to Batgirl, she wakes up and the fear gas is magically out of her system. She then proceeds to beat the tar out of him. Normal in these types of stories, right? What I hope never becomes normal in these stories is what she was doing while beating him up. Batgirl starts talking about why she doesn’t quit, why she keeps pressing forward, about second chances, and knowing who she is…out loud. She’s having a heart to heart with the Scarecrow while she’s fighting him, and he’s participating! What? Her little speech would have been fine had it been in those little caption boxes. She’s informing the reader on why she does what she does as she captures the villain. Cool, no problem. No, she tells him all of this and he participates like some sort of guidance counselor. Maybe Scarecrow is the Mr. Belvedere for the Bat-crew.
There was a really cool scene between Oracle and Batgirl, which paid homage to a classic Batman moment, where Oracle pledges and oath to train Stephanie. Oracle also feels that Stephanie deserves her own Batgirl costume and not some hand-me down. They reveal the suit on the last page, and I have decided that two people need to be fired: the person that designed this suit, and the person that approved this design.
This issue had highs and lows for me, almost like I was infected with fear gas. The writing is solid and keeps me reading. Batgirl just needs to stop barring her soul to every criminal she runs up against, or I’m going to stop reading this.
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