THIS WEEK: Batgirl #9 and Absolute Green Lantern #4 reignite a spark in different ways. Plus, checking in on Birds of Prey #23, and Gotham City Sirens: Unfit for Orbit #1.
Note: the review below contains spoilers. If you want a quick, spoiler-free buy/pass recommendation on the comics in question, check out the bottom of the article for our final verdict.
Batgirl #9
Writer: Tate Brombal
Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
I have been frustrated with this run as of late. For context, I love this Batgirl run, or at least, I had loved the first six issues of it. Once we got to Shiva’s kung fu origin story, I felt like we had replaced the emotion-filled, powerful rise to independence and loving bond of a mother and daughter that Cassandra had experienced in this run, with a goofy story that didn’t land the same as what was written before it.
Which brings us to this issue, where I now feel secure on the path that this series has set for issues to come.
I never get tired of the art in this series; it only makes what’s being written that much more powerful. Imagine my enthusiasm seeing Cass clad in her Batgirl costume, arriving at this ranch in Montana on horseback like a knight in shining armor. It’s one of those moments that makes me think to myself: that’s the Batgirl I know and love. It didn’t take long for the story to pick up from there.
Cass is still dealing with the fallout of her mother’s (alleged) death and the feelings that came along with it. She wasn’t perfect, and Cass makes that clear, but she now has a better understanding of her mother, what she wanted for her daughter, and what hurdles she had to climb to get there.
Albeit a story of ninjas and assassins, I can’t help but love how writer Tate Brombal tells a memorable story about a mother and what she was willing to do to keep her daughter safe, even if it’s messy and at times wrong. That suggestion I don’t believe was an accident, and it only makes the story that much better for it, as we now see Cass forced to deal with the skeletons in Shiva’s closet.
I won’t spoil the reveal, but the setup and implications actually give me hope, assuming this isn’t just an average comic misdirection. A new character reveal shows promise for Cass’s future, and only time will tell what this creative team will do with that.
In short, this run has been a collection of highs and lows. I had lost faith in it, yet I’ve found renewed interest. And overall, I think what this comic has done is give a fun and deep story worth following.
It may not always stick the landing, but when it does, it reminds me why I cared about this series in the first place. If the creative team can carry this momentum forward, building on the emotional core and not just the spectacle, then I’m more than willing to stay on this ride and see where it takes Cassandra next.
Final Verdict: BUY