Batgirl #21 is written by Hope Larson with artwork by Scott Godlewski. Colours are by John Rauch and letters by Deron Bennett. The main cover is by Dan Mora with variant covers by Joshua Middleton.
You can pickup your copy of Batgirl #21 is available now where all good comics are sold!
Synopsis
After a series of attacks targeted toward women sweeps Burnside, Batgirl begins a thorough investigation to find the perpetrator. But she’s not the only one searching; Commissioner Gordon is on the hunt, too! Can this father-daughter duo put their differences aside long enough to crack the case? Find out in the team-up you’ve all been waiting for—trust us, you won’t want to miss it!
Review
Every now and then a comic comes along which takes you by surprise. I’ve been reading Batgirl since the beginning of her tenure in Burnside and have since completed the entire “New 52” era also. When the character made the move from Gotham to Burnside things really did get interesting.
With the most recent issues of the “Rebirth” era it does seem like writer Hope Larson and her team have been focussing more on Babs love life. It’s a tried and tested cliche for female characters but not one I’m overly interested in reading.
Luckily for me this issue is nothing like that.
Seldom these days do we get to see Batgirl interact with Commissioner Gordon. We do see James and his daughter Barbara but their alter egos rarely interact like they do in this issue. Larson is able to quickly craft a buddy cop storyline without the need to develop a relationship between the two.
Acting on the years of history between father and daughter means this story has a much faster pace. One that is evident right from page one. There’s little room to breathe as the two find a case, find each other and act quickly to resolve it.
The issue is at its most successful when focussing on those characters. The relationship between them is tangible on the page and it builds to a suitably warm and fuzzy conclusion at the issues end.
Where the story falls down a little is also in said pacing. There’s little time to investigate the other women involved in the attacks. Likewise little time is spent on investigating the shady company creating the crazy pharmaceuticals. They’re small gripes. Particularly when this issue isn’t about the story.
Scott Godlewski does an excellent job on the artwork. The aesthetic of this issue is vastly different from others. There are a lot of pink and purple hues to exaggerate the nighttime setting. It gives a really different flavour to an ordinary run-of-the-mill series.
Character models are consistent throughout (you know how much uneven characters bother me!).
There’s only a small number of locales in this issue but those that do exist are deep and rich. There is plenty of background detail for you to lose yourself in.
Verdict
Batgirl #21 is a fun issue teaming up two characters who rarely get to interact in this type of situation. Whilst the story plays second fiddle to the two leads it is still a thoroughly enjoyable read.
7/10
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