Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Batgirl #35
DC Comics
Stewart, Fletcher, Tarr & Wicks
The re-invention of Batgirl is quite a big shift with how the character had been portrayed under Gail Simone's guidance. The character is without question aimed at a much younger audience as much of Simone's work appears to be shelved. The question begs to be asked: why wasn't this re-launched? In any case, this incarnation is a lighter version of the character in a much lighter setting. The comic book is a good read and is definitely geared towards defining the character instead of the plot. The execution of the comic is good but fans of the Simone run or even those that were following that run are going to find this to be a drastic shift, perhaps too drastic.
Barbara has moved out and now lives among some college aged kids. There are parties, experimentation and drunken blackouts. The comic reads like a bunch of kids trying to find their way into adulthood as you've probably seen in many other stories involving characters of these ages. However, Barbara has some baggage and that baggage shows up on her doorstep in the form of Black Canary. This merging of old with new is okay because it involves another hero to bounce ideas off of and it gives an immediate adversary because the pair have a little history together.
The comic book really isn't about much of anything. For the most part, Batgirl and her roommates have some stuff stolen and she investigates it. This issue is simply trying to rewrite how the character behaves, her mood and her lifestyle. That all seems necessary because of the differences from how the character has been portrayed for three years.
The problem with the comic crops up when you try to reconcile this with what has come before. You can't. The old version of Batgirl was dark, depressing and filled with a feeling of dread. This incarnation is light, fun and fills the atmosphere with a can-do attitude. The other shift is that Barbara is apparently a genius beyond the level of photographic memory. She appears to be a walking computer with an index to her individual memory cells.
The artwork is up to the task in terms of making this comic a fun read. There is an element of a Vertigo style from ten years ago or so when there were some slice-of-life type stories in their publishing catalogue. This comic captures that well and brings some energy when Barbara puts on the suit.
Batgirl: is she dark and depressing or fun and light hearted? She probably needs to be somewhere in the middle but this sudden shift will probably generate some buzz with those that didn't care for the old run and might shake off some readers from the previous run. It might be the best way to go. Either way you look at this is an entertaining read and a good direction to send the character. It's too bad the book can't bridge the gap a little gentler.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
