Batgirl #23 Review

In Batgirl #23, the disparate strands of Barbara’s life weave themselves into a tangled mess as her private life and her costumed affairs start to collide. Series writer Gail Simone continues to weave the increasingly complex tapestry she began many moons ago as the fallout from James Jr.’s clash with Barbara refuses to fade away.

The issue opens with Barbara attempting to have a nice day out shopping and gorging on gelato with her roommate. But since nothing in the life of a Bat (whether or not she chooses to wear the symbol) comes easy, her day is summarily ruined by a few less than gentlemanly blokes. It’s a hallmark of Simone’s writing that she embeds nuggets within her stories that readers can relate to no matter how fantastical the setting or characters.

Street harassment is such a ubiquitous problem that it’s often brushed aside or ignored, even by the people who experience it. The way Simone writes Barbara’s violent reaction can be read as a sort of wish fulfillment fantasy, but that’s not all it is. Barbara Gordon is nothing if not cool, calm, and collected, so her losing it in a very public, very brutal way is a sign that all is not well with her psyche.

It's an issue with a lot of moving parts, so it's only fitting that Fernando Pasarin's pencils are equally energetic. He has a good eye for his use of crowded space, and his art shines brightest when the action is at its busiest. Jonathon Glapion's inks are a solid complement to Pasarin's pencils, while Blond's colors are deep and vivid throughout.

To say the plot is thickening in Batgirl #23 would be an understatement. With her father's manhunt converging on Barbara's life in more ways than one, it looks like Simone is setting Babs up for an even bigger fall than the one she's already survived.

Melissa Grey is a lover of all things cats, comics, and outer space. She can be found on MyIGN at MelissaGrey or lurking on Twitter @meligrey.

Source : ign[dot]com