Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews
Batgirl #16
DC Comics
Simone, Benes, Sampere & Cifuentes
As Death of the Family races towards its conclusion in the bat books, the same can be said for Batgirl. This issue sets up a bizarre and eerie ending to what has been a fairly enjoyable arc so far. Simone has managed to bring her twisted side to the forefront by handling the Joker with all freaky characteristics we've come to expect and then some. This is definitely an entertaining read and is shaping up to be a very good supporting book to the broader crossover.
Batgirl is ready to marry the Joker. Okay, at least that's the way it looks in this issue. As Batgirl tries to buy herself some time in this comic book the clock is ticking on innocent lives. Of course, the Joker is basking in all his glory while Batgirl twists in the wind. For the Joker the stage is what it's all about here. Toying with Batgirl is never a good idea though.
Once the action starts the stakes are raised and the pace is picked up in a major way. It's an interesting dynamic to watch Batgirl try to stop the Joker while tempering her own anger. I like the balancing act that Simone is pulling off her. This is one of the better character traits that I've seen in this run and I'm enjoying it a lot. There's a level of maturity that Simone is pulling off nicely with Batgirl in this arc. Of course, we get a stellar cliffhanger to launch us into the finale.
The book suffers because of the art. Benes pencils and presumably inks the first ten pages while Sampere pencils with Cifuentes inking the second set of ten pages and the book is simply a messy experience to read. Yes, the Joker looks creepy and that's very important for the mode of the book. However the details, such as height of characters, shapes in eyeglasses and basic anatomy specifics are all over the place. While reading through the book you can noticeable witness the sudden shifts page to page and I'm just not a fan of that experience. The art isn't bad, its just very flawed and inconsistent.
Batgirl is fitting in very nicely in the Death of the Family arc. You wouldn't know it to read this comic book, but this actually isn't even the main storyline in the crossover, but Simone sure makes it feel that way. I am enjoying this arc and can't wait to see what Simone has in store for the ending.
4 out of 5 Geek Goggles
