DCU Comic Book Reviews

BATGIRL #4

Batgirl Rising: Field Test

January 2010

Written by Bryan Q. Miller

Pencils by Time Levins, Lee Garbett

Inks by Dan Davis, Aaron Sowd, Trevor Scott

Cover by Phil Noto

Synopsis

At the Brown Residence, Stephanie studies as her mother prepares to go to work.  An hour later, Stephanie is in the batcave, dressed as Batgirl, ready for a night’s work with Barbara Gordon (aka Oracle).  In Gotham Square, Batgirl stops a trio of thieves.  Suddenly, the lights go out all over the city.  Meanwhile, Oracle gets a 9-1-1 call from Thompkins Clinic.  There, Oracle learns Wendy Harris has broken into the clinic to do physical rehab.  Elsewhere, Batgirl tracks down a purse snatcher, who just happens to have taken her mom’s purse.  At Monarch Meadows stadium, Commissioner Gordon investigates the death of an employee of the Department of Water and Power.  At Thompkins Clinic, Oracle joins Wendy in the workout.  Oracle tries to convince Wendy that she is not alone; however, Wendy misses her twin brother, Marvin.  At Devil’s Square, Commissioner Gordon discovers the cause of the blackout:  Livewire.  Just then, Batgirl appears and is able to defeat Livewire.  Later, Batgirl returns home and to sleep, just as he mother comes home from work. 

Review by Binkley (e-mail)

There were some good moments in the story, some nice witty remarks and scenes, but somehow it just didn’t quite jell into a cohesive whole.  That is not to say it was choppy.  Rather, it felt a little rushed, as if Miller had jammed too much into the issue.  I am not sure the entire blackout was necessary or added much to the overall story.  However, I liked the scene with Livewire and the way the detective and Gordon are woven into the sequence.  I am just not sure if the stadium scene added much to the issue; that scene could’ve been better served with more on Batgirl and Oracle monitoring the suit.  I guess, thinking about it, this issue should’ve just been random scenes of Batgirl in action rather than an attempt to create a plot (ie, the blackout).  The story is Batgirl doing rounds and that should’ve been enough to prop up the issue.  What is enough to prop up the issue is Miller’s writing.  The tone is light, but doesn’t get into broad comedy and the pace is swift, but it doesn’t fly by too fast.  I like the characterization of Stephanie overall and in this issue in particular the witty banter between Oracle and Batgirl and the final scene (as I said before) with Batgirl defeating Livewire.  The scene with Wendy and Oracle was also nice; I like the way the story with Wendy is slowly unfolding. 

One of the problems I had with the blackout is that in a shared universe and a widely populated city like Gotham within the universe, my first thoughts, went to wondering what the other heroes such as Batman or Batwoman and villains such as Black Mask or Hush were doing during the blackout.  I don’t think you can randomly use a city-wide blackout in Gotham without pondering the implications on the rest of the characters in the city.  You can do it in, say, Star City or even Platinum Flats because there are few heroes in those cities.  But, in Gotham?  Man, Batman should’ve found livewire long before Batgirl got on the scene. 

So, Livewire caused the blackout because she needed, what, more power?  Fuel?  Is electricity kinda like food for her?  If so, why the hell would you go to Gotham City for something like that.  It might be better if you went to a town that wasn’t so densely populated with heroes that could stop you and put you in jail.

 

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