Review: Batgirl #44
[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Writer: Cecil Castellucci
Artist: Cian Tormey
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Andworld Design
Reviewed by: Sean Blumenshine
Summmary
BATGIRL vs. a DRAGON?! Everything in the magical realm of Unearth only exists when The Maker writes it onto his pages. So when he writes a dragon into existence that feeds upon the fear from new love, Jason Bard’s feelings for Babs feeds the fire-breathing dragon! How can Batgirl have the courage to defeat such a dragon when courage itself is full of fear, but choosing to act in the presence of it regardless? And when you die in Unearth, do you die on Earth?
Positives
I love the cover by Giusseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith & Jean-Francois Beaulieu. It’s Batgirl vs. a dragon! This team makes that look even cooler than it sounds. It looks like a cover to a metal album; I love it so much.
The interior art is great as well. It has a fun and colorful style that is well suited to the story. It’s exciting and lives up to the potential of the story.
I feel like I’m hyper focusing on this but Batgirl fights a dragon. That is so cool and something I never thought I would see. Cecil Castellucci has created a really unique story. I love that she incorporated so many fantasy elements into this. I like that Babs travels into another world like Narnia. The over dramatic nature of the story fits well. And the meta commentary provided by the author is a nice touch.
I like that Babs is put into a situation in which she has to confront her feelings for Jason. I like when stories combine big and crazy events with small personal matters. It’s a hard balance to find but Castelluci does it well here. Additionally, I think Castellucci brings a maturity to the potential relationship. Both characters have made mistakes and kept secrets. But there’s a way forward from that. I like that Babs is a mature enough person to recognize that.
The ending is great. Just when Babs is ready to start a relationship, Jason may have changed for the worse. I am interested to see where the story goes from here.
Negatives
There are no negatives worth mentioning.
Verdict
I was prepared to give this five stars based on the dragon fight alone. But there’s a personal element that works as well. The art is great throughout. And I highly recommend reading this issue.
