Review: Batgirl #46
[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Cecil Castellucci
Artist: Carmine Di Giamenico
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Andworld Design
Reviewed by: Sean Blumenshine
Summary
After a catfight with Catwoman last issue, Batgirl thinks Selina is right about these statues…Could they be made from…actual living Gothamites? But when her investigation leads her to the KGBeast and he tells how he was involved in Nightwing being shot, all bets are off, and Batgirl is faced with doing the right thing or doing what is right for someone she loves.
Positives
Guiseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith and Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s cover is great. I love the imagery of Batgirl being consumed by gold; it’s cool. The city background and the gold covered citizens look great too.
I like the interior art as always. This is a solid team. It’s energetic and unique looking. I love how the characters are drawn; Babs is very expressive. It’s an animated style.
I loved Batgirl and Batwoman teaming up. The two had some genuinely great banter. Their chemistry was a lot of fun and I hope they team up more in the future. I didn’t expect the two to have as solid of a rapport.
This is a great villain; she has a weird plan but a relatable motivation. It’s easy to sympathize with her because she lost everyone she cared about and all she wants to do is get them back. Babs understands that but there is a line. Dasha is ruining countless other lives to achieve her goal. There’s a real tragedy to it; she is this incredible genius that could do amazing things but uses it in all the wrong ways. That’s an idea that one can see everywhere in today’s society.
I love how weird this issue is. Cecil Castellucci’s run has felt very Silver Age to me in a lot of different ways. But she really embraces the weirder side of comic book superheroes while giving it an emotional weight. It’s a really impressive balancing act. Babs goes from fighting dragons to living gold statues; it’s bizarre and fun. And there’s an emotional core that works.
Speaking of the Silver Age, I really like this dynamic between Babs and Jason in which he is in love with Barbara but hates Batgirl. That’s such a fun dynamic and, as I’ve said in earlier reviews, reminds me of Marvel in the 60s and 70s.
Negatives
There are no negatives worth mentioning.
Verdict
This is a great issue. I think this is one of the best books DC is putting out right now. I love Castellucci’s writing more with each issue and how ambitious her writing is. The art is great and it’s a lot of fun to read.
