Writers: Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart
Art: Eleonora Carlini, Mortitat
After a long batch of standalone issues (that were all still very good, for the most part, and reflective of the character) Batgirl finally seems to be shaping a clear, developing storyline. While there’s a lot that still remains to be seen as to exactly what is going on, this issue drops enough clues and teasers for things to come to keep me very interested in how things are going to develop.
The issue already has a lot going for it in that it features another team-up with Spoiler. Barbara and once-upon-a-Batgirl Stephanie Brown have teamed up a few times in the series so far, but this one stands out for the inclusion of Stephanie’s roommate Bluebird. More than that, there’s a pretty good hook for Batgirl #47 as well: someone has hacked into Barbara’s files and she believes that this hack had to come from within the GCPD. So she and Stephanie have to go undercover into the GCPD to figure out what’s going on.
There’s not a ton of action in the issue, and what we do see isn’t all that spectacular. Batgirl and Spoiler get a fight with obscure villain Corporal Punishment that’s drawn in a very confusing manner and–for the only real fight in the issue–is over very quickly.
I’ll admit that the issue is convoluted, but it still does its best to play to its strengths. Batgirl knows exactly what kind of book it is and while I’d like to see Barbara use some of that dizzying Oracle intellect, I like the characters and the way they’re developing. If anything, this book really won me over with another talk between Babs and Gordon. He’s very much true to character here, which is kind of a rare thing these days.
