Review: Batgirl #31

“Old Enemies” – Part Two

Writer: Mairghread Scott
Artists: Paul Pelletier and Norm Rapmund
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Deron Bennett

Review by Fay Clark

Jumping straight into the action with Batgirl in this issue. Still reeling from the events in Issue #30, Batgirl has decided to hit the streets and some bad guys.  So much happened in this issue that it left me with my brains on the floor, and it’s only part 2 of the new story arc.

In this weeks issue we see Batgirl trying to figure out who she can trust and what’s really going on. Doing some classic sleuthing and de-masking of the bad guys. Cormorant is back and badder than before and he leaves a few dents in Batgirl’s plan. Has our heroine finally met her match?

What a wicked opening to this issue. I love seeing a slightly a more unhinged Babs, not always in control of her emotions. She can still let the puns fly even when she’s having trouble figuring out a plan. The girl can multitask like a pro. I definitely got on more with the storyline in this issue than in #30. We’re back to some classic Batgirl, beating the bad guys and protecting the people. The writing from Mairghread Scott was on top form in this issue, pulling no punches with the inner monologue or interactions. I said this last time, but I really can’t wait to read more of her writing, she is becoming a quick favourite of mine.

Let’s just take a second here to appreciate the stunning art in this issue. Pelletier and Rapmund once again knock it out of the park. They are able to convey so much emotion in such little space. I can feel my jaw ache when Batgirl gets hit, or even the mind numbing boredom that can come with a desk job. I keep going back and finding new things I didn’t notice before, the attention to detail is great.

Conclusion

I would like more. This version of Batgirl is great, I can’t wait to read more of her and see the predicament that she needs to fix next. As long as Scott is at the helm I know we are in good hands. We only see a small amount of Barbra in this issue, therefore we miss a bit of the “Normal” side of her life. I think once there is an equal balance in Babs life we might see a bit more of a balance in the issues.

It should be quite interesting to see where the story goes from here. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next issue, as I need answers.

Images Courtesy Of DC Entertainment
(This review was originally published on the Dark Knight News website on January 31st 2019)