Review: Batgirl #49

"Gordons Never Give Up" - Part Two

Writer: Cecil Castellucci
Artist: Robbi Rodriguez
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: AndWorld Design

Review by Fay Clark

Well, I can tell you one thing for sure. Lemony Snicket got it right. The Penultimate Peril, indeed. Following on from the last issue Batgirl #49 has it all; the writing, the art, the chaos, the mystery and the heartbreak. This chapter brilliantly sets you up for Lord only knows what to happen in the last issue of the run.

Having recently seen a young red-haired lady dressed as Batgirl dead on the floor, Barbara’s now in an investigatory whirlwind. Who is this girl? Were did she come from? Why is she dressed as Batgirl? Who killed her? What. Is. Happening?

1 Bat, 2 Bat, 3 Bats, 4. How many more can you find dead on the floor?

I can’t take this anymore. Cecil, please! This whole killing me slowly with your amazing plot lines isn’t working for me anymore. I must know what is happening, and what the plot line plans are, and… oh my God. just tell me! As you can probably tell there’s nothing more that I want right now other than to find out what happens next. Batgirl #49 has me chomping at the bit, I must know! Yet I really, super do not want this run to finish. Cecil Castellucci has taken us on a rollercoaster ride, and I don’t want it to end. Which is amazing, considering I don’t like rollercoasters! Anyone like me that was super worried when we got a new writer, has definitely been eating their words and worries.

Castellucci creates atmosphere like a pro. Over the last couple of issues you can tell Batgirl has been working up to something big. The mystery and the intrigue are present in spades. Babs has no idea what’s going on, therefore neither does the reader. We’re all at the mercy of Batgirl’s awesome investigatory prowess, so knowing how great she is at her jobs means… we should be getting some answers in Batgirl #49. They may have left me with even more questions, though!

These answers seem sketchy

So, who else would like Robbi Rodriguez to draw their life story. Hands up! From the start of Batgirl #49 you can see the amazing talent that Rodriguez has. The use of pure fear on the poor babs’ face, and the shape and flow of her body language adds so much raw emotion to the page.  I can’t even begin to tell you about the last few pages, and the sheer despair felt by all. The way Robbi can create such a strong bond between the reader and the character on the page is just an ode to his talent.

The genius of the color artist comes through immediately. There is no doubt about it, mixing Jordie Bellaire’s gifted shading and coloring with Robbi Rodriguez’s artwork was a stroke of intelligence. Jordie is truly awesome I am in love with the first couple of pages of Batgirl #49. The use of shadows and highlights causes such stark contrasts. It draws the readers eye directly to the page in an interesting and unique way.

Conclusion

What do you mean this is coming to an end?! No it isn’t. Not in my heart or my feelings. This run of Batgirl is going to stay with me for a long time to come. The way Batgirl herself has been written, and the wonderful stories we’ve been gifted with will always remain in my head, and my heart. I have precisely no scooby-doo (Cockney rhyming slang) as to what’s going to happen in the last issue. However, I can’t wait to find out.

Well… maybe I can wait, just because I don’t want this to end… No. I have to know.

Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought Bubble 2024 convention & festival dates announced

Image
Article by Steve J. Ray Thought Bubble  is, without a doubt, the UK’s best entirely comic-based convention and art festival. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend the show for the last three years, and have been anxious to see what’s in store this year. Well, the wait is over, as the team behind the event has announced the Thought Bubble 2024 convention & festival dates. THOUGHT BUBBLE ANNOUNCES 2024 COMIC CONVENTION & FESTIVAL DATES ACCLAIMED COMIC ART CONVENTION AND FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS YORKSHIRE THIS NOVEMBER THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL LEEDS & ACROSS YORKSHIRE 11 -17 NOVEMBER 2024 THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION HARROGATE CONVENTION CENTRE 16 & 17 NOVEMBER 2024   https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com “Thought Bubble is the place to be. This is the show where everyone feels and is treated like family” –  Dark Knight News “Thought Bubble is the most important comic convention around” –  Popverse Returning to the Harrogate Convention Centre,...
Read more

Mystic Muses: A D&D Podcast

Image
Article by Philip Clark An all queer cast. An all femme ensemble. A non-binary Dungeon Master. Throw in some quality story-telling and role playing too, this sounds like a whole lot of fun! If any of the previously mentioned things has piqued your interests, then I implore you to check out Mystic Muses. You can find this wonderfully crafted podcast where you can find all your other favourites including Spotify. There are currently four episodes out. Episode 0 is the prologue and character introductions, and I have to say it is very well put together! The intro to each episode is cleverly crafted, with the players and DM each sounding off a sentence to bring us into the game space. Speaking of bringing us into the game space, Adam, the talented DM sets the scene for the story very nicely. A descriptive, yet concise introduction to the environment gives both the players and audience a vibe of what we're in for. Then come the delicious character introductions that give vivid descripti...
Read more

Fantastic Universes Interview: Madison, Matthew and Macsen Lintz From 'The Walking Dead'

Image
Interview panel led by Steve J. Ray, with a gathering of Comic/TV Media Journalists. I've spoken to some amazing people over the last couple of years; writers, artists, costume designers, and actors from some of my favorite TV shows. It's no secret that I'm a huge comic-book fan, and one of the TV series that's based on and inspired by a comics title - but has gone on to be so much more - is The Walking Dead . At a recent Comic-Con in London, I had the great opportunity of leading a panel where some fellow journalists and I spoke with Madison, Matthew and Macsen Lintz, three siblings who played Sophia and both iterations of Henry on the show. The eldest, Madison Lintz (born 1999) played Sophia Peletier - Carol's daughter - in the first two seasons. She's also well known for playing Maddie Bosch in the Amazon series Bosch . She started acting at the age of six, filming commercials and voice-overs. Matthew (born 2001) took over the role of Henry from ...
Read more