A Slow Start
Barbara Gordon's life has been a roller coaster ride as of late -- defeating the villain The Mirror and then receiving an unexpected visit from her mother.
The plot of the story is somewhat bizarre and unclear. A certain sense of mystery is intentional but Gail SImone leaves readers with far more questions than answers. Throughout the course of the issue we're witness to several people say "338" over and over again. I'm not even sure what to think of this. We were shown a building with the numbers on it where a protest was occurring. Somehow I think it's going to involve Bruce Wayne. If it doesn't then his appearance in this issue would be pointless. While all this 338 business is occurring, a woman named Gretel is always present. She attacked Batgirl in the beginning and got the better of her. Later she appeared again (with a different hair color) and once again intended on defeating Batgirl but through other people this time. Her appearance just adds to the already extensive list of questions this issue alone has created. What is she trying to accomplish? What are her ties to Bruce Wayne? Just a couple of questions that came to mind while reading this. I wasn't crazy about the interaction between Barbara and her mother. Something about it didn't quite feel organic. I'm wondering what Gail's reason for bringing Barbara's mother into the picture is. I can only hope she has a good reason for it.
Ardian Syaf continues to shine as he consistently delivers stellar artwork in this series. It's a shame he's currently only on one DC title. I'd love to see more of his work. Ulises Arreola deserves a lot of recognition for his coloring as well. Together Syaf and Arreola make a dynamic combination. I've really been enjoying their take on Batgirl.
This issue won't please all readers. It's not horrible or anything as it's just the first issue of a new story arc and is just setting things up. It leaves you with plenty of questions to ponder about over the next month. Hopefully Gail Simone will deliver a thrilling story arc we can appreciate for some time.
Rating: 3.5/5
