Girls' Night Out
So, back when I reviewed Batgirl #9, I said it felt like it was missing something. Not a directly tangible thing, but just lacking the room to fully grow the concept. The issue was filled with good ideas and not enough room to fully express them the way All-Star Western did by using Night of the Owls as a trigger to launch their own Court of Owls arc. But Gail Simone wasn't done, and using the extra pages of this annual, she blossoms one of her better stories in the New 52 made out of all the spark that was missing from her Night of the Owls tie-in.
I'm definitely against Ed Benes taking over art duties on Batgirl from Ardrian Syaf, and this cover is a pretty good representation of why. The concept of stacking the characters like that is good, but the execution is pretty lacking, making the whole thing look pretty bland and generic. But the bigger problem is that all the women (the only people on this cover) have such an over-the-top level of curves that it's practically offensive, and probably is to some. Batgirl doesn't need a massive rack, and her waist is far too thin. Catwoman and Batgirl basically have the same exact body type here, and the Talon's only saved by being a little too small in the picture to fully demonstrate her curves. But you can tell she has them. Benes certainly has more talent than Rob Liefeld, but his grasp of women isn't too different.
Luckily this issue has a different interior artist, or artists... Is it just me or do we never see Admira Wijaya without Daniel Sampere filling in for some of the art, or vice verca? Sampere has a style that creates an initially jarring transition, but actually smoothes over when the fight scenes have a similar flow. But Sampere draws Catwoman's goggles really awkwardly most of the time.
Wijaya's main artwork for this issue is really nice. She manages to pull off a painted style without losing dynamism. It's actually weirdly pretty.
After Talon #1's revelation at how many Talons are left on the loose or in The Court's employ, it's nice to see them being integrated into the rest of the DCU so smoothly. Batgirl uncovers a plot by a scattered faction of The Court that uses some pretty twisted methods, the likes of which has not often seen before. Meanwhile, Catwoman is hired to break Batgirl #9's Talon out of prison. What was left not properly explored is now fully unleashed, as Mary is fleshed out as a character. I can't decide what my 'professional' opinion of her is, but I definitely like her. The problem that I realized by the end of the issue is that Mary is basically Cassandra Cain. Mute reforming assassin hanging out with bats? But I wasn't around for Cassandra's character arc, so for me and any of the new readers, this is the beginning of a completely new journey. But I think Cass fans might be bothered by Mary.
There's a deep underlying sense of female bonding and camaraderie throughout this issue. Catwoman is no simple minded thief, she has a complex moral code that causes her to make a choice that earns Batgirl's respect, and hit me right in the heart. And both other girl's successful attempts to bond with the adorably simple minded Mary are extremely heartwarming.
In Conclusion: 4/5
I've been hoping for a follow-up like this ever since Batgirl #9's minimal development of the Talon now known as Mary, and this was pretty much exactly what I was hoping for. Barbara wasn't as 'off' as she usually was, though I still miss Stephanie Brown immensely. After all the recent disappointment, I can't believe I'm excited for BoP in a few months.
