Batgirl #35
Writer: Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher
Artists: Babs Tarr, Cameron Stewart, and Maris Wicks
Cover Artists: Cameron Stewart
Publisher: DC Comics
With a new creative team comes a new direction for Batgirl. The new creative team takes the series in a whole new direction. Barbara moves to a new town, meets some new people, and hopes to make a new start, which makes this a great jumping on point for new readers. Fair warning though, the series has a strikingly different tone than its previous run. Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher do a great job of giving the series a youthful touch, incorporating renditions of many social media platforms that younger generations are currently enthralled by. The change in tone was actually a surprisingly nice change to the series. While the previous run was well done, it leaned heavily towards being very dark, to the point where Barbara being college aged was a long forgotten after thought. The art felt slightly rushed and unfinished in certain portions, but looked fantastic in others. Granted, that could obviously be attributed to this new artist’s style, so it will be nice to see how the art develops over time. 4/5
Batman #35
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artists: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and FCO Plascencia
Cover Artists: Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and FCO Plascencia
Publisher: DC Comics
In a wonderfully surprising turn of events, a major villain returns to the stage and it isn’t spoiled months ahead of time. Scott Snyder warned us that the Joker would eventually make his return during their run on Batman, and it would appear that that time is now. From the very first page to the end of the issue, Snyder builds the tension and suspense leading up to the shocking moment when Batman, as well as the readers, discovers who could be behind the Justice League attack; an attack that plays out so beautifully in the comic, both in storytelling and in the art. Batman’s genius has always been his mind, and Snyder really does a strong job of demonstrating that fact. Likewise, Greg Capullo, with Danny Miki and FCO Plascencia, really step it up a dozen notches or so with the art in this book. Not only was Capullo on point drawing Batman, his new armor, and Gotham in general, but he also does an amazing job with the Justice League, characters we rarely, if ever, get to see drawn by Capullo. Snyder and Capullo have done it yet again and delivered an amazing issue. Here’s hoping it isn’t all just another hallucination. 5/5
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Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net
It’s going to be sad to see Capullo not drawing this title anymore
Did I miss an announcement that he was leaving? I coulda sworn I read an interview where Snyder said they had a story through 50, if DC let it happen.
He tweeted about it the week before NYCC. Some people thought he was leaving comics altogether but he cleared it up.
Batgirl wasn’t bad. I haven’t read her book in a long time so the change gives me a new start point. However, as my preference for the Batman characters has long been that dark, brooding, night fighting i’m finding it hard to take this seriously. If this is an attempt to get more younger female or child readers involved with the Batman universe I think it’s good (although I think Batwoman did an excellent job for the ladies) but it may turn off other more serious readers. That’s just my opinion though.