Batgirl #39 // Review
Barbara Gordon seeks an old AI which has gone missing while revisiting her old neighborhood in the latest issue of Batgirl. Writer Cecil Castellucci writes a story that explores Batgirl’s personality from multiple angles while further developing the villains waiting for her in the shadows. Carmine Di Giandomenico’s intensive art renders a profound amount of detail into the background of Gotham City and its Burnside neighborhood. Drama and action are amped-up in a largely satisfying issue. Both Barbara Gordon AND Batgirl are given fully-engaging conflict in another cleverly-balanced issue by the new creative team.
The AI entity, known as Oracle, is running scenarios. She wants to defeat her creator in battle, which can’t possibly be an easy thing to do. Even for a hyper-intelligent artificial intellect capable of vast, lightning-quick strategic maneuvers. Meanwhile, Batgirl is trying to locate Oracle, returning to the abandoned headquarters of her old team the Birds of Prey to look for the entity. Her day job has her doing research for a local political candidate...returning to her old neighborhood of Burnside. Revisiting past successes in transforming a place that seemed pretty bleak before her intervention.
Castellucci is bringing various elements of the story together in exciting ways. There’s a definite parallel between Batgirl and her creation. Oracle has been abandoned by her creator, and she’s out for revenge while Batgirl is searching for Oracle to confront potential dangers. Elsewhere in the issue, the complex problems of a neighborhood in transition echo elements of Barbara Gordon’s own transformations. That have been developing over the past several years since her title debuted. It’s a very thoughtful approach to an interesting character that continues to cast light on her many different facets.
Di Giandomenico’s attention to detail threatens to drown the action in so many lines of contour. But it’s all assembled in every panel with careful consideration to empty space. There’s cautious attention making sure that nothing gets too crowded. This is particularly interesting in the architectural renderings in the background of Burnside, which actually manages to feel quite distinct from the rest of Gotham under the pen of a very accomplished artist. Di Giandomenico has spent a tremendous amount of time looking into the environment that Batgirl and Barbara Gordon have been transforming. Everyone walking by in the background of Burnside seems to have his or her own story. That’s not the type of detail that many artists are terribly good at bringing to the page.
As closely as Batgirl is focussed-on with the new creative team, there’s so much churning around in the narrative background that she’s not given the moments to breathe. That would make for a really intimate 20 pages with her. This lends some power to a character who is so lost in trying to help other people that she doesn’t time for herself. A lot is going on in her life. The new creative team is doing a remarkable job of bringing Barbara’s life to the page.
Grade: A
