Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Batgirl #6: A Review

By Zak Edwards
January 3, 2017 - 19:04

Batgirl debuted strangely and, I’ll admit, it didn’t quite hold my attention. It certainly had a stronger start than the other series bearing Batgirl's name, but the combination of melodrama and moving far, far away from Burnside made the book an awkward wander through Orientalism. It was enjoyable, but ultimately it didn’t hold my attention.

With this issue’s solicitation, I thought maybe I should return as Batgirl herself returned to Burnside, the Brooklyn to Gotham’s New York, and I’m glad I did. The issue is a thrill, featuring an exciting team-up and a done-in-one story that sets up for the next act of Hope Larson’s and Rafael Albuquerque’s run.

The issue takes place almost entirely on a plane and is the closest thing to a bottle episode a superhero comic can possibly get. Stuck on a plane with a dangerous plant and Poison Ivy, Batgirl sets out to save the passengers and, well, hilarity ensues.

Writer Larson and artist Albuquerque have been working together on the series for six issues now and their teamwork is starting to pay off. While earlier issues saw a slight competing for space, here the book has ample room for both to show off, especially as Larson’s writing gives way to Albuquerque’s physical comedy.

The art style is generally cartoonish, which means lets Albuquerque sell the humour inherent in Larson’s script. It reminds me, in part, of Chris Pratt’s brilliant physical comedy on Parks and Recreation, where the show’s generally cartoonish world was inhabited by relatable but still cartoonish characters. So when a fairly regular situation happened with Pratt involved, his outlandish reactions would elevate the scene. Similarly here, Albuquerque’s style takes the ridiculous situation and sells it for laughs, and it works brilliantly. Where else would you encounter a scene with Batgirl and Poison Ivy frantically breathing through the drop down oxygen masks?

It almost makes you forget that there should be a ton of people on the plane. I’m on one currently, sandwiched between two guys who think the six inches past the armrests and into my seat are fair game. These two seem to have all the space in the world to deal with their catastrophe. Maybe Batgirl asked Bruce Wayne for a bump to first class. He’d use points, I’m sure, so it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition.

Me? I’m unsure if the guy looking directly at my screen right now is reading what I’m writing. By his lack of arm movement, I’m going to go with a firm “no.”



tl; dr Review: For anyone returning to Batgirl, this issue is an excellent jumping on point. Fun, fast-paced, and setting up for what’s next, it’s a whole lot of fun and definitely worth your money. But who knows, I read the story on a plane, so that may have been why I loved it so.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12