Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Batgirl #9

By Avi Weinryb
March 29, 2017 - 00:36

Dating the Penguin’s son has its perks and its downsides, as Barbara Gordon quickly discovers. It likely also means eventually having to encounter his dad. But Barbara has other things on her mind; like being Batgirl - and that means a smattering of crime fighting while also trying to balance her life, pen essays and get work done.

It’s during her work that she learns about a new Pokemon-like app that is all the rage with today’s youth. It features the capture and maintenance of virtual dogs. But as kids go around photographing these digital doggies, Batgirl quickly realizes the app is actually meant to covertly track her!

Hope Larson has penned another offbeat issue of what would otherwise be a mundane “young person struggles to balance personal and superhero lives” story. We’ve seen it with Supergirl, Blue Beetle and some of the Green Lanterns, and it gets stale - but Larson keeps it fresh by bringing together an interesting cast of supporting characters and some novel plot devices. The dialogue here doesn’t excite, but the tale itself is fun.

The art, by Chris Wildgoose and Jon Lam, is distinct, with an irreverent style that doesn’t take itself too seriously. By consistently changing perspectives and shifting between a variety of angles, every panel is visually engaging. The details of each scene are fully realized, making even the most sparse room feel real and authentic. Action and movement is fluid and lively.

Batgirl has been doing a lot of juggling lately, but soon she’ll need to drop everything and focus on a new problem. It seems even the mightiest Penguin will need to come home to roost.

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12