DC Comics
Batgirl #4
By Garth the Geek
December 17, 2011 - 12:32

DC Comics
Writer(s): Gail Simone
Penciller(s): Ardian Syaf
Inker(s): Vincente Cifuentes
Cover Artist(s): Adam Hughes
$2.99 US



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There are few literary conventions I dislike more than dream sequences and the overuse of captions. My experience with dreams is that they, quite often, serve as nothing more than a quick scare or shock - some cheap method of making the reader (or viewer) sit at the edge of their seat until the inevitable, "Haha, fooled you!" - while captions are sometimes used out of sheer laziness by writers who either don’t trust the intelligence of their readers or don’t trust their own story-telling abilities, resorting instead to an over-explanation of what they’re trying to do. So if someone described a comic as ‘beginning with a dream sequence, followed by a heavy dose of captions,’ I’d probably avoid it, or at the very least approach with a certain trepidation.

Batgirl #4 begins with a dream sequence, followed by a heavy dose of captions. And Simone makes it work. She makes it work because she uses both conventions well, not necessarily to drive the story, but definitely to drive the development of Barbara’s character. Even the cliff-hanger ending, rather than seeing Barbara in dire danger, concerns itself, again, with the development of her character.

And this is why I love Gail Simone: she writes her characters WELL. In addition, she packs a lot of story into her 20 pages. There was a point in the comic where I had to stop myself and marvel at the fact that I still had pages left to read.

Batgirl #4 concludes the Mirror story-line, with a final confrontation between Batgirl and Mirror. If you haven’t read the first three issues, it doesn’t matter. It’s hard to explain WHY it doesn’t matter, but it has something to do with this: Mirror plays second fiddle to the story. He’s there, and he’s important to the current arc, but in the end the main player will always be Batgirl, and Simone does such a great job writing Batgirl that, if you’re waiting for a new story arc as a “jumping on” point, all you’re doing is depriving yourself of some great writing.

In conclusion, if you’re looking for a well-written, character-driven story that gives you value for your $2.99, pick up Batgirl #4.
Rating: 9/10

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