Review: Batgirl #16-17
By Philip Schweier
May 8, 2018 - 09:35
DC Comics
Writer(s): Hope Larson
Penciller(s): Chris Wildgoose
Inker(s): Jose Marzan Jr., Andy Owens
Colourist(s): Matt Lopes
Letterer(s): Deron Bennett
Cover Artist(s): Dan Mora; Joshua Middleton
The
Saga of the Red Queen continues, as the story alternates between NOW and THEN.
NOW is when Nightwing and Batgirl are on the trail of the Red Queen,a drug
dealer with ties to Batgirl’s past. And then is when Batgirl and then-Robin
attempted to help Ainsley Wells, a new friend of Barbara Gordon’s. Ainsley had been
sucked into the Mad Hatter’s drug combine, combining mind-control drugs with
nanite technology.
But Ainsley’s story is not so different from thousands of other people – people trying to dig their way out of addiction. However their own perception of what kind of help they need, or can get, or where it will come from sometimes hinders their best efforts. Unfortunately, those of us in the real world are not blessed with super-heroes to come rescue us from whatever dangers we may face.
It’s
a poignant story, while at the same time introducing a potential new
villainess
in the form of the Red Queen. Although, as a somewhat ancillary version of the
Mad Hatter, I fear she may be redundant in DC’s underworld.
The art team of Wildgoose, Jose Marzan and Owens offer a quasi-cartoon, quasi-real world look to Batgirl’s world. I appreciate artwork that straddles that line. It can be dodgy, but when done effectively – as it is here – it can bring a magical style that appeals to broader audiences.
Rating: 8/10
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