Batgirl
is on the trail of Gortesque, but with her spinal implant compromised, she’s
not at her physical best to confront the serial killer. This leads to
concessions in her battle against crime: moving in with Dad and letting him
take care of her (sort of), and a return to one of her old costumes, which may
not have all the gadgets and gizmos she’s used to.
But it soon
becomes apparent there is more to the Grotesque case than meets the eye. She
might have realized it sooner were it not for her injuries from her previous
battle, but as things become clearer, they also get more complicated. Her
spells continue; blackouts resulting in fugue state in which it’s hard to
discern reality from hallucination.
I’m still
loving the artwork of Paul Pelletier and Norm Rapmund. I hope they stay on Batgirl for a good long time. They’re a
team DC should keep together, regardless of what title they’re assigned to. They
share a universal style that would be suitable for just about any title, but
Batgirl is a good fit for the time being.
It’s a
typical super-hero murder case, but what makes it a-typical is that the story
wouldn’t work for just anyone. There's an emotional component that would not work on just anyone; not Batman, not Nightwing, not Green Arrow.
Writer Mairghread Scott makes it entirely Batgirl’s own. I think that
demonstrates not only the strength of the story, but also the strength of the
character within it.
Rating:
8/10