[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Jonathan Case and Gavin Guidry
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary 

Part 1 “Worlds Without End” begins in Birds of Prey #9- just where did Dinah, Barda, Sin, Cass and Mari go when they followed Barbara into that portal?

Positives

The fourth art team debuts on this series and Jonathan Case and Gavin Guidry have another style to strut on the pages of Birds of Prey #9.  It’s adjacent to Leonardo Romero’s, but remains distinct.  Jordie Bellaire’s colors go along way in maintaining a consistency.  The atmosphere in this story is communicated quite well through the art as we explore this strange world.

Negatives

The latest issue of Doom Patrol puts the team in a routinely bizarre situation…oh, er… uh…this isn’t Doom Patrol?  Tone has been an issue with this series since issue #1.  In that issue, Harley was rightly feared to distract from the tone of the series, and Kelly Thompson has managed to do that to an even greater degree with Birds of Prey #9 without Harley even being mentioned in the issue.  Thompson has Dinah mention Danny the Street and that makes it clear that this series has veered into Doom Patrol territory.  That’s exactly how this issue feels.  There’s almost nothing in this issue that feels like a Birds of Prey comic.  Despite Dinah and Barbara being a part of the story…it’s gone off in such a strange direction that it reads like a Doom Patrol comic.  As a Doom Patrol comic it has some potential.

That tone is reinforced by some of the awkward humor in the opening sequence.  This was apparent in parts of Birds of Prey #8 as well.  It doesn’t land the way Thompson thinks it does and just comes off as a juvenile.  Thompson also brings back the picking between Mari and Dinah over Dinah’s costume choices.    Would they really pick like that when thrust into an unknown, confusing and dangerous situation?  Thompson also is having trouble with Dinah’s voice, she’s more and more detached as “too cool to care,” despite what we get of substance with the character indicates the opposite.  There’s no secret to be revealed that Dinah genuinely cares for Barbara.  The decision to include it is misplaced, unnecessary and superficial.  It’s just an odd thing to bring up.

Negatives Cont’d

There’s a strange moment when Meridian comes to- she was knocked out and left behind.  She goes to Star City and goes to the home of … Oliver Queen?  There’s an additional attempt at awkward humor before Zealot steps out from another room.  It’s not clear, but this must be Grifter, right?  He and Zealot were together in issue #1, but a blond man with facial hair in Star City is going to be taken as Ollie.  

There are unanswered questions as Dinah, Sin, Barda, Cass and Mari find a way out of this world and it seems rushed.  It comes off as a contrived moment to make the reader think, “oh wasn’t that fun!”  However, it really just makes the story feel like it’s going nowhere.  Almost nothing of real significance happens.  Everything is to cutesy.  Is this Thompson’s style or just a poorly conceived approach to this series?  

Verdict

Birds of Prey #9 strays further from the what makes the Birds of Prey the Birds of Prey.  Ill suited humor and a tone and milieu that resembles the Doom Patrol are the biggest culprits.  Coupled with the fact that the story barely moves forward, the issue is relies on the out of place elements to carry it.  There’s little substance to what transpires and it seems to set up a meandering arc that will end in a “surprise.”  There are some elements that have potential, but not in within the pages of Birds of Prey.

The post Review: Birds of Prey # 9 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Kelly Thompson
Art: Leonardo Romero
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Clayton Cowles

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Dinah and Co. make it onto Themiscyra and find Sin, though not without some help from Oliver Queen back in America who tries to delay Wonder Woman’s arrival on the island.  

Positives

Leonardo Romero continues to be the bright spot for this series.  Romero has a fun style that lends itself to the tone of the book.  While the script for Birds of Prey #3 doesn’t have the action sequences we’ve seen in the previous two issues, Oliver Queen’s “distraction” allows Romero to show what he can do.  The weathered look on the cover is a cool touch.  There’s no reason to think this issue is old and beaten up.  It’s not an homage cover or throwback to classic Birds of Prey, but it is still a nice effect.

Negatives

If we were to pretend that this comic was Harley and Friends #3, then we could skip this first section of the review.  However, this comic is Birds of Prey #3, and a comic with that title should be significantly different than what we get.  Even if we take the premise that Dinah had to use a team made up of these characters it could still feel like Birds of Prey.  However, Thompson seems to be revealing that her real interest is not Birds of Prey, but rather Harley Quinn and change suspicious readers’ minds that Harley is just the best thing.  Now, that’s great stuff for a Harley Quinn comic.  I mean that’s MAIN STREET.  But for a comic whose core concept has absolutely nothing to do with Harley Quinn, then it’s quite bad.  It doesn’t matter what the cover says, the substance of this comic is Harley Quinn and Tenuous Alliances.

Harley’s influence on the tone can be seen almost from the very beginning as they have to ride inside the belly of a megalodon in order to get to Themiscyra.  It’s silly, it’s weird and definitely feel like Harley.  It does not have the same grounded feel that Birds of Prey is known for with clandestine, undercover, espionage vibes.  This trick Harley pulls off with King Shark’s help also gives her a chance to get compliments from Dinah and the others on how great an idea she had to get on Themiscyra undetected.  This sequence feel out of place like the magic bits from Birds of Prey #2 with John Constantine.  

Negatives Cont’d 

We see “how great” Harley is near the end of the issue when Dinah thinks to herself that Harley wouldn’t be a bad role model for Sin…let’s see: crazy, former sidekick of the Joker, mentally, physically and emotionally traumatized by him, groomed to act like him and despite claiming to have “moved on” she still dresses and acts like he developed her to be…sounds healthy to me!  Thompson is bending the logical to the ridiculous to push Harley.  It’s fine if you want to do that, but don’t do it at the expense of other characters and concepts.  Harley doesn’t belong here and it’s frustrating to see her pushed so hard.  It’s all Harley all the time!  The tone that she brings is diametrically opposed to what has made Birds of Prey comics great in the past.  The decision to include Harley at all and exclude Barbara Gordon demonstrates that Thompson doesn’t really understand the core concept of Birds of Prey.  For her it seems like her definition is that Birds of Prey is simply a group of female characters.  This is a massive dilution of the concept.  This couldn’t be further from the truth, but it’s how Birds of Prey has been rebranded since the horrific Birds of Prey (And the Fabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) film from 2020.

For the longest time the “team” never referenced themselves because they weren’t that kind of team.  They were what Barbara Gordon did as Oracle, Birds of Prey was the manifestation of overcoming her own mental, emotional and physical trauma and getting back her agency.  She not only healed, but reinvented herself.  Birds of Prey was the title of the comic…but, they group never referred to themselves as such.  In this current issue, twice it’s used as a team name for Harley and Friends.

Negatives Cont’d

So, even if you’re enjoying this series and you like Harley and Friends and you think Harley is the greatest, there’s a plot point that just doesn’t make a bit of sense.  And, it’s not something ridiculous like riding in the belly of a megalodon.  It’s something that seems to be at the crux of the plot itself.  Since issue #1, it’s been suggested that Dinah couldn’t contact Wonder Woman for help in rescuing Sin because of the events going on in her own book.  The understanding has been that Diana is too tied up in those events and would be unavailable to help Dinah.  However, this issue presents something altogether different.

Apparently, they were worried about Diana interfering with Sin’s extraction.  This comes off like Thompson forgot what she had already written.  Would it make any sense at all that Diana under any circumstances wouldn’t help Dinah?  If that’s the conflict then that’s the real story and we’ve wasted three issues on mostly Harliness to get to the point where Diana escapes Oliver Queen’s distraction and teleports? (yes it’s that fast) to Themiscyra to confront Dinah and Co.  That’s a huge story if that’s the play…Diana is apart of what’s going on.  There’s no way, no matter what’s going on with Diana that she wouldn’t help Dinah in some way, even if she couldn’t physically be a part of it.  Yet, she’s willing and able to get to Themiscyra to apparently help stop Dinah and Co.  From what we’ve seen so far, this doesn’t make any sense either plot wise or in the characterization of Diana.

Negatives Cont’d

This isn’t the only characterization problem in Birds of Prey #3 either.  We’ve already seen Dinah’s lack of judgement in considering  Harley a role model for Sin, but  for whatever reason Thompson doubles down on this idea that Zealot believes Dinah wants her to kill Amazons.  The question isn’t really answered satisfactorily in a manner that demonstrates whether it’s Thompson or Zealot that doesn’t understand Black Canary’s character.  Dinah’s not a killer.  Sure seems like Zealot is though, and she almost makes my wish come true when she runs Harley through with her sword.  However, it’s not all it seems.

This could be a “positive” for this issue, but the neat aspect of it is undermined by that Harely-tone that is pervading the series.  Zealot performs a ritual when they arrive on Themiscyra that prevents her from being killed OR killing.  It helps her stay alive but it also prevents her from killing anyone for Dinah.  (That’s such a strange take on Dinah).  In order to show that this ritual is in play she runs Harley through, YAY!  Alas, she doesn’t die.  This could be a really cool element to develop, a character who has killed, but now doesn’t want to.  That’s pretty cool and interesting, but by stabbing Harley and making a joke out of it the deeper psychological aspect is overwhelmed by the tone that permeatesthe book with Harley’s inclusion.  Harley Quinn ruins everything.

Verdict

Birds of Prey #3 is not a good Birds of Prey comic, however, it is a pretty good Harley Quinn comic. If you’re here for Harley and how great she is then you will flip that score around, probably.  If you’re a fan of the Birds of Prey, this isn’t it.  Whith each successive issue this title feels less and less like a Birds of Prey comic.  Additionally, the issue with Wonder Woman throws the whole thing off.  Tonally it flips back and forth between serious and silly and it just doesn’t seem like it knows what it wants to be besides an argument for how great Harley Quinn is- which she’s not.  It feels like Thompson is auditioning to write the Harley Quinn animated series on MAX.  Romero’s art can only do so much to make this book enjoyable.

The post Review: Birds of Prey #3 appeared first on DC Comics News.

Tarzan and Family

Tarzan is a character whose initial adventures written by his creator, Edgar Rice Burroughs, are published from 1912-1947, a period of 35 years. But, how old is Tarzan? Does he age? It fairly easy to figure out how old Tarzan is when the first novel Tarzan of the Apes is first published. Though serialized in 1912, it’s not collected as a novel until 1914. With that in mind, we can look at the story itself to determine how old he is at the time of publication- 1912. In the story, Tarzan’s parents are shipwrecked off the coast of Africa in 1888. When Tarzan first meets other Caucasians he is 21. It’s safe enough to assume that when Tarzan meets Professor Porter, his daughter Jane and D’Arnot that the story is taking place in the present of 1912- the time of writing. This places Tarzan’s birth in the year 1891, meaning a reasonable 3 years passed from the time of his parents’ shipwreck to his birth.

Surprisingly, Burroughs introduces Korak, Tarzan’s son quite quickly.  His first appearance is as an infant in The Eternal Lover (aka The Eternal Savage) in which Tarzan and family make a guest appearance.   Korak appears next in The Beasts of Tarzan, the third of Burroughs Tarzan novels.  The fourth book in the series, The Son of Tarzan, features Korak (Jack Clayton).  This novel is set 10 years after The Beasts of Tarzan (1914).  This puts Tarzan himself in his early 30’s assuming that Jane became pregnant pretty quickly after they wed.  By the end of The Son of Tarzan, a number of years have passed and Korak is 18 which puts Tarzan about 40.   So, within the span of the first four novels, Tarzan has aged quite a bit.  But, there are 20 books to go!

It might be easy to place some of the later stories earlier in Tarzan’s career, except that there is a sense of continuity from story to story.  Not only does Korak get married and have a son himself, Jackie Clayton.  Korak is a supporting character in Books, 8-10, Tarzan the Terrible, Tarzan and the Golden Lion and Tarzan and the Ant Men.  These three books are all from the first half of 1920’s.  At this point, Tarzan is now a man in his 40’s having the adventures one would normally associate with a younger person.  As ludicrous as it sound, Tarzan is a grandfather at this point with Korak’s son Jackie being mentioned in these three books.  Without going on about the quality of the storytelling, the inclusion of children and grandchildren adds something to the Tarzan lore.  Tarzan’s family provides another level of drama, but also an additional aspect of relatability.  While Tarzan does not age out of his effectiveness, he’s still an older man.  As a perfect physical specimen he’s still believable in his adventures, or at least one can suspend disbelief enough so that he can still be the protagonist of these stories and still have a family, he’s not permanently stuck as a 30 year old without the story beats of growing older.

James Bond and the MCU

On the other side of things we have film.  A character like James Bond is perpetually stuck in his prime with very little character development.  The same tropes are recapitulated over and over to varying degrees of success.  With comic book films characters like Superman, Batman and Spider-Man are rebooted and/ or recast so that the issue of age can be bypassed.   This creates a situation in which the same stories tend to get told over and over.  The same villains are reused in each new series of films. 

Conversely, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has attempted to show that these characters can age.  Hawkeye’s children have been shown to grow, Cassie Lang has aged and Peter Parker has graduated high school.  A number of characters have died, and Tony Stark was shown to have married and had a daughter in Avengers: Endgame.  However, recasting and rebooting seems inevitable, it’s hard to imagine a character like Steve Rogers never appearing on the big screen again.  In Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy he attempted to give a proper ending to his set of Batman stories.  The effectiveness and quality of that ending s debatable, but it doesn’t change the fact that Bruce Wayne’s arc as Batman came to an end, giving the sense that he had grown and moved on and wasn’t stuck in the same spot in his life.  It’s a tricky balance, giving characters the opportunity to change and grow opens up story direction, while holding them prisoner to a set age range leads to reused stories and this tends to detract from the overall interest over time.

Milton Caniff’s Terry and the Pirates

Looking back at some early newspaper comic strips, we can see the value in letting characters in serialized fiction age, develop and grow.  In Terry and the Pirates, Milton Caniff allowed his characters to age in essentially real time.  When we first meet Terry Lee in 1934, he’s 10 years old.  As the strip progresses, we see Terry , not only aging, but maturing.  Without Terry aging, many of the high points of the strip would not come to pass.  He goes through puberty, discovers girls and experiences love.  Caniff explores a unique and surprising sexual tension between Terry when he is in his mid teens and Burma.  Burma, as readers know has been around the block and is at least 10 years older than Terry.  The strip is always topical.  Terry goes on to join the Army Air Corps when the United States becomes embroiled in World War II and he continues to learn more about love and about life.  If Caniff had not allowed Terry to age, the strip could not have become as renowned as it is, and it would not have reached the same heights of artistic greatness.  The best parts stem from it’s topical nature as well as how Terry matures as a person in that world.  

Peter Parker and  Dick Grayson

There are two excellent examples of what happens when traditional comic book characters are allowed to age and grow and experience real life- Spider-Man and the original Robin, Dick Grayson.  They are both characters that go from teenagers (pre-teen in Dick’s case) through college to adulthood.  From the outset of the “Marvel Age of Comics,” Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby attempted to create characters and tell stories that had a lot more grounding and interpersonal drama than the static lives that had been portrayed since the late ’30’s/ early’40’s.

Peter Parker has a monumentally important character moment in the course of his first appearance and origin from Amazing Fantasy #15, that is well known to the general population- with great power comes great responsibility.  With the death of Uncle Ben, Peter learns that he has to use these powers with a purpose, and for the greater good.  The burden of responsibility becomes a core element of understanding Spider-Man’s motivation.  While this character growth as Peter Parker is essential to Spider-Man’s origin, it’s an example of how a character can grow and change emotionally.

More importantly, Peter Parker who  started out as a  high school student in 1962, graduates in 1965 in Amazing Spider-Man #28.   He subsequently enters Empire State University.  With the first few years of his existence, the character has aged in nearly real time.  His college years slow down to a crawl as he doesn’t finish college until Amazing Spider-Man #185 published in 1978.  Along with the supporting cast, A LOT happens to Peter in those years.  Imagine if he had just remained a high school student with the same problems.  It may be forgotten, but before Gwen Stacy died in Amazing Spider-Man #121, Peter had been considering proposing marriage.  He got a job as a staff photographer at the Daily Bugle and was trying to get settled so he and Gwen could have a life together.  This happened in Amazing Spider-Man #99 and it really sets things in motion for their relationship as it leads up to her death almost two years later.  

It’s not just Peter but his supporting cast.  Gwen goes through the death of her father and subsequent mourning, Mary Jane continues in and out of the group as Harry Osborn’s sometimes girlfriend, and Flash Thompson goes to Vietnam, does a tour and comes back a changed man.  All these play upon the life of Peter Parker.  At one point, Gwen even convinces Aunt May to ease up on Peter so she won’t continue to treat him like a child.  Ultimately, these stories aren’t possible without Peter aging and growing into a man.  Since “One More Day,” the storyline that retconned his marriage to Mary Jane, Peter has regressed back to seeming younger and things just happen to him without any sense of real growth or development.  He’s trapped in a cycle of his own bad luck.  Without Peter continuing to age and grow he will never get out of it.  Keeping Peter mired like this for the supposed sake of relatability only works if one expects readers to turn over every few years.  That was the philosophy about comic readership for years until the “Marvel Age of Comics” launched with Fantastic Four #1.  However, DC Comics did aging and character growth better, especially with Dick Grayson.

The original Robin, the Boy Wonder is the poster child for why characters should be allowed to grow and age.  From his first appearance in Detective Comics #38 in 1940, he was essentially unchanged for twenty-nine years.  Something finally happened in Batman #217, Dick Grayson went to college, Hudson University to be exact.  In the second half of the sixties, starting with the “new look” era for Batman, Dick had obviously had been shown to be older.  He wasn’t twelve anymore, he was certainly around 16 or 17.  While it didn’t happen overnight, it was a significant shift for the character.  Since then, Dick has been shown to continue to mature and age, including stepping into his own identity and out of Batman’s shadow as Nightwing.  This was chronicled chiefly in New Teen Titans, with his first appearance in his new identity in Tales of the Teen Titans #44 (July, 1984).  Since then, Dick has continued to be his own man.  He’s always part of the Bat-family, but there’s not way to take him back to being Robin.  So much has transpired in his life that regressing him would be a huge disservice to the character.  His current solo series by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo is without question one of DC’s best titles and has received numerous awards and nominations.  And, to think, Dan Didio wanted to kill him back in 2006 because he didn’t think characters who aged work.

How Slowly Should the Clock Move?

Along with Dick Grayson, fan favorite Wally West has shown personal and professional growth since he took over the mantle of The Flash at the end of Crisis on Infinite Earths.  In addition to maturing as a person into a husband and father, he had massive character development into the role of The Flash.  He went from someone not sure he could be The Flash to an iconic version of the character.  Fans decried his erasure from continuity in The New 52 so vociferously, that he was the prime mover for Rebirth occurring.  None of that would’ve been possible had Wally West not been allowed to age and grow.  It took around twenty years for wally to age up around ten years in story.  It’s easy enough to follow Dick Grayson’s journey with about four years per every in story year when analyzing his college years.  There’s not a hard and fast timeline, and some characters may age faster, but the development of characters and the ability to grow like people do is critical to good storytelling.  Readers almost always say they want characters to grow, what they don’t want is inorganic change, change for the sake of change and retcons that don’t fit the character.

What Happens Next?

At the time of this writing, Dick Grayson is enjoying critical and sales success.  Peter Parker is mired in a war between editorial and fans.  Spider-Man may still sell, but it’s not getting any accolades for the stories, whereas Nightwing is arguably the best book of the Big Two and just won an Eisner Award for best ongoing series.  What do you want to see?  Would you rather have Dick back as Robin?  Would you like Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage reinstated?  

Over on the original Earth-Two, DC Comics devoted a whole Earth to the concept of characters aging and growing in real time.  After the Crisis on Infinite Earths it became harder to do so with the legacy characters who were still around.  There’s a middle ground, but I think it’s essential for characters to be allowed to age and grow to give stories the sense that they matter, to make characters seem real as they go through their lives and to continually move things forward as opposed to keeping them in an unchanging status quo that doesn’t reflect real life changes.

Perhaps, it’s time to have a parallel Earth that reflects the characters as they move forward like the original Earth-Two.  Perhaps, there should be an imprint of timeless stories, but not written down to a younger audience.  Perhaps, there should just be some series set in the past that allow earlier points in continuity to be explored and clarified.  Ideally, there would be a way to keep classic versions of characters in a timeless manner, but also keep characters growing and developing to keep them interesting.  Given a choice, it would be best to allow characters to grow and develop and move forward in their lives, just like real life.

The post Should Comic Book Characters Age? appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Daniele Di Nicuolo
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

It’s Dick Grayson’s turn to experience the nightmares of Insomnia and reveal his greatest fears…and a couple are pretty clever!

Positives

The two most interesting aspects of this issue come at the end when we see what Dick Grayson is really afraid.  There’s a lot of potential in the idea that Dick’s nightmare is that he’s killed Batman and that Barbara Gordon becomes more machine than human.  Dick’s role as Robin is revisited monthly in Batman/Superman: World’s Finest and the concept is central to the idea of the shared DC Universe.  Dick is the iconic character that has been allowed to grow and change over time, he’s not perpetually stuck in the same 5 year age range, and he’s never been de-aged to take him back to his Robin days.  Dick being afraid of killing Batman goes right back to his early days as The Boy Wonder.  Very easily he could’ve inadvertently caused the death of the Caped Crusader.  It’s not a stretch.  It’s compelling to think that Dick still holds this in his head despite the fact one would expect he would’ve grown out of it.  It’s linked to the death of his parents as the idea of a “survivor’s complex” is explored.  We don’t get this outright in Knight Terrors Nightwing #1, but’s it’s there as an idea.

The idea that Barbara could become more machine that human is just as interesting in a different way.  Clearly, Dick loves the person Barbara is and it’s not dependent on her physical abilities.  As Babs has had to rely more on technology to keep her spinal column working correctly, it’s quite clever that Cloonan and Conrad see the possibility that Dick’s afraid she could end up relying on it too much and lose who she is in the process.  It could even be a meta-jab at DC for putting her back in the Batgirl role at the beginning of the New 52 when it’s clear that Oracle is the iconic Barbara Gordon!  While this will play out in the next issue in some fashion, it’s also possible that Dick is afraid Babs will end up relying too much on the technology of computers as Oracle and retreat from the physical world into a cybernetic world.  I think the former is what’s intended, but there are two possibilities.

Negatives

Unfortunately, Knight Terrors Nightwing #1 does suffer from one major problem and it’s that it’s part of the Knight Terrors event, so the majority of the mystery and tension is non-existent.  Cloonan and Conrad to there best to work within the framework with some great ideas outlined above and Di Nicuolo adds some truly frigthening images and gives us a truly scared Dick Grayson.

The creative team is limited by the framework and it doesn’t take much to imagine this issue taking place without the context of the Knight Terrors event and it being a real mystery for the reader.  This would up the stakes as well as give Dick a mystery to solve that the reader doesn’t already know the answer.  It’s a sort of backwards way to tell a story, usually you don’t give away the big reveal- it’s NIGHTMARES! as part of the solicit when holding that back could’ve been a really big surprise.  Again, one can’t hold Cloonan and Conrad responsible because they do their job in coming up with some compelling ideas that are innovative but also fit with the character.

Verdict

Going into Knight Terrors Nightwing #1 already knowing what Insomnia’s endgame is detracts from the issue greatly.  The creative team gives a great showing with what they have to work with, but this issue would’ve worked so much better had the audience not been privy to what was going on and Dick had to figure it out.  That said, there are some really compelling ideas from Cloonan and Conrad that have the potential to play out epically next issue and Di Nicuolo gives a great showing on the horror aspect.

The post Review: Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Tom Taylor
Art: Bruno Redondo
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Dick and Babs wake up to smelly dog breath and phone call from Dick’s sister, and thus begins an exciting chase through Bludhaven for a vaccine to save a country.

Positives

I guess the place to begin is by putting it right out there that Nightwing # 105 jumps to the top of the list for next year’s awards, Eisner’s etc…, you name it, this issue is right there…in ALL categories.  Now for the details….

Dick and Babs as a couple continues to be wonderful, it’s been a main element of this series since this creative team too over the title back in the Spring of 2021.  It grounds the book to something other than super-heroics.  And, while Nightwing #105 isn’t a “date” or “relationship” issue, it’s at the core of who Dick Grayson is and it informs how he operates, and more importantly, how Taylor writes him.  It’s very much like how Jeremy Adams used Wally West’s family in his run on The Flash.  

If you didn’t read the solicit for this issue, you’re probably not aware that this is a POV issue.  We see everything through Dick’s eyes.  Like Nightwing #87 that was a single continuous panel, Nightwing #105 is a real visual treat and an amazing artistic triumph for Bruno Redondo.  It’s a different type of framing when one has to see everything through the protagonist’s eyes, it takes a completely different approach to create the same types of exciting and engaging storytelling choices when limited to one POV.  There are so many clever uses of mirrors and reflective surfaces as well as things that only Nightwing could see.  Plus, I’m guessing that it’s Redondo and not colorist Adriano Lucas, but I love the use of Ben Day Dots.  It ads something nostalgic, and of course the shading that it’s supposed to be.  Lucas has created a unique palette for Nightwing, much like Sarah Stern over in Batgirls.  Keeping this consistent despite a change in artists or colorists gives a series a unique feel and look.  This fits Nightwing perfectly as it allows the lightness of his character to come through even if he was born and raised in a type of darkness.

Positives Cont’d 

Some readers aren’t going to like the subtle political jabs that Taylor makes in this issue.  While I can understand that it may take away from the pure fun of such an issue, at the same time, it also gets to the heart of the motivation for all these long-underwear characters since The Phantom first put on his brown/purple jumpsuit back in the funny papers in 1936.  These characters have always existed to fight for the moral right even if it isn’t the legal right.   It’s tough for people to come to terms with the fact that sometimes laws don’t uphold the moral right.  It would be easy to point to something in the past, like slavery and make a point about it, however, a topical issue like the vaccine in Nightwing #105 has a lot more impact and will, perhaps, challenge some readers.

Taylor also nicely brings Heartless back into this issue (Mr. Wing meet Mr. Hole, LOL! Taylor even manages to ad just the right amount of humor.).  Including Heartless connects the reader back to what was going on in the series before all the Dark Crisis interruptions.  It seems very likely that Heartless will again be the antagonist in future issues.  Taylor has played the long game with Heartless and it may be partly because he’s had to incorporate the rise of the Titans into this series.  It’s completely logical as Dick is the leader of the Titans, but readers do want to see where the Nightwing / Heartless storyline goes.  Or, that it at least goes somewhere.  This issue also works as a one off.  Any reader could pick this up and have a great time with it.  It doesn’t rely on a lot of previous knowledge.  Heck, you don’t really need to know anything.  It’s that solid a jumping on point.

Negatives

No disrespect meant to the artists who have been working on Nightwing while Bruno Redondo wasn’t (who approved his vacation?) because it’s not like those were bad issues, but Redondo brings something special.  As stated above, the inclusion of the Titans was logical and necessary, but having this be about Dick and Babs just feels…RIGHT.  So, not really negatives, just that the strength of this issue will make you forget how much you enjoyed the previous couple storylines.

Verdict

Nightwing #105 is a guide in how to make a great modern comic book.  Quite literally it has everything- an exciting story that’s character driven, maintains the fun but, also makes a statement that elevates, beautifully illustrated and colored, creative in its storytelling, fits into the overall run while also being enjoyed as a one-off and is accessible to new readers.  As Power Girl would say-

Look for this to win awards next year.  We need a graphic for 6/5!

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[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Robbi Rodriguez
Colors: Rico Renzi
Letters: Becca Carey

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

It’s the conclusion to The Hill shooter storyline as well as the finale for this title.  How will the Batgirls catch the sniper and who is the sniper…or are there two shooters?

Positives

Batgirls #19, like every other issue of the series, is just plain fun.  There’s some great action, adventure and art along the way, and some heart, but we never lose sight of the fact that Cass and Steph are having fun.  Is it wrong for comics to be fun? No, it’s not.  There some more serious things touched on in this issue, but it’s hard not to connect with the pure enjoyment of reading a comic about characters that are fun- it’s what the original Robin, Dick Grayson was all about.

Cloonan and Conrad have built this series very effectively.  The stories rely on the characterization of Cass, Steph and Babs.  This issue brings to close a subplot that’s been running- Steph’s desire to be a better fighter.  She’s had some rough experiences of late, but she’s come through them and we see the results in this issue.  She’s gained some confidence and skill and it pays off in Batgirls #19.  Plus, her own natural talents in combat come to the fore as she takes down one of the shooters.  Who knew trash talking could be so effective?

Positives Cont’d

Robbi Rodriguez gives a stellar performance on the art this issue.  There are some great action and “pin-up” worthy shots throughout the book.  Be it the last page, one of the shooters taking a bullet or the fight choreography, Rodriguez brings his “A” game and stands out this issue perhaps more so than any other.  The choice to put Officer Brooks in the Ben Cooper Batman mask is a brilliant call back- more fun!  The unique color palette that’s been a mainstay of this title from both Sarah Stern and Rico Renzi keep the look of the book consistent here.  It’s a very exciting approach to use a limited yet specific set of colors to create a special feel and visual appearance for the series.  When I say it’s art I mean Art.

Conrad and Cloonan sign off with a couple of special moments.  First, Grace O’Halloran has faced a drinking problem throughout this series and this issue see’s her hard work come to fruition.  She’s honest with Roky about how hard it’s been, but she’s held on.  It’ a nice moment when Roky acknowledges that hard work.  It’s also a nice bit of personal growth and healing that’s not often shown for a supporting character.  It’s an adult theme handled well in a serious manner, and it’s a mature touch that is quite unique.

The final page gives the reader a true “goodbye.”  And, it’s something greater than a “thanks and farewell.”  It’s a mini treatise on shared experiences.  The idea that everyone is a Batgirl is an important plot point these final two issues.  This final page includes the reader.  All of us reading together over the past year and a half have shared these issues together and we, like Steph, Cass and Babs are now Batgirls as well because of this shared experience.  This is another mature piece of writing as it is something that can be applied to all experiences and teach us something about life.  So, think about the people with whom you’ve shared unique experiences, high school, college, work, military service, trauma, natural disaster…you are connected because of this.  The lesson is that we are more alike than different, we are all people here together, to think about how you treat your fellow man.  What would Batgirl do?  After all, we are all Batgirls, now.

Negatives

The obvious negative is that this is the last issue of Batgirls.  It’s difficult to understand why some books sell and why other don’t.  Every comic can’t be a best seller, but it hurts to see the books you love get cancelled, while other titles you will never read keep on going either continuously or via perpetual reboots.  Batgirls is a book that offers something different, something with more heart, more sensitivity, more…cleverness….  Recently I’ve been rereading the 2009 Power Girl series by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner.  Throughout the issues I’ve noticed house ads for a lot of series that I was loving back then that all got cancelled when DC rebooted with the New 52- Adventure Comics, Zatanna, and of course Power Girl.  Batgirls will be missed for all the reasons it’s been a great series, and especially because it isn’t just like everything else.

Verdict

Get out a few tissues for the tears you’ll have to wipe away as they roll over your smile as we say good by to Batgirls.  Batgirls #19 goes out with an inspiring and thoughtful message coupled with some great action, excellent art and beautiful colors.  Perhaps, one day we’ll meet again, this could be just the beginning.

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Check out all the details in the official press release below!

DC’S NEW COMIC BOOK SERIES ‘BIRDS OF PREY’ IS UNVEILED

Comic book writer Kelly Thompson reveals the brand-new Birds of Prey character lineup in the ongoing “Dawn of DC” series debuting in September

As part of the “Dawn of DC” storytelling initiative, DC’s new ongoing comic book series Birds of Prey debuts September 5, led by an all-star creative team and featuring fan-favorite characters. Series writer Kelly Thompson (Black Widow, Captain Marvel) has been revealing the Birds of Prey character lineup throughout the week, teasing that leader Black Canary will be joined by Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn for a dangerous new mission. In her DC comic book series writing debut, Thompson herself has teamed up with her Eisner Award-nominated Hawkeye partners-in-crime, artist Leonardo Romero (Batman) and colorist Jordie Bellaire (Wonder Woman), alongside letterer Clayton Cowles for the electrifying series.

Birds of Prey character lineup art by Leonardo Romero

In this new series, Dinah Lance is one of the DC Universe’s most elite fighters, and combined with her sonic scream, she’s a fearsome foe in any scenario…but sometimes even the Black Canary needs help. Faced with a personal mission brought to her by a mysterious new ally, and up against near-impossible odds, she re-forms the Birds of Prey with an unrivaled group—Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn—with only one goal: extraction of their asset at any cost. What could possibly go wrong? This all-new, all-deadly Birds of Prey is still breaking hearts and faces after all these years!

Birds of Prey #1 triptych gatefold variant cover art by Frank Cho

“When I say this is a dream come true for me, I mean not just working on the iconic Birds of Prey title, but also the characters we were able to fold in, and the creative team we assembled,” said Birds of Prey writer Kelly Thompson. “Leonardo Romero and Jordie Bellaire were two of my first partners-in-crime making superhero books and I’ve been trying to make this happen ever since. It won’t surprise anyone to learn that Leonardo and Jordie are even better than they were the last time we worked together—and working together on this wild book is pure magic.”

“I couldn’t be happier to announce my first monthly project for DC! With this book, I’ve had the opportunity to not only draw some of the most badass women in the DC Universe, but also to work once more with the best people in our industry, Kelly Thompson and Jordie Bellaire” said Birds of Prey artist Leonardo Romero. “I missed the dynamic we had on Hawkeye, so I’m very excited to have our team back together! Can’t wait to show you all what we’ve been doing!”

Birds of Prey #1 will be available at local comic shops on September 5 with a main cover by series artist Leonardo Romero, variant covers by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau and Chris Bachalo, a 1:25 variant by Nick Bradshaw paying homage to the first Birds of Prey series cover by Greg Land and Brian Stelfreeze from January 1999, a 1:50 variant by Chris Bachalo, a 1:100 variant by Leonardo Romero, and a triptych gatefold variant cover by Frank Cho. There will also be a blank sketch cover available.

Fans can read more Birds of Prey comic books with a DC UNIVERSE INFINITE ULTRA subscription. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE subscribers can download comics for unlimited offline reading on their favorite iOS and Android devices. For more information on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE Ultra, download the app from the Apple App and Google Play stores. DC UNIVERSE INFINITE is not intended for children.

For the latest information on everything DC, visit www.DC.com and follow @DCOfficial and @TheDCNation on social media.

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When the Birds of Prey first appeared in Black Canary/ Oracle: Birds of Prey #1 (one-shot) in 1996, it was the beginning of a unique team concept.  Dinah Lance and Barbara Gordon (Black Canary and Oracle, respectively) are two of DC Comics most important female characters.  They are a natural pairing in that regard, Dinah is one the DC Universe’s most accomplished hand to hand fighters and Barbara in her days as Batgirl, was the first costumed Bat-family character outside the Dynamic Duo themselves to have a lasting impact.  Together, Babs and Dinah forged a friendship and a team unlike any other in the DC Universe.  

Last week, the line-up for a new Birds of Prey series was first teased and then revealed slowly on social media.  Each day, Kelly Thompson, writer of the series set to debut in September 2023, shared a drawing of each member of the team for her first story arc.  Thompson asked fans to guess the line up, which was essentially fans giving their hopes for who would be on the team.   Fan participation provided a few surprises for Thompson as well, before the final unveiling she shared that there were just as many responses against the inclusion of Harley Quinn as there were hoping for her inclusion.  The first to be revealed was Black Canary, followed by Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot and finally Harley Quinn.   

Thompson also admitted the support for traditional Bird of Prey, Helena Bertinelli (The Huntress) surprised her.  The reveal of Harley Quinn as the final member also prompted Thompson to share that she knew putting Harley on the team would be divisive.  I’ve already rallied against Harley Quinn being a part of the Birds of Prey when the 2020 movie was released.  Pondering the merits of the announced line up has taken me from why people don’t want Harley Quinn on the team to being able to pinpoint why Barbara Gordon is essential to the Birds of Prey.

Batgirl to Oracle

Barbara Gordon first appeared in Detective Comics # 359 (January 1967) when she debuted in her origin story as the new Batgirl.  Barbara was the daughter of Commissioner James Gordon and worked as a librarian in her day-to-day life.  Dressed up as a “female Batman” for a costume party she stumbled onto a kidnapping caper and went into action on the spot.   She found she liked it and began rigorous training which led to her permanently taking up the mantle of Batgirl.  Over the next two decades, Barbara would feature in stories with Batman and Robin as well as solo tales. The librarian even became a congresswoman in the ’70’s, however, she never carried her own ongoing title.  Everything changed in 1988 when The Killing Joke by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland depicted the crippling of the character by the Clown Prince of Crime as part of an attempt to push the Batman beyond his limits.  

The seemingly impassable obstacle of paralysis was addressed by John Ostrander and Kim Yale in the pages of Suicide Squad #23 (January,1989).  Barbara makes her first appearance as Oracle, a technical advisor, computer expert/ hacker and information broker.  With Barbara redefining herself after the terrible events of The Killing Joke, she becomes something altogether unique and different.  She’s now a true handicapped hero.  Unlike Daredevil who isn’t bothered by his blindness because his other senses more than compensate, or Professor Xavier whose skill was always of the mind, Barbara Gordon found a new skillset to develop and use to fight the same criminals that she did as the acrobatic Batgirl.

Oracle to the Birds of Prey

After Ostrander and Yale revealed Oracle as Barbara Gordon in Suicide Squad #38, the character would continue to work with the Suicide Squad and other heroes, specifically Batman.  Eventually, Ostrander and Yale would reveal the details of Barbara’s journey from victim back to hero in “Oracle: Year One” from from The Batman Chronicles #5 (1996).  She doesn’t give up on her physical abilities.  She trains with Richard Dragon, and learns to use eskrima, though wheelchair bound.  While training physically, she continues to develop her computer network and information contacts.

It is finally in Black Canary/ Oracle: Birds of Prey #1 that we see Barbara reach out to another character to be her agent on the ground for a situation she’s uncovered that needs to be addressed.  In this first issue, we see the core of the Birds of Prey concept- Barbara Gordon works behind the computer running the mission remotely while her operative(s) have feet on the ground and execute the mission.  It’s a paradigm that will later be seen in television shows like Arrow and The Flash.  Oracle and the Birds of Prey were first!

The Birds of Prey would appear in more one-shots, a couple mini-series before earning their own ongoing series with Birds of Prey #1 (January 1999).  This series ran for 127 issues before being relaunched with volume 2 in 2010 as part of the “Brightest Day” publishing venture.  This volume was cancelled with the line-wide New 52 reboot in 2011.  The next volume as part of the New 52 ran for 36 issues.  The Birds of Prey would next appear in their own series in 2016 as part of the “Rebirth” initiative in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey which ran for 23 issues. 

Over the years, the core membership of the team has been Oracle, Black Canary and the Huntress.  This developed over the years chiefly under the pens of Chuck Dixon and Gail Simone.  Simone plays with the line up with guest stars and even adds fan favorite, Zinda Blake, Lady Blackhawk as the longest lived fourth member.  Through it all, Barbara, Dinah and Helena are the center of the book.  Even in the New 52 run that begins with Black Canary putting an entirely new team together, Barbara Gordon with a miracle cure of her spinal column shows up as Batgirl within a few issues and it’s not long before Dinah and Barbara are at the center of the book, again.  Batgirl and the Birds of Prey sees Barbara and Dinah welcome Helena to the team in the New 52 continuity.  Writers Julie and Shawna Benson find the spirit of the team as they integrate the New 52 version of Helena and capture the magic of the relationship between the three women that Gail Simone had developed in her time with the characters.

Who Are the Birds of Prey?

I have no problem saying that the Birds of Prey are Barbara, Dinah and Helena.  The core concept is rooted in the friendship and camaraderie between these three women.  Barbara as Oracle (and sometimes Batgirl) is almost always working the mission from behind the scenes while Dinah and Helena are the agents taking the physical fight to the bad guys.  It’s easy for me to die on this hill, but there have been other characters on the team- Poison Ivy, Starling, Big Barda, Strix, Hawk and Dove to name a few.  And, of course, in accordance with Birds of Prey, the misnamed Harley Quinn solo film, Harley was forced into two different comics that were released around the time of the film.  Like the movie, these comics (Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey, Birds of Prey (2020)) leave Barbara out, suggesting that she was not an integral part of the team, despite the fact the entire history of the comic demonstrates the exact opposite.  The Birds of Prey ARE Barbara’s team.  It was her idea to find a way to make a difference by recruiting agents to execute the missions she identified, planned, designed and ran behind the scenes as Oracle.  Taking Barbara off the team is the first step in rebranding the concept as simply a group of female heroes.  Interestingly, on more than one occasion the team has included men, but it’s always been Barbara’s team.

Upon reflection, there is something even deeper than the in story reasons that Barbara is important to the team.  As already mentioned, Barbara Gordon as Oracle is a handicapped hero.  It’s not simply representation, her journey after the events of The Killing Joke are an inspiring example of how to face adversity and overcome seemingly devastating personal obstacles.  Her depression is real at the beginning, but she perseveres and reinvents her identity and becomes even stronger.  The Birds of Prey, the team that Barbara founded and led are part of this journey.  In fact, the Birds of Prey are inextricably linked to Barbara’s journey because the Birds of Prey are the end result of Barbara moving beyond the assault by the Joker and subsequent physical, emotional and mental trauma.  The team is a symbolic manifestation of her healing and getting back into the world.  When Barbara is removed from the team it diminishes the significance of her healing journey.  When the team is no longer hers, it minimizes the journey her character has been through.  It takes all her hard work and effort away from her character and gives her success either to someone else or it simply eliminates her significance as a handicapped hero.

Barbara Gordon IS the Birds of Prey

I don’t think for one instant that either Kelly Thompson or DC Comics are doing this on purpose. But, often there are unintended consequences.  It’s difficult to imagine the Birds of Prey concept without Barbara as the leader of the team.  It even becomes difficult to consider this line up of characters as the Birds of Prey without Barbara.  The team IS Barbara’s, to see it as “just” a group of female characters demonstrates a real misunderstanding of the core concept of the Birds of Prey.  Would DC launch a title called Superman if it starred Martian Manhunter, Lois Lane, Snapper Carr and Lex Luthor?  Perhaps, the line up that Thompson has assembled would be a better fit for a different title, because without Barbara Gordon in her role behind the computer leading the team, the Birds of Prey concept ceases to be recognizable.  A group of canaries is an opera.  Perhaps, Black Canary’s Opera would be a more fitting title for the forthcoming comic.      

It didn’t take Barbara long to be included in the New 52 version of Birds of Prey.  She reclaimed her identity of Oracle in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey.  The two titles that tried to shoehorn Harley onto the team in lieu of Barbara didn’t go anywhere, and the movie that spearheaded the move failed to garner a sequel or develop the concept further in any other projects.  It’s not because Harley isn’t a popular character, there’s no doubt about that.  Does she sell comics?  That’s debatable.  She certainly doesn’t seem to sell movie tickets.  She also doesn’t inspire fans of the Birds of Prey.  That’s what Barbara Gordon does.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it here again, Barbara Gordon may be the iconic Batgirl, but Oracle is the iconic Barbara Gordon.  And, Barbara Gordon cannot be separated from the Birds of Prey because the team is the culmination of Barbara’s journey from crippling injury to heroic rebirth.  To take Barbara away from the Birds of Prey is tantamount to erasing Barbara’s entire courageous and inspiring triumph over the mental and physical injuries inflicted by the Joker in The Killing Joke.

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[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Tom Taylor and C.S. Pacat
Art: Travis Moore and Daniel Hore & Jonan Trindade
Colors: Adriano Lucas
Letters: Wes Abbott

Reviewed by Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

Bestowed with Superman-like powers, Nightwing must face Neron’s temptation- hand over Olivia and keep the powers.  

Positives

Is there any question that Nightwing would know how to use super-powers wisely?  Nightwing and Superman (Clark Kent) have very similar personalities and outlooks on life, despite their dissimilar origins and because of their similar origins.  As this series has been all along, Nightwing #104 is character focused.  Taylor doesn’t ever make the reader try and believe that Nightwing is actually tempted to keep the power, it’s not in his nature.  The insight comes from seeing what Nightwing does with his short-lived powers and the obvious parallel that Taylor builds with the Man of Steel.  Clark’s appearance is appropriate in the issue as it also turns the plot back towards the mission the Justice League turned over to the Titans back in Nightwing #100, to take over for the League while the League is on hiatus.  

While Nightwing may not be tempted, the reader might be.  Even some of Dick’s teammates seem to wish he had the powers permanently as they observe how well they suit him.  This comparison to Superman runs deep in the Nighwing lore, Nightwing selected his name from Superman’s adventures in Kandor as Nightwing a Batman-like identity that Superman used for the first time back in Superman #158 (January 1963).  The history of the Kryptonian Nightwing has been altered through the years, but it remains a deep point of connection between Dick Grayson and Clark.

Negatives

If there’s negatives in Nightwing #104 they are sins of omission as opposed to commission.  Barbara (Batgirl/Oracle) Gordon while appearing in the background of the Titans’ fight with Neron’s hordes is missing in the wrap up.  This series has used Dick and Babs relationship that it feels odd for her not to have a significant moment at the end of story arc.  

While the editor’s note tells the reader when this story takes place, the timing doesn’t match up exactly with the publishing schedule.  Most significantly, it was a little odd reading Titans #1 last week when this issue clearly concludes before the events of that issue.

Verdict

Overall, the negatives in Nightwing #104 are minimal at best and the “Rise of the Underworld” story arc concludes with a strong look at Dick Grayson’s character.  Initially, while Neron seemed to fit as a villain for the Titans, he doesn’t seem like a proper antagonist for Nightwing.  Despite this the finale provides a character driven story that does fit what makes Nightwing tick.  The issue also utilizes the deep history between Dick and Clark to add depth to the events.

The post Review: Nightwing #104 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad
Art: Robbi Rodriguez
Colors: Rico Renzi
Letters: Becca Carey

Reviewed by: Matthew B. Lloyd

Summary

After last issue’s events of the Aparo Park Shooter, the Batgirls are compelled to step away…?  It’s a surprising choice, but what’s really going on?

Positives

It’s great to see the Batgirls trying to solve a mystery.  and a pretty difficult one at that.  Plus, we get to see how the Bat-family relies on one another.  It’s small details that elevate books, and it’s Batman’s approval of the Batgirls that reveals the underlying truth of the relationships in the Bat-family.  It’s a short quick scene, but it has the element of reality and connects the reader with one’s own feeling of inadequacies or lack of confidence.  It brings out the human quality in the characters that last long beyond the “villain of the month.”  Robbi Rodriguez has some striking images, especially Barbara Gordon in the first few pages.

The plot in Batgirls #18 is quite strong, as well.  It’s not just the mystery aspect, but the interesting way the plot serpentines around.  The concept sets the Batgirls against the Gotham PD and as a reader you just aren’t sure what the right approach is.  What’s particularly wonderful is the end of the issue when the citizens of The Hill rally around the Batgirls.  There’s certainly a lot of potential in exploring a population and its resident costumed guardians.  It’s not clear how far this will be developed in upcoming issues, but Batgirls #18 is an infusion of emotions that ignites the concept.  A major player in this aspect of the story is Grace O’Halloran who’s quietly gone through quite an emotional and personal journey throughout the life of this series.  Has she found her true purpose finally?

Negatives 

There’s no obvious negative to this issue, but knowing that the last issue of this series is coming soon, it does cast a tinge of sadness over the events.  Sure, these characters aren’t going to die or be decommissioned, but it’s unlikely that whatever comes next will treat them in the same way that focuses on their friendship and camaraderie.   

Verdict

Batgirls #18 is an interesting issue with a fun plot that provides an interesting idea for the relationship between the citizens of the Hill and the Batgirls.  There’s really strong images as well and the issue leans into its strengths of relationship and characterization even down to the small details.

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