EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: "Batgirl" #17

[CBR News]

Courtesy of DC Comics, CBR presents an exclusive preview of "Batgirl" #17 by guest writer Ray Fawkes and artist Daniel Sampere. Find out what James Gordon has planned for his sister Feb. 13.


Full article here.

[Rakzo]

That looks fantastic. The writing is much, much better than what we usually see on Batgirl.

Fawkes is a really talented author and this is why I'm excited for his upcoming work on Constantine.

[batGRRRl4ever]

I won't cut & paste from the bat-forum thread (coff-coff, rakzo), but as I stated over there the writing is an obvious step down in quality. I can TELL a writer is writing the story, which is bad from a narrative standpoint. And the writing is hamfisted just a bit, definitely more simplistic when compared to Ms. Simone that's for sure. Thank goodness Ms. Simone is still on the title because she just is much more talented in terms of narration. Going through the narration for these next two issues will be a tad painful, and I know that if Mr. Fawkes had become the new ongoing writer I would have dropped this title.

[DebkoX]

Swell art there.

[Rakzo]

I won't cut & paste from the bat-forum thread (coff-coff, rakzo)

Come on dude, stop taking everything so seriously.

[DebkoX]

I won't cut & paste from the bat-forum thread (coff-coff, rakzo), but as I stated over there the writing is an obvious step down in quality. I can TELL a writer is writing the story, which is bad from a narrative standpoint. And the writing is hamfisted just a bit, definitely more simplistic when compared to Ms. Simone that's for sure. Thank goodness Ms. Simone is still on the title because she just is much more talented in terms of narration. Going through the narration for these next two issues will be a tad painful, and I know that if Mr. Fawkes had become the new ongoing writer I would have dropped this title.

Would you really have dropped it?

[Vic Vega]

That's the Contantine guy?

Uh oh.

It reads like somebody trying to parody Marv Wolfman.

[batGRRRl4ever]

Would you really have dropped it?

Yes. While prolific in words, the style is too simplistic for my tastes. I require a writer that writes a bit more adult in terms of the ability to really convey emotional expression of character, and as I stated in the bat-forum Mr. Fawkes style definitely (IMO) has a simple "It was a dark and stormy night.." quality to it.

[Shinomune]

5 pages of Fawkes >>> entire Gail Simone run.

[Jabare]

and the awesomeness that was James Gordon Jr. is gone.

Anyway how is this book selling? Is it still doing well?

[batGRRRl4ever]

Why is this awesomeness gone? Is it because he's now the antagonist to a female protagonist, or is it because he's being written by a female writer? What's the issue?

[liopleurodon]

The art is very good, the writing not so much. It's not terrible, it's just "meh". Still, I'll keep buying knowing that Gail will be back in a couple of issues.

[DrSimonHurt]

Why is this awesomeness gone? Is it because he's now the antagonist to a female protagonist, or is it because he's being written by a female writer? What's the issue?

Seeing as how you have admitted that you've never read an Oracle-based story, including the Black Mirror, you wouldn't know. He was a great new character who's just bland and predictable now.

Face it, Gail just isn't that good anymore. Maybe she's burnt out? She's pro-Oracle, so that could be the reason. She's just not into the book the same way that I'm not.

[Jabare]

Why is this awesomeness gone? Is it because he's now the antagonist to a female protagonist, or is it because he's being written by a female writer? What's the issue?

Some creative theories you have there, but none of the above at least for me. Why would him being an antagonist to a female protagonist matter? Unless someone has got something against heroines I guess. I recommend you check out the arcs he was introduced in Detective Comics. He was cold calculating and it was totally unexpected. He's overplayed now and become a run off the mill villain. He's lost his mystique.

In general I think it was a mistake to bring him back so soon. And now he's just not the same for me. It happens to a lot of villains especially to the ones used often, but I was hopeful it wouldn't happen so soon. Sometimes I just feel more is less, if you get what I'm saying.

Also Gail wrote this? I thought this was someone else? Or is it being written by another female writer? Honestly I rarely look at the writers when I'm reading previews. Unless someone goes out of their way to mention it in the thread or the writer makes an account to talk with us I don't really take that much stock in the name. I let the work speak for itself.

[batGRRRl4ever]

Seeing as how you have admitted that you've never read an Oracle-based story...

Um, what now? Unfortunately I've read far too many of those 411 support character stories for me to stomach happily over the years.

Face it, Gail just isn't that good anymore.

Oh I see, her sales on the Batgirl title continue to skyrocket and she now continues as the #1 female solo DC title for months running now, and that's a sign of poor work? That's some seriously back breaking convoluted thought processing there, lol. Why can't you just say her work isn't your cup of tea, but it obviously is to so many more?