Batgirl #17: Preview & Discussion

[Bluebow]

I agree on Fawkes' pacing. I also think the story development was handled well.

The character development by the narration is just bizarre. It does feel like a Writing 101 final. It has that feel of a forced, over emotive, over urgent style that someone does when they are young and haven't developed their own style yet.

As for as the identity of our speaker, that reveal creates a really, really weird solution. At the end, we find out it is either James are at some time morphs into James. And the reason I can say that it is nonsensical is because the narration starts as third person omniscient then goes into first person, part of the action. It makes no sense whatsoever. You are either one or the other. Unless James is really a god like being who knows everything about Babs, everything she is doing, everything she is thinking, in real time, the narration doesn't make sense. When it changes to being obviously James, the change is really startling. You have the moment of "oh, it was James the whole time" followed by "gee, is James a god like being? What's he screwing around with this small stuff then?"

When you combine the confusion of the narrator with the over developed style, you have a writer trying way too hard to make an impact by throwing mud at the wall and hoping some sticks.

Barbara Gordon has been described as a near genius aside from the famous eidetic memory. It would not be a big leap to assume her brother is similarly smart and he does know his sister very well and seems to be obsessed by knowing as much about her and their mother as possible. It may not be intended to be godlike so much as his alarmingly well informed best guess as to what she is doing and thinking.

[reubs]

I've really enjoyed Batgirl so far, and I was disappointed and ready to drop it when Simone was let go. After reading this issue, I became even happier that she was let back onboard. The narration was heavy-handed, IMO, and I was just waiting for James, JR to do something terrible. After his turn in the "Black Mirror" arc (and the way Simone has played him to this point), it seems like a letdown that he's still just watching. The guy is nuts, and he should be a primary villain, IMO.

As far as Firebug, didn't he make a return in Streets of Gotham? Or was he Firefly there? It's been a while since I've read that series.

In short, this issue bored me. Maybe the second part will redeem it, but as it stands I'm ready for Simone's return.

[Emissary of Justice]

Batgirl answers that question by leaping into the thundering air.
No. She doesn't leap. She dances.
She will never surrender. Never.

Oh Goodness. Thank you, internet fans.

[philioteria21]

Firebug is an established DC villain. There have been three different individuals who have used the name since the 1970s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firebug_(comics)

[Seattle Freeze]

WOW, he was in the old NES Batman game.

[Dr. Hurt]

I don't have to bother with spoilers as I only have anything to say on the temporary change in writers.

PLUS: Mr. Fawkes is good with his pacing, things move along steadily for not too short or too long.

MINUS: The 3rd person narrative is awful in it's simplistic style that comes across like a college freshman trying to pass his final in Writing 101. There is a LOT of words, but very few at all that emotionally connect with the protagonist. He does much better in the scenes where characters actually talk, but whenever his 3rd person narrative boxes pop up (which they do frequently) it is truly cringe worthy.

DC made the right decision in keeping Ms. Simone on the title, she has a more adult and mature style in terms of the emotional depiction and expression of the main protagonist, Barbara Gordon. It's always good to get a change of pace every once in awhile, but this change only makes me appreciate Ms. Simone's superior writing skills all the more.

Mature + adult. About the Batgirl book.


Why? Why does everything have to be so serious? I miss.... You know who...

[Bluebow]

Mature + adult. About the Batgirl book.


Why? Why does everything have to be so serious? I miss.... You know who...

I don't agree that Gail Simone is more mature or adult in her writing style than Mr Fawkes. Take Batgirl's interaction with the character of Ricky for example, Batgirl's only romantic encounter since the re-boot. Gail Simone had her kissing Ricky supposedly as a means of saving his life or at least his credibility with the criminal element. Surely slapping his face or merely verbally abusing him would have been at least as effective in that situation. She had to have the excuse of a higher purpose to kiss him. Contrast that with the similar encounter in the DC Valentine's day comic, Ricky asked Batgirl for a kiss, she considered it for a moment then said something like "What the hell" and just kissed him. She did not need a 30-40 word angst ridden internal debate to decide if she should or not. Barbara Gordon is a grown woman of 22, she should not need any excuse or pretext to kiss anyone other than the fact she wants to do so.

[mrrightnow]

This was the first issue of Batgirl I didn't like at all. I wanted to like it, but between the heavy-handed narration and hit-and-miss art, I couldn't. If Batgirl were like this all the time, I'd probably drop it.

[Shimarenda]

Batgirl answers that question by leaping into the thundering air.
No. She doesn't leap. She dances.
She will never surrender. Never.

Yes, that made me wince too. And then discovering that this is James Jr. talking makes it even worse. On the whole, this issue was decent, but I'll be glad for Simone's return.

[BlueStarr86]

Mature + adult. About the Batgirl book.


Why? Why does everything have to be so serious? I miss.... You know who...

Don't you know?! Comics are SERIOUS BUSINESS!

[The_Greatest_Username]

I didn't think it was too bad for Fawkes first issue. I didn't like the narration, that's about my only complaint.

[Bluebow]

There is also the fact that he would be constrained by what had gone before as he took over in the middle of an arc, with initially limited possiblities for his own creativity.

[Shimarenda]

Restraints of story and setting don't account for James Jr. talking more woodenly than the narrator in a Golden Age Wonder Woman comic.

[Marvolo]

Definitely a huge step down from the previous issues of Batgirl.

Can't wait till this new writer goes away and Gail Simone returns at #19.

[sorboares]

Can some plz explain y this issue isnt continuing from issue 16? I have been waiting to see what joker had under that tray and how Batgirl was going to get free coz it ended with Joker capturing her!
Did it continue somewhere else?