tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post7171862844270556814..comments2024-03-27T21:12:28.287-05:00Comments on Collected Editions: Review: Batgirl Vol. 1: The Darkest Reflection hardcover/paperback (DC Comics)collectededitionshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-83442650140563711852012-09-20T13:33:44.201-05:002012-09-20T13:33:44.201-05:00I think Simone handled this exactly right. She mad...I think Simone handled this exactly right. She made it believable what kind of impact the shooting would have on a person. Can't wait how things will turn out when she faces the Joker again.Dannynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-59649061488563617022012-09-19T16:28:46.134-05:002012-09-19T16:28:46.134-05:00matches wrote, "Gail's script almost felt...matches wrote, "Gail's script almost felt like it was apologizing for Babs being out of the chair."<br /><br />I'd think the first issues of Batgirl would almost have to, wouldn't they? I think, again, that reversing Barbara's paralysis was probably the single most controversial part of the DC New 52, aside from maybe renumbering Action and Detective (and those, we know, will still get their #1,000 due). If DC had just done away with Barbara ever being paralyzed altogether, I imagine the outcry would have been even greater; Simone's script needed to return Barbara to the Batgirl persona gingerly, just like Bryan Q. Miller needed to have Stephanie deal with the doubters in-story, else I think the audience would never take to Barbara-as-Batgirl again.<br /><br />What do you think? Better or worse if the Joker shooting Barbara had been retconned entirely?collectededitionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-84603301112560982222012-09-16T10:27:43.334-05:002012-09-16T10:27:43.334-05:00My experience with Barbara as Batgirl was pretty m...My experience with Barbara as Batgirl was pretty much limited to non-comics media (the old 60's show, and the more recent cartoons), so I can't really comment about her representation here versus her previous one. I'm not a huge fan of reading about big-time-doubting heroes (I keep thinking that James Robinson's recent Justice League run had a lot of that, particularly with Donna Troy?), but I didn't feel it was too heavy here. Babs had some doubts, and made some mistakes, but it was tempered against her remaining motivated and determined. I am okay with it being part of her character during the early part of her series, as she deals with the "survivor's guilt" of regaining the use of her legs, but I would hope that it's something that they gradually move away from and she becomes more confident and "devil-may-care" (as matches said). Kind of reminds me of Wally West's Flash series, which started with him in Barry Allen's shadow, and touched on things like him subconsciously not running as fast because he didn't want to be "better" than Barry, to eventually resolving those issues and coming into his own. So, yeah, I'm okay with it as a way to have the character grow, provided it's part of the character's arc and not as permanent part of their personality.<br /><br />I liked the Mirror villain and hope that he's able to return in the future, although I was kind of let down by the whole "showing his victims their reflections" thing; why would they all scream when he revealed his mirror cloak if they're just seeing themselves? But I was able to let that part of it go.<br /><br />Gretel was a bit less interesting, and they never did a good job of explaining her mind control powers. There was one character in particular (you know who I mean) which was "controlled" but was "mostly faking it", but without much explanation of to what extent. Did he "feel" the mind control suggestion and allowed himself to go along with it (while still ultimately in control of his actions), or did he behave as he thought he should if he was actually being controlled? Unfortunately all we got was Batgirl's guesses as to what was going on.<br /><br />But overall, I liked the book, and will stick with it at least through one more "volume" (I buy individual digital issues, but generally read them together according to how they're collected).D. Mark Simmshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16537028797086907873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-83988007973851471072012-09-11T13:56:09.943-05:002012-09-11T13:56:09.943-05:00I really wanted to like this book - tried it twice...I really wanted to like this book - tried it twice just to give it a second chance - but it really missed the boat for me. I don't care at all for the insecure, less capable take on Batgirl. To me it utterly defeats the concept, and was one of the major factors that led to Batgirl being sidelined in the 80s.<br /><br />Babs as Batgirl needs to be plucky, devil-may-care, much like she was in Batgirl: Year One. Gail's script almost felt like it was apologizing for Babs being out of the chair.<br /><br />I'd love a well-done Babs as Batgirl book. But IMO this wasn't it.allstarmatcheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16754758277080185925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-75284646533931730852012-09-10T02:26:31.315-05:002012-09-10T02:26:31.315-05:00Yeah, they wouldn't ever pull off something si...Yeah, they wouldn't ever pull off something similar with Robin :/Eyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05350758607787528425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-6722939214665032352012-09-09T17:26:56.830-05:002012-09-09T17:26:56.830-05:00That's interesting, since I'm a relatively...That's interesting, since I'm a relatively new reader and I can't remember a time when Batgirl was Barbara in my mind. Barbara's always been Oracle for me, and Batgirl was Cass, then Steph. I can't deny I like Barbara better as Batgirl here than she was as Oracle in recent years, but I still question why she gets to return to her "iconic" identity and personality while it seems unthinkable to, say, return Dick Grayson to Robin status and erase Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Damian Wayne from continuity entirely. I know the Robins have bigger fanbases, but the Steph fanbase sure isn't happy either -- did nobody actually pay to see Steph as Batgirl until it was too late, or what? <br /><br />Well, moot point now. I do hope they haven't erased Oracle from continuity entirely, though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-36148600806163567512012-09-07T12:49:45.075-05:002012-09-07T12:49:45.075-05:00Reading Darkest Reflection and seeing the similari...Reading Darkest Reflection and seeing the similarities between Barbara and Stephanie, my theory was that it's not that Simone's new Barbara is more like Stephanie, but rather that Stephanie was a good reflection of the "iconic" state of Batgirl, which we now see in actuality with Barbara restored. Kind of a chicken and egg thing.collectededitionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-83728372471959659092012-09-07T02:21:23.420-05:002012-09-07T02:21:23.420-05:00Sounds decent enough.
Though one can wonder why th...Sounds decent enough.<br />Though one can wonder why the need to even change back to Babs when her new books so similar to Steph's in term of character.<br />Also I have some problem recognizing her as Barbara.. I mean she might look like a redhair she sounds more like Tim's version of Robin or Steph's Batgirl to me... But that might be a personal taste~Eyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05350758607787528425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-23075899730154961632012-09-06T11:53:25.866-05:002012-09-06T11:53:25.866-05:00Agreed that narratively, Barbara's caution and...Agreed that narratively, Barbara's caution and inexperience can't remain at the forefront of the title forever (that trauma might stay ever-present in the real world, but in fiction it can't continue to be rehashed). At the same time Miller's Batgirl made Stephanie's learning curve a central theme of the title for going on twenty-five issues, so maybe Simone has more angles for it.<br /><br />When you talk about Barbara's recovery being revealed in a story beat, is that in Darkest Reflection or later? There was something about a trip to South Africa, I recall, and then something about robotics, maybe? Of course the cause has to be revealed sometime, and I wouldn't even mind if it was "evil supervillain restored her legs to secretly infiltrate the Bat-family" kind of thing -- I'm satisfied that when it was done, it was as sudden and Barbara was as surprised about it as the reader, and so the other chips can fall where they may.<br /><br />I was surprised there was no mention of Oracle in Darkest Reflection -- I'm not sure at this point that Barbara actually *was* Oracle in the New 52. Are they handling that in Birds of Prey?collectededitionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14698269790653953645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945794.post-75902736807405287052012-09-06T10:47:44.958-05:002012-09-06T10:47:44.958-05:00Great review, as always! I agree with you that Si...Great review, as always! I agree with you that Simone's writing is what "sells" this title, despite its controversial nature. I really appreciated the slow-burn approach to healing from trauma and the post-Nolan realism with which Barbara regains her identity as Batgirl. I am, however, very curious what the "identity" of this title will be once Barbara heals more fully; I can't imagine the story clinging to Killing Joke for much longer, although with Joker's imminent return I'm sure we haven't seen the last of the shot heard 'round the world.<br /><br />The #0 issue was supposed to resolve the issue of her recovery, but since the method was revealed in an earlier issue (albeit in a "This happened, move on" kind of story beat) I'm not sure where that leaves #0 - hopefully going from Killing Joke through her time as Oracle (Oracle, nicknamed O, in a #0 issue seems too perfect to resist). Maybe we'll even get a one-panel cameo from Steph? (Nah, although I wouldn't put it past Simone to sneak a waffle or two in there.)Zach Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17905320964723323391noreply@blogger.com