"The Train Was Full" from Batgirl vol.4 (DC, 2012) by Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf and Vincente Cifuentes
And so we come to the New52's Batgirl. It's back to basics with Barbara in the role. It's controversial because we lost Oracle in the process, a bona fide disabled superhero who inspired a lot of people AND was a key character in many series, not just in the Batman Family. It was expected that Gail Simone as writer would take the sting out of that loss, since she's always been a breath of fresh air for female characters. The crustacean armor immediately turned me off, but the art was otherwise pleasant and I liked how Simone built Barbara's villains gallery instead of borrowing from Batman's. But it's all set to end for me as Ed "Dealbreaker" Benes has been announced as upcoming artist on the book. And I cannot abide his crotch'n'ass fixation. It just undoes what a writer like Simone is trying to do for female characters in comics. Boo, DC. Boo.
She has to ride the train this way. No room in that costume for pockets apparently.
ReplyDeleteBut yes, if Benes is going to be the artist, it is going to be nonstop crotch/ass shots. I prefer those to be Green Lanterns.
we still havent got a real explanation for how/why she got her legs back...its like Oracle never existed, appalling.
ReplyDeleteAnd for someone who writes such good female characters, Simone committed a major faux-pas wiht writing Babs as if she were a schoolgirl, not a seasoned heroine. I cant get over how someone who faced down the Joker suddenly started shitting herself when going to meet her mother.
I'm not sure that's fair, Karl. People tend to revert to old patterns when dealing with family, actually regressing in maturity at times. Seen it, lived it. And competent, professional people who thrive in their field may still be completely discombobulated by another aspect of their lives, be it family or romance.
ReplyDeleteAgree that it's a shame about the Oracle years though.