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hinn_raven's review
2.0
I try not to hold the fact that I had such high hopes for this book against it. But... man. Is it disappointing. I've enjoyed Cloonan and Conrad's previous work, particularly Gotham Academy. But this... there were rumors on the internet that Steph and Cass were being written as being around 14, back when this book first debuted, and even though I believe they were pushed back against, it certainly feels as if Cass and Steph are being written as silly, incompetent teenagers who need to be babysat by their competent babysitter Babs. The erasure and handling of Babs's disability continues to hang over all Bat Books, but this one... I had hopes! But nope. Steph and Cass have to be incompetent so we can be reminded, at all times, that Babs is the best. Perhaps it's not fair on the book, that I want the characters to be, well, good at their jobs, and treated like adults. But when Damian, an actual child, is treated with more gravitas than Steph and Cass, who are supposed to be adults, I can't help but find it irritating.
The art is fun though. It's a great style, and the colorists do an amazing job, and it absolutely matches what Cloonan is going for, tonally. It does what it's trying to do! I just... don't enjoy what that is.
The art is fun though. It's a great style, and the colorists do an amazing job, and it absolutely matches what Cloonan is going for, tonally. It does what it's trying to do! I just... don't enjoy what that is.
mocha_pdf's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Stalking and Mental illness
annamickreads's review
3.0
3.5, with a .5 solely for most creative use of "All Star" lyrics in a Batman comic
The good stuff: I loved the art style and the colors used in this comic so much!! I felt like the blues and greens with vivid reds really evoked the moodiness of Gotham while also adding a fun, psychedelic twist to it, which is perfect especially relevant to the villains of the story. Gotham in shades of blue will always be a personal favorite.
The villains and their motives, in my opinion, were super creative and the overall message was thoughtfully done. I love to see all three of these characters on page together and that alone brought me a lot of joy. Admittedly, I am old enough to remember how New 52 completely erased Cass and Steph from DC canon, so when I learned they would be brought back - and team up with their mentor, no less!! - I was thrilled.
The stuff I was not as fond of: There are some points of contention for me regarding their characterization in this book that makes me less enthused.
- When we last left Steph in Bryan Q. Miller's Batgirl run, she was around 19 and a sophomore in college, putting Babs at about 26-27. Now, Steph and Cass have been de-aged to around 14 and Babs around 22-23, and it's obvious in their dialogue. There are some costume choices and eventual moniker choices I'm also not thrilled of, but I am not the Editor of DC Comics, so I can't pull an Uno-reverse on any of that. Cass' characterization was great and I'm really thankful that Cass' selective muteness wasn't treated the way it was in say, No Man's Land, where she was more of a stereotype/caricature.
Steph's characterization felt off to me, especially when she described herself as a "gutter rat" in Gotham. Stephanie Brown has always been one of the most optimistic characters, even with the odds stacked against her, so to hear her so (cheerfully!) down on herself was out of place. Yes, she grew up in Gotham, her father is a supervillain, but her previous writing made me think she had such a strong appreciation for Gotham and its citizens that her choosing to attend university at Gotham U was a nod to her wanting to protect her home, as Bruce's crusade.
Barbara Gordon is my heart and soul and I think the essence of her character was really there, but like many people I am upset with the decision to reverse her paralysis for the sake of throwing her in the Batgirl costume again. Like other readers, I wished there were more acknowledgement of her disability, although I did appreciate her expressing her need to take breaks and her use of a cane in one scene.
I think another thing that's important to remember with this book is that it follows the Future State plot line and has nods to Batgirl of Burnside, both of which were, to my understanding, sort of alternate-universe type things (Chuck Dixon's Batgirl: Year One I will not forget you!!!)
The good stuff: I loved the art style and the colors used in this comic so much!! I felt like the blues and greens with vivid reds really evoked the moodiness of Gotham while also adding a fun, psychedelic twist to it, which is perfect especially relevant to the villains of the story. Gotham in shades of blue will always be a personal favorite.
The villains and their motives, in my opinion, were super creative and the overall message was thoughtfully done. I love to see all three of these characters on page together and that alone brought me a lot of joy. Admittedly, I am old enough to remember how New 52 completely erased Cass and Steph from DC canon, so when I learned they would be brought back - and team up with their mentor, no less!! - I was thrilled.
The stuff I was not as fond of: There are some points of contention for me regarding their characterization in this book that makes me less enthused.
- When we last left Steph in Bryan Q. Miller's Batgirl run, she was around 19 and a sophomore in college, putting Babs at about 26-27. Now, Steph and Cass have been de-aged to around 14 and Babs around 22-23, and it's obvious in their dialogue. There are some costume choices and eventual moniker choices I'm also not thrilled of, but I am not the Editor of DC Comics, so I can't pull an Uno-reverse on any of that. Cass' characterization was great and I'm really thankful that Cass' selective muteness wasn't treated the way it was in say, No Man's Land, where she was more of a stereotype/caricature.
Steph's characterization felt off to me, especially when she described herself as a "gutter rat" in Gotham. Stephanie Brown has always been one of the most optimistic characters, even with the odds stacked against her, so to hear her so (cheerfully!) down on herself was out of place. Yes, she grew up in Gotham, her father is a supervillain, but her previous writing made me think she had such a strong appreciation for Gotham and its citizens that her choosing to attend university at Gotham U was a nod to her wanting to protect her home, as Bruce's crusade.
Barbara Gordon is my heart and soul and I think the essence of her character was really there, but like many people I am upset with the decision to reverse her paralysis for the sake of throwing her in the Batgirl costume again. Like other readers, I wished there were more acknowledgement of her disability, although I did appreciate her expressing her need to take breaks and her use of a cane in one scene.
I think another thing that's important to remember with this book is that it follows the Future State plot line and has nods to Batgirl of Burnside, both of which were, to my understanding, sort of alternate-universe type things (Chuck Dixon's Batgirl: Year One I will not forget you!!!)
drtx_bwt's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Death
the_smore's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
J'adore la Batgirls!!!!
howdyellie's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
3.75
Has a lot of fun moments, but I also found it hard to follow along with what's going on. This series seems to require a lot of homework (aka reading several volumes of different character arcs).