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shayduhs's review against another edition
2.0
Basic graphics and a story that was all over the place
thingslucyreads's review against another edition
4.0
Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. This one was better. Alysia was in it more, and Barbara went on a date. It wasn't all doom and gloom like volume 3.
anthroxagorus's review against another edition
5.0
More weird puppetry, more crazyiness, and Gotham feels so damn hopeless, but no compliants on the writing. Love the "Homestead" piece, love the lingering question of whether Commissioner really knows who Batgirl is, love the interactions of Barbara and Alysia and I even kind of love Ricky. It's time to track down the rest of the series.
starleen's review against another edition
3.0
I think the strongest issues in this volume were the ones with Commissioner Gordon, Ricky, Knightfall and Barbara being Barbara (not Batgirl).
I wasn't a fan of The Ventriloquist and the last issue wasn't too engaging to me, but overall, I liked this volume.
I wasn't a fan of The Ventriloquist and the last issue wasn't too engaging to me, but overall, I liked this volume.
quinnster's review against another edition
4.0
I am basically reviewing issues 19-34, plus Batgirl Annual #2 and Batgirl; Future's End #1. Since I subscribe I read by issue, I don't want until the trade comes out, although that seemed to work out here for Volume 4!
I was really starting to get into this storyline. All the stuff that was going on in Barbara's family life and dating life were moving along nicely. I feel like Simone finally hit her stride. While the Ventriloquist was creepy, like other villains she didn't get her chance in the spotlight and I think that's because of the crossovers that aren't listed here (so not really Simone's fault). This is why the other day I mentioned the comic book black hole. You find that the series you're reading crossing into another series so you think you'll just buy that issue in that other series, but then what if that series is really good will you feel like you're missing something if you just jump in? Of course you will! So you start buying comics left and right and it's a neverending black hole.
But the Knightfall storyline has been going on almost since the beginning, just before Death of the Family and it gets wrapped up rather nicely here before we switch over to the Veronica Mars edition of Batgirl. (but more on that at another time)
I feel like there was still a lot more story to be told by Simone, but unfortunately, DC didn't see it that way. At least we got an ending.
The #2 Annual was also great (I love Poison Ivy) but again, I knew I needed to pick up the New 52 Birds of Prey so that really set me back a bit.
Future's End was ..... interesting.
In the end I really did grow to love Simone's Batgirl and I wish she got to spend some more time delving into that character. I'm continuing on with Fletcher and Stewart's Batgirl so we'll see how that goes.
I was really starting to get into this storyline. All the stuff that was going on in Barbara's family life and dating life were moving along nicely. I feel like Simone finally hit her stride. While the Ventriloquist was creepy, like other villains she didn't get her chance in the spotlight and I think that's because of the crossovers that aren't listed here (so not really Simone's fault). This is why the other day I mentioned the comic book black hole. You find that the series you're reading crossing into another series so you think you'll just buy that issue in that other series, but then what if that series is really good will you feel like you're missing something if you just jump in? Of course you will! So you start buying comics left and right and it's a neverending black hole.
But the Knightfall storyline has been going on almost since the beginning, just before Death of the Family and it gets wrapped up rather nicely here before we switch over to the Veronica Mars edition of Batgirl. (but more on that at another time)
I feel like there was still a lot more story to be told by Simone, but unfortunately, DC didn't see it that way. At least we got an ending.
The #2 Annual was also great (I love Poison Ivy) but again, I knew I needed to pick up the New 52 Birds of Prey so that really set me back a bit.
Future's End was ..... interesting.
In the end I really did grow to love Simone's Batgirl and I wish she got to spend some more time delving into that character. I'm continuing on with Fletcher and Stewart's Batgirl so we'll see how that goes.
dr_matthew_lloyd's review against another edition
3.0
The central conceit of this volume of Batgirl is undermined by an obvious comic book cliché. It is, really, a volume that fails principally because it is part of the eternally on-going narrative, a narrative which seems to have generally no idea how to create tension which can actually pay off, particularly when one is reading collected volumes rather than monthly instalments. There are hints of storytelling which could actually be interesting: more focus on Barbara's relationships with her roommate and her father, which are the best bits of this volume, and the tension created by her secret identity and the fact that she does not feel that she can tell either of them. Those who have read the volume will actually know that the climax of this story - the best thing in the volume which, were it better set up, would have been worth five stars - is when Barbara decides to reveal herself to her father, but he refuses to know; indeed, the suggestion is that he does know (perhaps also about Bruce Wayne/Batman), but chooses to ignore what his instincts tell him in this case. Indeed, after the revelations in the previous volume ([b:Batgirl, Vol. 3: Death of the Family|17671934|Batgirl, Vol. 3 Death of the Family|Gail Simone|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1375991987s/17671934.jpg|24670921]), one certainly wishes for more development of Barbara's relationship with Alysia and Alysia's character independently. But one does not get one's wish.
There are two main story-arcs in this volume. The first introduces a new villain, the Ventriloquist, whose clichéd act has failed to catch on and leads the metahuman to do the usual violent things bad guys do in the DC Universe. It's uninspiring, and serves only to delay the more interesting arc: the search by Commissioner Gordon for Batgirl, whom he believes to have killed his son. This story arc is good, but it is undermined by the obvious, which becomes more obvious the more Barbara insists it can't have happened:that James Gordon Jr is alive and well; that Barbara did not kill her brother; that the whole thing is essentially a big misunderstanding . The tension between Barbara and her father is quite good, although it remains underdeveloped; the story arc, which cycles violence around violence around violence, is one of those stories which looks increasingly difficult to believe when one comes from a country in which guns are less available than in the US (and the police certainly don't carry them unless on special occasions) and largely makes one wonder if Gail Simone really thinks human beings are that stupid and violent.
Barbara's Year Zero story, on the other hand, is more interesting still. Again, we begin with the usual violence as a result of disaster (one wonders how the human race survived so long if this is its behaviour), but most of the story is about how Barbara and James survive - and help others survive - in a crisis which is largely the result of circumstance rather than human intention. It's nice to read an almost-superhero story about helping people out when they need it rather than just contriving situations in which people end up being violent.
There are two main story-arcs in this volume. The first introduces a new villain, the Ventriloquist, whose clichéd act has failed to catch on and leads the metahuman to do the usual violent things bad guys do in the DC Universe. It's uninspiring, and serves only to delay the more interesting arc: the search by Commissioner Gordon for Batgirl, whom he believes to have killed his son. This story arc is good, but it is undermined by the obvious, which becomes more obvious the more Barbara insists it can't have happened:
Barbara's Year Zero story, on the other hand, is more interesting still. Again, we begin with the usual violence as a result of disaster (one wonders how the human race survived so long if this is its behaviour), but most of the story is about how Barbara and James survive - and help others survive - in a crisis which is largely the result of circumstance rather than human intention. It's nice to read an almost-superhero story about helping people out when they need it rather than just contriving situations in which people end up being violent.
nancyotoole's review against another edition
3.0
In volume four of Batgirl, the Gordon family is still recovering from the events at the end of Death of the Family. Barbara believes herself responsible for her brother's death. Even worse, her father, blames Batgirl as well, and will do anything to hunt her down. But Babs has no time to mourn, when she goes up against a terrifying foe, the Ventriloquist.
Wanted is another enjoyable volume of Batgirl by Gail Simone. There are two storylines here, one involving the the new version of the Ventriloquist, a deliciously dark and creepy villain and really creeps Babs out. In the second one, Barbara finds herself fighting against some of her biggest foes, including her own father, which adds an extra personal layer. Both stories are really good (even if the art is a little uneven), but by the end of it (I've read all four volumes of this series over the past month or so), I found myself in the mood for something a little lighter. Batgirl is a great heroine, but boy can her stories be on the dark side. I am looking forward to continuing the series, but not until I've taken a little break.
Wanted is another enjoyable volume of Batgirl by Gail Simone. There are two storylines here, one involving the the new version of the Ventriloquist, a deliciously dark and creepy villain and really creeps Babs out. In the second one, Barbara finds herself fighting against some of her biggest foes, including her own father, which adds an extra personal layer. Both stories are really good (even if the art is a little uneven), but by the end of it (I've read all four volumes of this series over the past month or so), I found myself in the mood for something a little lighter. Batgirl is a great heroine, but boy can her stories be on the dark side. I am looking forward to continuing the series, but not until I've taken a little break.
earlgreybooks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
Not my favourite Batgirl. I didn't like the story in this one, and I didn't like the art as much as in the others either.
Not my favourite Batgirl. I didn't like the story in this one, and I didn't like the art as much as in the others either.
captwinghead's review against another edition
3.0
Babs is having a terrible time.
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first 2. Probably because I felt like the Ventriloquist villain dragged this down a bit.
This is the aftermath of Babs' fight with her brother James in the last volume. I didn't think he was really dead because this is a comic book. She feels guilty and Gordon is on the warpath for Batgirl. For an interesting concept like that, we don't get as much on it as I would have thought. I'm used to Gordon being a big part of Batgirl's stories but I was surprised by how much we got outside of him in this book.
We get Babs trying to move on and she tries to retire from being Batgirl. She feel unworthy to wear the Bat symbol and she even cuts it out of her uniform. That was really interesting.
I loved Babs and Ricky together and what happens with that made me really sad. Gordon's involvement just made it worse. Babs can't enjoy anything, can she?
I loved seeing Alysia and Bab's friendship. The fight scenes were beautifully drawn, as usual. I wish I enjoyed this more.
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first 2. Probably because I felt like the Ventriloquist villain dragged this down a bit.
This is the aftermath of Babs' fight with her brother James in the last volume. I didn't think he was really dead because this is a comic book. She feels guilty and Gordon is on the warpath for Batgirl. For an interesting concept like that, we don't get as much on it as I would have thought. I'm used to Gordon being a big part of Batgirl's stories but I was surprised by how much we got outside of him in this book.
We get Babs trying to move on and she tries to retire from being Batgirl. She feel unworthy to wear the Bat symbol and she even cuts it out of her uniform. That was really interesting.
I loved Babs and Ricky together and what happens with that made me really sad. Gordon's involvement just made it worse. Babs can't enjoy anything, can she?
I loved seeing Alysia and Bab's friendship. The fight scenes were beautifully drawn, as usual. I wish I enjoyed this more.