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A review by carroq
Batgirl, Vol. 5: Deadline by Javier Garrón, Gail Simone, Marguerite Bennett, Jonathan Glapion, Fernando Pasarín, Robert Gill, Matt Ryan
4.0
Gail Simone's writing on Batgirl has been superb, and the art backs it up perfectly. There have been some bumps along the way though. Deadline wraps up this run of Batgirl really well.
Although this book doesn't have a cohesive story along all the issues, each piece is strong and adds to the character. And boy is this book off the wall compared to some of the others. Not only does it take a lighter tone at times, it dives into the supernatural elements with gusto.
It starts off with a dream sequence/alternate reality where Batgirl and Knightfall are best friends and Gotham is the safest city in the world. The art for this story is reminiscent of the rest of the series, but it is so much brighter. It gives a nice contrast to the other stories being told. Another issue has Batgirl rescuing a group of teenagers that summon a demon while playing a game.
The supernatural flavor continues with the return of Strix. She teams up with Batgirl to track down a vampire that is preying on the citizens of Gotham. There is also a story centered around Batgirl and Poison Ivy. This one is cool in concept, especially progressing over the course of a year and connecting to each of the seasons. However, I get the feeling this ties into Birds of Prey to a degree, which I have not read. That background might make this particular portion more enjoyable.
Lastly, we get to see some progression with Barbara Gordon's personal life. This isn't really separate from the other stories found in this volume. I love this book because it looks at the character from so many different angles, and each one feels valid. Having read the first book in the next run of Batgirl already, I can say this one sets it up perfectly.
Although this book doesn't have a cohesive story along all the issues, each piece is strong and adds to the character. And boy is this book off the wall compared to some of the others. Not only does it take a lighter tone at times, it dives into the supernatural elements with gusto.
It starts off with a dream sequence/alternate reality where Batgirl and Knightfall are best friends and Gotham is the safest city in the world. The art for this story is reminiscent of the rest of the series, but it is so much brighter. It gives a nice contrast to the other stories being told. Another issue has Batgirl rescuing a group of teenagers that summon a demon while playing a game.
The supernatural flavor continues with the return of Strix. She teams up with Batgirl to track down a vampire that is preying on the citizens of Gotham. There is also a story centered around Batgirl and Poison Ivy. This one is cool in concept, especially progressing over the course of a year and connecting to each of the seasons. However, I get the feeling this ties into Birds of Prey to a degree, which I have not read. That background might make this particular portion more enjoyable.
Lastly, we get to see some progression with Barbara Gordon's personal life. This isn't really separate from the other stories found in this volume. I love this book because it looks at the character from so many different angles, and each one feels valid. Having read the first book in the next run of Batgirl already, I can say this one sets it up perfectly.