What do you think?
Rate this book
Batgirl (2016)
Batgirl, Volume 4
Quando uma estranha nevasca passa a assolar a cidade, Batgirl é incapaz de virar as costas. Contudo, mais do que conter os estragos do fenômeno, ela precisa descobrir a causa, que está longe de parecer natural. E a situação fica ainda mais estranha com a chegada do Pinguim!
136 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2018
29 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Hope Larson
141 books716 followersHope Larson is an American illustrator and comics artist. Hope Larson is the author of Salamander Dream, Gray Horses, Chiggers, and Mercury. She won a 2007 Eisner Award. She lives in Los Angeles, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 15, 2022
A bunch of simple little one or two issue stand alone stories. There's no larger plots other than revisiting a couple of characters from earlier in Larson's run. The stories aren't bad, just forgettable. They could all be completely skipped over and you wouldn't miss a beat. A bit of a letdown for the end of Hope Larson's turn on Batgirl.
December 18, 2018
What a major disappointment compared to Volume 3 which I truly enjoyed. This? Not so much.
Honestly, this is like Saturday morning cartoon episodes here. Just a bunch of unrelated stories all pushed into one book. Batgirl dealing with Penguin on Christmas, fighting a blob creature that attacks woman in bathrooms, it's just really boring stories all put together. It's not awful, nothing offensive, and the art solid, but if you skipped this you wouldn't be missing much. A 2 out of 5.
Honestly, this is like Saturday morning cartoon episodes here. Just a bunch of unrelated stories all pushed into one book. Batgirl dealing with Penguin on Christmas, fighting a blob creature that attacks woman in bathrooms, it's just really boring stories all put together. It's not awful, nothing offensive, and the art solid, but if you skipped this you wouldn't be missing much. A 2 out of 5.
February 14, 2025
Uma leitura ok da Batgirl, seguindo sua atuação e vivência em Burnside. Temos um pouco de desenvolvimento atrelado ao que fora trabalhado no volume 1 no que tange a personagem se encontrar e as decisões de sua vida. Aqui, ela reflete um pouco sobre sua rotina e escolhas, um tema bastante interessante no gênero de super heróis, e em relação ao nosso mundo de capitalismo tardio cheio de pessoas frustradas.
Além disso, o gibi se divide em arcos curtos de 2 edições cada, que trabalham a Barbara com leveza e como ela leva a vida da Batgirl em detrimento de sua pessoa civil. Mas em relação ao volume anterior, ela conseguiu dedicar mais tempo a suas amizades.
O que vem me incomodando desde o volume 1, são as trocas de desenhistas que estão ocorrendo, pois cada um retrata a Barbara com aspectos de idades diferentes. Hora ela tem um tom mais adulto, outrora jovial e até já desenharam ela com cara de adolescente, o que é bizarro.
No geral, é um HQ ok, que está seguindo o nível das anteriores, sendo que nada grandioso é desenvolvido, mas é bacana ver a Barbara lidando com coisas do cotidiano e combatendo o crime ao mesmo tempo.
Além disso, o gibi se divide em arcos curtos de 2 edições cada, que trabalham a Barbara com leveza e como ela leva a vida da Batgirl em detrimento de sua pessoa civil. Mas em relação ao volume anterior, ela conseguiu dedicar mais tempo a suas amizades.
O que vem me incomodando desde o volume 1, são as trocas de desenhistas que estão ocorrendo, pois cada um retrata a Barbara com aspectos de idades diferentes. Hora ela tem um tom mais adulto, outrora jovial e até já desenharam ela com cara de adolescente, o que é bizarro.
No geral, é um HQ ok, que está seguindo o nível das anteriores, sendo que nada grandioso é desenvolvido, mas é bacana ver a Barbara lidando com coisas do cotidiano e combatendo o crime ao mesmo tempo.
October 19, 2018
[Read as single issues]
This final volume of Hope Larson’s Batgirl run is a bit of a mishmash of stories and creative teams, with a few fill-in stories and a much shorter arc structure in lieu of the previous longer-form storytelling. As a result, it’s a bit more inconsistent in quality – none of these stories are bad by any stretch, but some of them border on forgettable, which could almost be called worse.
We open with a Christmas themed one-shot that brings Barbara into contact with Harley Quinn; it’s a bit of a wild goose chase issue, with Harley giving Babs the runaround while she tries to use her knowledge of Burnside against the Clown Princess, but it all proves ultimately futile. I’m not sure on the portrayal of Harley here, which doesn’t feel consistent with either her own solo series or her Suicide Squad appearances (which are basically two different characters these days), but it’s fine overall, with some lovely art by Sami Basri who I haven’t seen at DC since his Power Girl days.
Cold Snap features the return of both Penguin and Son Of Penguin (who has his own supervillain name that I can’t remember). This story feels very much in tune with the previous Son Of Penguin arc, and it’s nice that Larson thought to try and give closure to the story she set up back then, but it’s probably a little too short to have much of an impact; Chris Wildgoose returns to pencil these issues, his last on the title.
Another one-shot featuring Babs teaming up with her father to fight Parasite comes next, and this is one of two issues in this trade that I can barely remember. Barbara and Jim’s relationship is one that Batgirl’s solo title has danced around before, but this issue doesn’t add enough to justify itself, considering I can’t even remember what it’s about. The same can be said of the Two-Face issue that rounds off the volume. Both of these issues are pencilled by Scott Godlewski, which is unfortunate since I don’t remember what happened, but that’s not a reflection on his art at all, which is as reliable as ever.
The best part of this volume is the titular Strange Loop arc, which slots between the two one-shots. These two issues delve into Batgirl’s psyche in a way we haven’t since the earliest days of this run, and although it again is a little short, and sometimes a tad nonsensical, it works pretty well as an endcap to the stories that Larson has told, and revisits the first arc of the series for an effective conclusion. Minkyu Jung handles art duties for these two issues.
Hope Larson’s Batgirl run has been pretty great overall, but this final volume just comes across as okay, which is a step down from before. It’s a bit disjointed, and more than a little all over the place, with some of the stories making much more of an impact than others. The art remains great throughout, but that isn’t enough to remedy the fact that some of the issues collected here just don’t are going to stick in the memory, even if you’ve got an eidetic one like Barbara herself.
This final volume of Hope Larson’s Batgirl run is a bit of a mishmash of stories and creative teams, with a few fill-in stories and a much shorter arc structure in lieu of the previous longer-form storytelling. As a result, it’s a bit more inconsistent in quality – none of these stories are bad by any stretch, but some of them border on forgettable, which could almost be called worse.
We open with a Christmas themed one-shot that brings Barbara into contact with Harley Quinn; it’s a bit of a wild goose chase issue, with Harley giving Babs the runaround while she tries to use her knowledge of Burnside against the Clown Princess, but it all proves ultimately futile. I’m not sure on the portrayal of Harley here, which doesn’t feel consistent with either her own solo series or her Suicide Squad appearances (which are basically two different characters these days), but it’s fine overall, with some lovely art by Sami Basri who I haven’t seen at DC since his Power Girl days.
Cold Snap features the return of both Penguin and Son Of Penguin (who has his own supervillain name that I can’t remember). This story feels very much in tune with the previous Son Of Penguin arc, and it’s nice that Larson thought to try and give closure to the story she set up back then, but it’s probably a little too short to have much of an impact; Chris Wildgoose returns to pencil these issues, his last on the title.
Another one-shot featuring Babs teaming up with her father to fight Parasite comes next, and this is one of two issues in this trade that I can barely remember. Barbara and Jim’s relationship is one that Batgirl’s solo title has danced around before, but this issue doesn’t add enough to justify itself, considering I can’t even remember what it’s about. The same can be said of the Two-Face issue that rounds off the volume. Both of these issues are pencilled by Scott Godlewski, which is unfortunate since I don’t remember what happened, but that’s not a reflection on his art at all, which is as reliable as ever.
The best part of this volume is the titular Strange Loop arc, which slots between the two one-shots. These two issues delve into Batgirl’s psyche in a way we haven’t since the earliest days of this run, and although it again is a little short, and sometimes a tad nonsensical, it works pretty well as an endcap to the stories that Larson has told, and revisits the first arc of the series for an effective conclusion. Minkyu Jung handles art duties for these two issues.
Hope Larson’s Batgirl run has been pretty great overall, but this final volume just comes across as okay, which is a step down from before. It’s a bit disjointed, and more than a little all over the place, with some of the stories making much more of an impact than others. The art remains great throughout, but that isn’t enough to remedy the fact that some of the issues collected here just don’t are going to stick in the memory, even if you’ve got an eidetic one like Barbara herself.
June 13, 2018
About the same.
World: The art is solid, I love that the art really emphasizes characters and emotions it’s one of the best things about the art. The world building is solid, it builds upon what Larson has done since her run with Penguin and also with Burnside. A little bit of moving the world forward but not really all that much.
Story: The four stories here are aight. It’s nothing really special and the pacing is solid but at the same time it’s rather forgettable. I really love Babs cast of characters and I wish there was more down time with them and the quiet moments that make their story so good during the Fletcher Stewart and Tarr run. I miss that, it’s almost there but not quite there. I like the issue with Gordon and I do like the villains and the tone of the book but it’s the pacing and something about this series that still doesn’t really stick, it’s like floaty and not sure of what it wants to do.
Characters: I love Babs and I want more of her out of the suit, I want her with her friends and dealing with things that young adult deal with, like identity and stuff like that. I like her here but I want more. I want more Frankie she needs to be more a part of her life and there needs to be more stories with her in it. The villains this time around were rather ho hum and forgettable so let’s leave it at that.
I really want to love this series cause it was so good before, but it’s been 4 trades and it’s still neither here nor there and I want something more solid.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
World: The art is solid, I love that the art really emphasizes characters and emotions it’s one of the best things about the art. The world building is solid, it builds upon what Larson has done since her run with Penguin and also with Burnside. A little bit of moving the world forward but not really all that much.
Story: The four stories here are aight. It’s nothing really special and the pacing is solid but at the same time it’s rather forgettable. I really love Babs cast of characters and I wish there was more down time with them and the quiet moments that make their story so good during the Fletcher Stewart and Tarr run. I miss that, it’s almost there but not quite there. I like the issue with Gordon and I do like the villains and the tone of the book but it’s the pacing and something about this series that still doesn’t really stick, it’s like floaty and not sure of what it wants to do.
Characters: I love Babs and I want more of her out of the suit, I want her with her friends and dealing with things that young adult deal with, like identity and stuff like that. I like her here but I want more. I want more Frankie she needs to be more a part of her life and there needs to be more stories with her in it. The villains this time around were rather ho hum and forgettable so let’s leave it at that.
I really want to love this series cause it was so good before, but it’s been 4 trades and it’s still neither here nor there and I want something more solid.
Onward to the next book!
*read individual issues*
January 12, 2019
Volume 4 comprised of about 5-6 short stories , mini-adventures , if you will and for most part I enjoyed them .
The stories gave a good feel of how Barbara and Batgirl were handled by Hope larson , a fun , sunlit outlook in the bat family , always witty, looking for solutions to not only problems a crime fighter faces but also problems a girl faces .
The Penguin story and the story of Batgirl attending a funeral were the best of the lot but most other stories were also fun and gave a Cartoon show episode vibe .
There is a dissapointment that this volume wasn't made up with a long story arc , but overall I definitely enjoyed this
The stories gave a good feel of how Barbara and Batgirl were handled by Hope larson , a fun , sunlit outlook in the bat family , always witty, looking for solutions to not only problems a crime fighter faces but also problems a girl faces .
The Penguin story and the story of Batgirl attending a funeral were the best of the lot but most other stories were also fun and gave a Cartoon show episode vibe .
There is a dissapointment that this volume wasn't made up with a long story arc , but overall I definitely enjoyed this
December 26, 2018
There were a few parts that dragged; but, overall an enjoyable volume. I especially love the issue with Dick Grayson, Batgirl + Nightwing For.Ev.Er.
August 22, 2019
Sad to say best part was the covers in the back.
December 11, 2020
Amei o final desse run da batgirl com uma arte de cair o queixoo e com histórias curtas e bonitas para o público teen mas que amoo toda essa coisa de auto aceitação e família a história do capa do filho do pinguim é a menos interessante porém todas são muito boas principalmente por causa da arte e do uniforme sabe aquela leitura leve é isto BATGIRL tenho vontade de pegar o arco dos novos 52...
April 11, 2019
This was an ok volume. There was very little character development and the stories were all rather disjointed when put together like this. The art is pretty good, better than some other Batgirl comics I'd read. Also, since when is The Penguin Bab's bad guy?
May 8, 2021
We love a good Christmas special.
April 30, 2019
Can you go wrong when Dick Grayson shows up without a shirt on? But seriously I will miss Hope Larson's writing on the series. She captured a lot of what I love about Barbara Gordon, her conflict between her roles as Batgirl, tech genius, a cop's daughter and friend. And the stories Larson told had a lightness I appreciated and her just plain fun.
January 13, 2019
Back to one-shots which is good, but still gummed up with inappropriate political commentary which is bad.
April 1, 2024
summer of lies slapped why does this suck
April 10, 2019
Basic plot: A series of shorts that largely revolve around Batgirl moving forward in life and deciding what she wants.
The shorts were all good, but they didn't really move the character anywhere. I suspect that this is due to real world considerations involving change of author, which is unfortunate that this should affect the story so much. The theme of change, though really suits the character's age and experience, though, and leaves the next writer plenty of room to do what they want.
The art was good as always for this series.
The shorts were all good, but they didn't really move the character anywhere. I suspect that this is due to real world considerations involving change of author, which is unfortunate that this should affect the story so much. The theme of change, though really suits the character's age and experience, though, and leaves the next writer plenty of room to do what they want.
The art was good as always for this series.
June 3, 2019
Eh, disappointing compared to the previous two volumes.
July 2, 2020
5 🌟
Barbara deals with villains that come to Burnside. She also sees Dick and works a case with her father.
Barbara deals with villains that come to Burnside. She also sees Dick and works a case with her father.
October 3, 2019
I enjoyed this collection, even if the last issue did bum me out a little bit. I'll talk about that first: I picked this up out of the reading order for Rebirth (because I'm still behind on that...), but I was in the mood for Batgirl, so I thought, "How much can it spoil, really?" The answer: A decent amount. Namely something atrocious the Joker does (murdering an innocent bride and groom) and that Batman and Catwoman's marriage doesn't work out. (I already knew that thanks to Facebook, so that wasn't too big of a spoiler, really.) But again: That was a risk I took reading out of order. But I was surprised by how bummed I was that the Bat/Cat wedding didn't happen. I wasn't too big of a fan of it, but after reading "Batman/Flash: The Button," I kind of wanted Bruce to find some happiness. I guess it's nice I have a warning, so that when I read it in the actual graphic novel it's in, it won't be such an emotional punch. That said... I still liked the message of that story: That we all have a short time in this world and each day we have is a chance to do good. That short time limit doesn't make helping others pointless; it gives helping even more significance because it means we have to make the most of the few days we have for both ourselves and for others. That was poignant, as was the moment between Barbara and Dick. I've always loved them as a couple, and seeing them having a little bit of time together gives me hope. Those panels were so sweet and sincere, and I hope we see more of them together. That story aside: the rest of the comic was pretty basic (but still awesome) comic book action. Harley's Christmas Carol felt a little political--making the guy she targeted such an extreme jerk. But I suppose that makes sense; Scrooge wasn't exactly subtle in the beginning. Of course, we ended up learning there were shades of gray and such. And we didn't get that here. Partly, that was the point: This was a quick, fun Christmas story. There wasn't time for in-depth character development. But with that part of the "Christmas Carol" story left out in this somewhat-take on it... the end result did feel a bit more shallow and rushed and, therein, political. Whether that was the intent or not, I don't know; it was just the reaction I had. I loved the next story: Penguin and son team-up to create a blizzard and control minds. The Penguin's son is a pretty cool villain for Batgirl. And then the "Strange Loop" story was a nice little look into Batgirl's character, as well as just a fun comic idea: Will Batgirl escape her own mind or die trying? My favorite story, though, was definitely, the one where Jim Gordon and Batgirl were both investigating a makeup monster attacking women who used the makeup. (Well, skin revitalizer technically, but makeup monster sounds cooler. LOL) I loved the father/daughter moments (even if Jim doesn't know she's Batgirl... though I think he secretly or subconsciously has to!) All in all, this was a pretty solid, and even varied, graphic novel. If you're a Batgirl fan, you'll definitely enjoy it.
May 10, 2019
Several different stories instead of one arc but all enjoyable and pretty consistent in quality though the last few issues are by different writers.
Hope Larson really has Batgirl's voice dialed in though and the first few issues are hers. I will miss her writing for Batgirl since this book finishes out her run.
Hope Larson really has Batgirl's voice dialed in though and the first few issues are hers. I will miss her writing for Batgirl since this book finishes out her run.
February 12, 2019
Some really solid art and some great self-contained stories. My favourite was definitely issue #1 featuring Harley and, of course, the issue featuring Dick. Sad to see Larson finish her Batgirl run but a really great farewell volume for her.
November 1, 2020
The storylines, the characters, the illustrations & feminist undertones... “Strange Loop” is by far my favourite Batgirl volume yet - Rebirth & New 52 alike. There is just so much here to love.
October 2, 2019
Larson's winning streak on Batgirl concludes with a more internal, darker insight into Barbara Gordon but still maintains its fun, flamboyant tone.
August 9, 2019
The art in this volume is really stellar and it has several really solid and fun storylines.
May 8, 2019
Batgirl: Strange Loop picks up where the previous volume left off, collecting the next eight issues (Batgirl #18–25) of the 2016 on-going series and collects the following stories: "Cold Snap" and "Strange Loop" with three one-issue stories and an extra-sized issue with four compilations stories.
"Cold Snap" is a two-issue storyline (Batgirl #19–20), which has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl facing off Oswald Cobblepot as the Penguin and his son Ethan Cobblepot as Blacksun who intends to take advantage of a blizzard to brainwash Burnside.
"Strange Loop" is a two-issue storyline (Batgirl #22–23) which has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl is briefly paralyzed when she is hit with a ray gun during a domestic attack. During her convalescence, she questions her never-ending quest of being a vigilante.
The four one-issue stories are: "White Elephant" (Batgirl #18) who has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl going against Harley Quinn in a Christmas special story. "Father Knows Best" (Batgirl #21) who has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl teaming up with her father Commissioner Gordon to solve a case. "Choices" (Batgirl #24) has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl confronting Harvey Dent as Two-Face and Batgirl 25 is a compilation of four Batgirl story in an anniversary issue.
Hope Larson (Batgirl #20–23), Shawn Aldrige (Batgirl #24) and Mairghread Scott, Marguerite Bennett, and Paul Dini (Batgirl #25) penned the trade paperback. For the most part, most of the stories are written rather well, however the amount of one-shots made the series felt hodgepodge, which makes the flow rather rugged. It felt like there was no cohesion to the trade paperback, despite liking most of the stories.
Sami Basri (Batgirl #18, 20), Scott Godlewski (Batgirl #21, 24), Minkyu Jung (Batgirl #22–23), Chris Wildgoose (Batgirl #19) and Tom Derenick, Dan Parnsian, Paul Pelletier, and Emanuela Lupacchino (Batgirl #25) are the pencilers for the trade paperback. For the most part, the penciling styles are rather distinctive and complement each other rather well, which makes the artistic flow rather jagged as well.
All in all, Batgirl: Strange Loop is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.
"Cold Snap" is a two-issue storyline (Batgirl #19–20), which has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl facing off Oswald Cobblepot as the Penguin and his son Ethan Cobblepot as Blacksun who intends to take advantage of a blizzard to brainwash Burnside.
"Strange Loop" is a two-issue storyline (Batgirl #22–23) which has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl is briefly paralyzed when she is hit with a ray gun during a domestic attack. During her convalescence, she questions her never-ending quest of being a vigilante.
The four one-issue stories are: "White Elephant" (Batgirl #18) who has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl going against Harley Quinn in a Christmas special story. "Father Knows Best" (Batgirl #21) who has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl teaming up with her father Commissioner Gordon to solve a case. "Choices" (Batgirl #24) has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl confronting Harvey Dent as Two-Face and Batgirl 25 is a compilation of four Batgirl story in an anniversary issue.
Hope Larson (Batgirl #20–23), Shawn Aldrige (Batgirl #24) and Mairghread Scott, Marguerite Bennett, and Paul Dini (Batgirl #25) penned the trade paperback. For the most part, most of the stories are written rather well, however the amount of one-shots made the series felt hodgepodge, which makes the flow rather rugged. It felt like there was no cohesion to the trade paperback, despite liking most of the stories.
Sami Basri (Batgirl #18, 20), Scott Godlewski (Batgirl #21, 24), Minkyu Jung (Batgirl #22–23), Chris Wildgoose (Batgirl #19) and Tom Derenick, Dan Parnsian, Paul Pelletier, and Emanuela Lupacchino (Batgirl #25) are the pencilers for the trade paperback. For the most part, the penciling styles are rather distinctive and complement each other rather well, which makes the artistic flow rather jagged as well.
All in all, Batgirl: Strange Loop is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series.
January 19, 2019
Hope Larson continues Batgirl's Burnside evolution in this fourth volume of the heroine. The opening act sees Harley Quinn drop in on a Christmas party, dousing a contemptible CEO with a nasty virus. As Barbara Gordon and her staffers were also infected, Batgirl and her allies follow a trail of holiday clues to locate Harley and recover the antivirus. The second arc brings a freak snowstorm to the metropolitan area. As the citizens attempt to dig out from the snow, the Penguin and his son conveniently arrive to offer their assistance. Batgirl must uncover the truth behind Cobblepot's "altruistic" nature before Burnside is left with a new mayor. Commissioner James Gordon works an odd case of bio-terror with his masked daughter for a single issue, encountering a purple-hued goo monster that seems to be attacking women in their bathrooms. A home invasion traps Babs in a unique nightmare of pleasantry, a computer hacking scheme involving Two-Face gets more complicated when an old friend chooses to act as an enemy, and Batgirl contemplates whether her actions are helpful while attending a funeral. Larson seems to have nailed the voice of the current generation with her Batgirl cast. Every character seems to be accessible, individualized, and complex. Her greatest strengths are the relationships between characters, none of which feel forced of falling into tropes. The rotating selection of artists does not disappoint either, infusing the volume with energy, attitude, and vigor. Though the stories may not be a lengthy epic, each one does satisfy in its own way. Batgirl: Strange Loop is a nice cycle of tales for any reader to get lost within.
December 6, 2019
Every time I think I’m finished with Batgirl I come back. Her story has always had so much potential, which unfortunately has only ever been half-realized. Uneven story arcs from all of her writers, even dating back to Gail Simone’s run, have kept Batgirl treading water where other superheroes seem to shine. Even Wonder Woman did pretty well under Greg Rucka, and I’m not as big of a fan of her.
While Hope Larson was an improvement over Cameron Stewart, her run lacked truly interesting plots. Batgirl’s headspace remains interesting when explored, but it was like Larson would take one step forward and then another step back. The villains and threats were tame, and DC has to commit to jettisoning the hipster shit. It doesn’t work. I’m fine with contextualizing Batgirl, but I’m sick of the storm trooper haircuts and random references to life as a Millennial.
There were also tons of references to other DC characters and their stories. That was confusing. Maybe the new writer will finally hit pay dirt on Batgirl. She needs real criminal threats to legitimize her as a superhero, and her relationships to her father and Dick Grayson should be further explored to allow for the development of ongoing, meaningful story arcs. Batman could even be involved. He is her namesake, and some occasional conflict between them would not be remiss.
While Hope Larson was an improvement over Cameron Stewart, her run lacked truly interesting plots. Batgirl’s headspace remains interesting when explored, but it was like Larson would take one step forward and then another step back. The villains and threats were tame, and DC has to commit to jettisoning the hipster shit. It doesn’t work. I’m fine with contextualizing Batgirl, but I’m sick of the storm trooper haircuts and random references to life as a Millennial.
There were also tons of references to other DC characters and their stories. That was confusing. Maybe the new writer will finally hit pay dirt on Batgirl. She needs real criminal threats to legitimize her as a superhero, and her relationships to her father and Dick Grayson should be further explored to allow for the development of ongoing, meaningful story arcs. Batman could even be involved. He is her namesake, and some occasional conflict between them would not be remiss.
March 21, 2019
This Volume has a bunch of stories, but some of them don't flow well together. Is Batgirl not putting out long arc stories?
Highlights:
- A Christmas party gone wrong turns into a puzzling chase after Harley Quinn to discover "the reason for the season"!
- A freak winter storm has Batgirl suspicious of Penguin, but really she should be looking to his son.
- A new cosmetic takes away wrinkles.... but also gets you abducted by a slime monster! Father and daughter on the case!
- A random encounter saving a civilian in their home has Batgirl trapped in her own mind... slave to her happiest thoughts: a boyfriend, saving a friend... in the dream state, if right is wrong, then maybe wrong is right.
- A new drug on the streets leads Babs to Two-Face.... but is he the one she should be watching out for?
- Regret over the death of someone she once saved has Babs learning lessons from a grieving mother AND snuggling in the arms of Dick Grayson. Are they back together for good?
Overall, the Volume seemed slightly aimless, but the stories were good. I hope Batgirl can get back to what she should be soon.
Recommend, but with hesitation.
Highlights:
- A Christmas party gone wrong turns into a puzzling chase after Harley Quinn to discover "the reason for the season"!
- A freak winter storm has Batgirl suspicious of Penguin, but really she should be looking to his son.
- A new cosmetic takes away wrinkles.... but also gets you abducted by a slime monster! Father and daughter on the case!
- A random encounter saving a civilian in their home has Batgirl trapped in her own mind... slave to her happiest thoughts: a boyfriend, saving a friend... in the dream state, if right is wrong, then maybe wrong is right.
- A new drug on the streets leads Babs to Two-Face.... but is he the one she should be watching out for?
- Regret over the death of someone she once saved has Babs learning lessons from a grieving mother AND snuggling in the arms of Dick Grayson. Are they back together for good?
Overall, the Volume seemed slightly aimless, but the stories were good. I hope Batgirl can get back to what she should be soon.
Recommend, but with hesitation.
January 29, 2019
I've really like Batgirl in the Rebirth era. It's been one of the rare DCU books that was actually fun. The first two story arcs in this book were just that. Fun. But by the end it seemed a little off, light something was off. Hope Larson's last two stories... along with Paul Dini's arc were retreading ground they had done a bit too often over the last two or three years.
And that's really what bugs me. I guess I'm just sort of nostalgic for the days when writers had enough confidence to do five or even ten year runs without showing any signs of running out of steam. It's not that I don't like change. it's that I like to be able to get used to a change and let it play out to its natural conclusion before it moves on. The worst part is, I'm not sure if Larson over stayed her welcome by a few issues or should have gotten two or three more so the last three didn't feel so discombobulated and rushed.
And that's really what bugs me. I guess I'm just sort of nostalgic for the days when writers had enough confidence to do five or even ten year runs without showing any signs of running out of steam. It's not that I don't like change. it's that I like to be able to get used to a change and let it play out to its natural conclusion before it moves on. The worst part is, I'm not sure if Larson over stayed her welcome by a few issues or should have gotten two or three more so the last three didn't feel so discombobulated and rushed.
May 3, 2019
I’m Batgirl, what do I wear today? Who am I going to date? Is my eye makeup on okay? Can I beat up a bad guy in time to make it to my Pilates appointment?
This is the kind of stuff Batgirl has to worry about these days! These stories are terrible!
They took a strong ass kickin’ character and turned her into this mess! It’s sort of like the swingin’ Batgirl from the 60’s Batman tv show... actually I think I would’ve preferred her to this!
There’s a time when Batgirl was a real force to be reckoned with, she was smart, calculating, dangerous, and able to whoop dudes and not worry about who to kiss. I hate to say it, but I think Batman needs to show up and tell her to stop playing around!
The stories are all so forgettable and the villains are terrible, just look at the 3 actor guys that try to rob a market... geesh. I love the way all the guys in this are either villains or idiots!
No more of this for me... they’ve lost a reader!
This is the kind of stuff Batgirl has to worry about these days! These stories are terrible!
They took a strong ass kickin’ character and turned her into this mess! It’s sort of like the swingin’ Batgirl from the 60’s Batman tv show... actually I think I would’ve preferred her to this!
There’s a time when Batgirl was a real force to be reckoned with, she was smart, calculating, dangerous, and able to whoop dudes and not worry about who to kiss. I hate to say it, but I think Batman needs to show up and tell her to stop playing around!
The stories are all so forgettable and the villains are terrible, just look at the 3 actor guys that try to rob a market... geesh. I love the way all the guys in this are either villains or idiots!
No more of this for me... they’ve lost a reader!
February 16, 2019
Lot of short stories in this one. Overall thoughts:
White Elephant: At a party, Harley Quinn poisons a sleezy businessman, Batgirl and a couple of Barabra Gordon's friends try to follow the trail to the antitdote and prove their own moral superiority.
Cold Snap: There's a sudden Blizard but Penguin's to the rescue. However, Batgirl senses something wrong. A callback to Volume 2. Overall, not bad but not remarkable either.
Father Knows Best: A sludge monster is coming out of the sewer to attack people in Burnside. There's a witness that gives them a clue and it leads to a team-up between Batgirl and her father (who doesn't know her identity.) Overall, a nice story with them interacting.
Strange Loop: Final written by Hope Larson. Barbara stops a woman's abusive ex, but finds old friends from her trip to Asia showing up in Volume 1 and then she gets a shocking reveal at the end of the first of the two issue story. This isn't ad, but I've seen better books using a similar plot device.
Choices: Batgirl is concerned about a young man and tries to stop him going down the wrong path. It shows her earnestness and personality which is good. Would like a it more reaction to the ending.
The Reason: A story of two halves. Batgirl deals with the death of a man in Batman: The Wedding that she'd saved in an off-panel story. She meets with the man's mother who's kind and conforming. It's a good and moving idea for a story. Unfortunately, we don't have enough for a full issue, so in the second half, Barbara rents a hotel room and meets Dick Grayson and spends the rest of the book philosophizing in her underwear until the issue ends.
Overall, while the smaller stories provided a chance to shine with some good quick stories like happened in Volume 3, but there weren't any great stories. The best stories in her were pretty good, leading to an overall mediocre feel, which has been true of every volume of this book in Rebirth except for Volume 3. Here's hoping the new writer produces something better in Volume 5.
White Elephant: At a party, Harley Quinn poisons a sleezy businessman, Batgirl and a couple of Barabra Gordon's friends try to follow the trail to the antitdote and prove their own moral superiority.
Cold Snap: There's a sudden Blizard but Penguin's to the rescue. However, Batgirl senses something wrong. A callback to Volume 2. Overall, not bad but not remarkable either.
Father Knows Best: A sludge monster is coming out of the sewer to attack people in Burnside. There's a witness that gives them a clue and it leads to a team-up between Batgirl and her father (who doesn't know her identity.) Overall, a nice story with them interacting.
Strange Loop: Final written by Hope Larson. Barbara stops a woman's abusive ex, but finds old friends from her trip to Asia showing up in Volume 1 and then she gets a shocking reveal at the end of the first of the two issue story. This isn't ad, but I've seen better books using a similar plot device.
Choices: Batgirl is concerned about a young man and tries to stop him going down the wrong path. It shows her earnestness and personality which is good. Would like a it more reaction to the ending.
The Reason: A story of two halves. Batgirl deals with the death of a man in Batman: The Wedding that she'd saved in an off-panel story. She meets with the man's mother who's kind and conforming. It's a good and moving idea for a story. Unfortunately, we don't have enough for a full issue, so in the second half, Barbara rents a hotel room and meets Dick Grayson and spends the rest of the book philosophizing in her underwear until the issue ends.
Overall, while the smaller stories provided a chance to shine with some good quick stories like happened in Volume 3, but there weren't any great stories. The best stories in her were pretty good, leading to an overall mediocre feel, which has been true of every volume of this book in Rebirth except for Volume 3. Here's hoping the new writer produces something better in Volume 5.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews