Batgirl (2016-), Vol. 8: The Joker War

Batgirl (2016)

by Cecil Castellucci, Robbi Rodriguez (Artist), Aneke (Artist)

“The Joker War” targets Barbara, as an era of Batgirl comes to a close! Why is Barbara in the hospital, and what is James Gordon Jr. doing here? After an encounter with The Joker leaves Barbara temporarily disabled, Babs is determined to find the technology she needs, but her journey’s cut short when a redhead-serial killer is on the loose! Will James Jr. prove to be the changed person he claims to be? Plus, Ryan Wilder, The CW’s new Batwoman, makes her comic book debut!

Collects Batgirl #45-50.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Batman, Superheroes, Comic Book, Science Fiction

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2021

About the author

Cecil Castellucci is an author of young adult novels and comic books. Titles include Boy Proof, The Year of the Beasts (illustrated by Nate Powell), First Day on Earth, Rose Sees Red, Beige, The Queen of Cool The Plain Janes and Janes in Love (illustrated by Jim Rugg), Tin Star Stone in the Sky, Odd Duck (illustrated by Sara Varon) and Star Wars: Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure.

Her short stories have been published in various places including Black Clock, The Rattling Wall, Tor.com, Strange Horizons, Apex Magazine and can be found in such anthologies such as After, Teeth, Truth & Dare, The Eternal Kiss, Sideshow and Interfictions 2 and the anthology, which she co-edited, Geektastic.

She is the recipient of the California Book Award Gold Medal for her picture book Grandma's Gloves, illustrated by Julia Denos, the Shuster Award for Best Canadian Comic Book Writer for The Plain Janes and the Sunburst Award for Tin Star. The Year of the Beasts was a finalist for the PEN USA literary award and Odd Duck was Eisner nominated.

She splits her time between the heart and the head and lives north and south of everything. Her hands are small. And she likes you very much.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batgirl fights some girl who can manipulate gold in a really stupid 2 part story. Then it's the Joker War tie in and it's done really well. Robbi Rodriquez's art has grown into something of a Sean Murphy look. Then James Jr. returns is a telegraphed story before Barbara decides she needs to help people at a more grass roots level. Strangely enough, the new Batwoman from the CW, Ryan Wilder, makes a brief appearance as a homeless woman in the last issue. None of it's bad, but it is unfocused at times.

[Vinicius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finalizando os encadernados da Batgirl Renascimento (mas sem terminar todo o run da personagem, pois ainda vai até a edição 50 em Joker War), eu fico pensando o quanto essa série caiu de qualidade ao decorrer das revistas. Não que as histórias foram excelentes ou algo do tipo, mas eram medianas a ponto de serem divertidas de serem lidas, o que não aconteceu nesse volume 8 e no anterior.

O gibi começa com uma história envolvendo magia e fantasia, como uma aventura de RPG, em que a Batgirl entra em um mundo controlado por um escritor, e tanto o problema quanto a solução são resolvidos com o poder do amor. Uma cafonisse sem fim, com diálogos bem fracos.

Em sequência, a trama passa para um antagonismo um pouco mais urbano, combinando com a personagem, embora ainda haja elementos bizarros.

Mesmo nesse segundo momento do encadernado, a antagonista se mostra pouco atrativa e não convence o leitor, sendo que destaco apenas a reflexão e breve abordagem quanto a visão que as pessoas ricas têm dos moradores de rua.

Ademais, destaco que dessa última edição, me agrada os momentos em que a deixam de lado trabalhar esses vilões pouco carismáticos que criaram para personagem, e focam em abordar a vida pessoal da Babs no que tange sua atuação político-social pelo bairro

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5, rounded up.

Batgirl faces off against a gold-mad King Midas wannabe, before the Joker comes a'calling and the Joker War hits Burnside hard!

There's only so many times you can revisit the Killing Joke and its effect on Barbara before the well runs dry. It's been done so many times, and it runs the risk of being repetitive, and boring, and not saying anything new. Luckily, Cecil Castellucci has something to say, and these issues pretty much cover it. Babs' latest confrontation with the Joker have an air of vindication about them, and while the plot points around her brother aren't pulled off with quite as much flair, this isn't a bad tie-in at all.

The opening two issues are neither here nor there - I think this story got swapped in at the last minute, because it's a little rushed, and doesn't really go anywhere at all.

The final issue of the trade, 50, wraps up everything Castellucci's been doing thus far, with varying degrees of effect. Some of the vignettes here land a little better than others, and the introduction of new CW Batwoman Ryan Wilder is barely worth mentioning other than she's there? It's a nice way to shut the door on this chapter of Babs' life, but I don't think said door fits inside the frame entirely right.

The artwork's fairly solid throughout though - Carmine Di Giandomenico takes the first two issues so they look great even if they're not fantastic storywise, while Mr. Spider-Gwen himself Robbi Rodriguez takes the Joker War stories. It's a shame Batgirl never really got a solid rotating creative team, but these guys are hardly anything to sniff at.

Batgirl's final collection for now is a mixed bag of tricks. The Joker War stuff is spectacular, but everything else has a little trouble sticking the landing. The great art and a few fist-pump moments during the Joker War itself save this from a lower rating, but it's definitely more uneven than the rest of Castellucci's run.

[Ben Truong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batgirl: The Joker War picks up where the previous volume left off, collecting the last six issues (Batgirl #45–50) of the 2016 on-going series. It collects seven semi-interconnected stories.

"Inner Light" (Batgirl #45) and "Stay Gold" (Batgirl #46) has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl teaming up with Batwoman and Jason Bard to take down Dasha Berlova – a criminal that could manipulate gold.

"The Anatomy of a Joke" (Batgirl #47) and "Gordons Never Give Up" (Batgirl #48–49), which has Barbara Gordon as Batgirl teaming up with James Gordon, Jr., James Gordon, and Luke Fox to take on the Joker – a tie-in issues to The Joker War storyline.

Batgirl #50 is the last and anniversary issue of the Batgirl series. It contains three stories: "Little Wonders" is the epilogue for The Joker War tie-in as well as one for the series. "Stay Centered" is a day in the life of Batgirl as she interacts with other heroes to catch the villain. "Game Night" has Barbara Gordon, Dinah Drake, Helena Bertinelli, Cassandra Cain, and Stephanie Brown play a game of Dungeons and Dragons, which was interrupted briefly by a crime.

Cecil Castellucci penned the entire trade paperback. For the most part, it was written moderately well. It is just that the trade paperback has many focuses, which makes it incohesive with an unmemorable villain who can manipulate gold and generic villains cast for the final issue. The stories for The Joker War tie-in fair better as it concentrate on the relationship with the Gordons: Barbara – the Vigilante, James Jr., - the Criminal, and James Gordon – the Commissioner.

Robbi Rodriguez (Batgirl #47–49), Carmine Di Giandomenico (Batgirl #45–46), and Emanuela Lupacchino, Marguerite Sauvage, and Aneke (Batgirl #50) penciled the trade paperback. For the most part the penciling styles for each penciler is rather distinctive, which makes the artist flow rather choppy, but it is somewhat mitigated with each penciler taking on one story.

Overall, this series of Batgirl was written and constructed rather well. Hope Larson started the series out rather strong – introducing a new Batgirl in a new uniform in a new part of Gotham City – Burnside, which is a trendy and youthful part of the city. She was followed up by Mairghread Scott and Cecil Castellucci with mixed and uneven results.

All in all, Batgirl: The Joker War is a somewhat good conclusion to an overall good series.

[Clodagh · Rating 2 out of 5]

what.

[Batgirl_ALT_21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A redeeming ending for a beloved heroine ✌️😄. The beginning drags quite a lot with the 'energetic gold' story arc and mini team-up with Batwoman but once we get to the center with the Joker Cameo/Joker War tie in things pick up quite nicely 👍. The Jame Gordon Jr. section was well done and felt so surreal. It accurately depicted his mental health problems and inability to control himself. The conclusion to that arc went in an entirely different direction and left a new scar on Batgirl's/Barbara's heart. I'm interested in seeing this arc progress in the future and wonder how this singular event will affect Barbara in the long run. The conclusion lends itself to Batgirl championing the message of a better tomorrow to the people of Gotham is uplifting and awe-inspiring. I like the idea of Barbara once again recognizing her skills, internal strength, and willpower to make the city of Gotham a better place. Aging this heroine up was definitely the right call and the reconciliation with Jason Bard, her father, and Bruce was all well done. The only problem was the anger she seemed to be holding against Dick to the point where she iced him out in order to 'almost' justify her relationship with Jason Bard. Kinda twisted if you ask me, especially after all the history these 2 have together. The inclusion of Luke Fox regarding Barbara's implant was nicely done and recognized their shared history from the Rebirth arc. Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to the future of Batgirl as a late 20-something early 30-something hero. Bring it on DC 😁👍❤️🦇!!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Plot: Babs faces a lot of trials.

There were about 3 distinct storylines in this volume, plus the final issue, which had several arcs of its own. Obviously, it was a lot. Her potential relationship with Jason was a common thread throughout almost all of them. I'm really sad to see this book end. I like the art and I love the stories. Babs is a character who I enjoy from all angles. The book was refreshingly human, and Babs fighting for social justice in her non-Bat-life made me happy. Hopefully, she'll come back again soon.

[Andy Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Batgirl: The Joker War" is a compilation of five comic issues starring the redheaded, yellow-caped crusader herself, including a few additional bonus adventures.

The first couple of issues center on Batgirl facing off against a powerful scientist, using people to experiment some type of enhanced electricity. Then she faces off the Joker once again in a battle of wits. The last couple of issues focus on her solving an uncomfortable murder mystery while working tirelessly on fixing the many complicated issues that plague Gotham.

For the most part, I found this compilation enjoyable. The art work was great to look at and although the change in styles between issues threw me off a bit at first, I wouldn't say there was any panel that didn't draw me in to Barbara's life as she deals with the hand that Gotham throws her way. I've always considered myself a fan of Batgirl overall, and this comic didn't change that. It's great to read through Barbara's thoughts as she fights tooth and nail, both physically and mentally, to save the home she loves. This characteristic and the added message that saving Gotham is more than what it seems, adds a bit of depth to Batgirl I hadn't seen before.

I guess the only parts of "Batgirl: The Joker War" I found confusing were entirely my own. Right at the start you can tell that the compilation begins in the middle of an already running series, as characters keep referencing past events as if they expect you to know what happened, which I didn't. I did appreciate the writer adding in asterisks explaining where each reference came from.

I also found it odd that the entire compilation was called "The Joker War", as the Joker only makes an appearance in one issue. A majority of this graphic novel was focused on the opening electricity scheme and the murder mystery. Why not name the compilation after that? But that's just a nitpick and I'm sure there's something that I'm missing here.

But overall, I found these Batgirl adventures fun to go through. They almost gave off the vibe of watching a slightly more mature Saturday morning cartoon. In fact, I might try to connect the issues together all the way back to #1 and start from the beginning, so that way I can truly experience everything this version of Barbara went through.

[Joel Kirk · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book slightly improves over the previous collection Oracle Rising, but not by much.

The first story arc is about an industrialist named Dasha Berlova who wants to create prosthetics with molten gold mixed with unique metal.

She, Dasha, even has henchmen kidnapping people off the street and others (with zero backstories) to hover over a pit of molten gold where it somehow turns them into gold.

And no unique metal is mixed in with the gold beforehand.

Dasha is trying to use this method to bring dead family members back and reanimate them. Still, the writer, Cecil Castelucci, needs to be more precise on how she will do that, especially considering this inconsistent and weird gold/prosthetics method.

Batwoman shows up to help Batgirl, just because, and stops Dasha. Yet, again, we need clarification on Dasha's plans or how gold-mixed prosthetics work, even though the story tells us she's received media attention for merging unique metal with gold for prosthetics.

Yes, I can understand making prosthetics created from metal and real gold, but experimenting on people to reanimate dead family members is not related well.

The second story arc is about the Joker coming to torture Barbara again by messing with the implant that allows her to walk after the villain shoots her in The Killing Joke.

It was a 'meh' story: An overused Joker in a random tale.

The third arc brings back James Gordon, Jr., who, again, acts like he's turning over a new leaf and wants to make amends with Barbara and James Gordon, Sr., but turns out to be the baddie. In this case, the murderer of other redheads dressed as Batgirl.

The following story, a standalone titled 'Little Wonders,' was probably the best in the book ~ but that's not saying much.

'Little Wonders' continues the Jason Bard/Barbara Gordon romance and has Congresswoman Alejo, whom Gordon supported issues ago, not the hero Barbara thought Gotham needed or deserved.

The last story, 'Stay Centered,' wasn't anything to write home about.

On a more positive note, the variant cover for Issue #46 by Inhyuk Lee was beautiful and sexy. I also liked the ones for #48 by Ian McDonald and #49 by Mirka Adolfo.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
Volume 8 of this run of Batgirl focuses pretty heavily on Barbara's personal life and how she balances that with her time as a hero. Self-contained, feeling like a more mature book again, and the loose ends tied up here make me hopeful for the strength of the title to come back strong.
Highlights:
- Rival Dasha Berlova is trying to pass off some new tech as a renewable energy source, but is really trying to use it to bring back her family from the dead. After playing into her obsession, Batgirl takes her down, but City Council wants to explore its possibilities for power.
- As her connection to Joker War, the Clown Prince himself stops by her apartment and tries to get passwords out of her. Using a machine that allows him to control her implant, she has to cut it out of her own back to stop Joker from using her like a puppet. Batwing must come help her reinstall her implant so she can walk again.
- When "Batgirl" shows up dead in an alley, Batgirl begins to investigate. Several other women fitting the physical profile are found dead in Batgirl costumes as well. The investigation leads down and is revealed to be Babs brother James. When she confronts him, he reveals that he has an uncontrollable evil side, and jumps off a building in a moment of clarity, killing himself. BUT... via the angle from the street, it appears to Jim Gordon as if Batgirl has killed him.
- Barbara wants to start a relationship with Jason Bard, but feels guilty for him not knowing her as Batgirl. As a compromise to telling her identity, she instead visits him as Batgirl and makes peace by apologizing.

Overall, I really feel like the immaturity of her time in Burnside is over, and Batgirl is back to the adult, responsible, heroine she always was and is meant to be.
Recommend.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Killing Joke is one of the most famous Batman stories of all time. Hell, it might be one of the most famous comic stories period. And Barbara Gordon as a character, has basically been forever changed and molded by that moment. So it stands to reason that in the years after, many writers have "gone back to that well" so to speak, to further build on the Joker and what he did to her physically as well as mentally and emotionally.

And this is why the Joker War tie in issues in this volume worked surprisingly well. Because while all the other members of the Bat family - save for Bruce and Jason - are scared of the Joker on a surface level, Barbara has a deeper fear of him and Cecil Castellucci did a fantastic job of building on that fear and hesitancy when it comes to confronting him. The situation with the Joker is not only a physical fear, but it goes down much deeper for Barbara.

Outside of that story, we have a story about a Midas-like character who turns things to gold. That was pretty much by the numbers. And then we have the final issue which touches on the legacy of Batgirl and how she contributes and how she can continue to contribute to society. To be honest, the send off was a bit lack luster, but I understand where Castellucci was aiming for.

Overall, the Batgirl run was fun and cool at times. I think Castellucci did a great job with the character and look forward to seeing her pop up next time.

[Jamie Revell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection begins with a story in which Batgirl fights a villain who kills people using liquid gold and... actually that's about it. There's some attempt to tie it in with Barbara's ideals, but basically, it's a fight with the odd one-liner thrown in here and there and little more than that. It's followed by the obligatory Joker War tie-in, which is little more than a do-over of The Killing Joke with a different outcome and a hint at long-term consequences that are unlikely to be followed up. The third part is the best, dealing with the creepy idea of a serial killer who dresses his victims up after killing them. The ending of that is good, putting Barbara in a difficult position... but it's also an ending that's been done before, with the same characters. And then we get a more reflective piece that shows how Batgirl is different from the rest of the Bat-family, contrasting the nature of her beliefs with theirs.

There's nothing really bad in this, and there are some good bits here and there, but there's nothing standout either. Castellucci's run seems to have been trying hard to find what makes Barbara tick, but it lacks the freshness of its predecessors in the series, and, in this volume, spends too much time rehashing the past.

[Norman Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Castellucci is known for infusing a lot of characterization into her work and this volume is no different. Batgirl is written here more as a community activist than a gut-punching superhero, although there is quite a bit of that. Some of the stories seemed either rushed or just marking time until the series finale. The tie-in to the Joker War crossover event was good, although how many times can DC regurgitate The Killing Joke? (I think DC just needs to permanently put Barbara Gordon back as Oracle and either retire Batgirl or get some other character to take it over.) This volume references several events that take place in other books, so some of what happens is a bit confusing if you haven't read those other books (and the major events of Nightwing: The Joker War are only tangentially mentioned). The art is serviceable.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea why this has such a low rating! I'll admit that the first two issues were a little slow and the art a little iffy but after that, it was incredible. I loved Robbi's art in Marvel's Spider-Gwen run so it was great to see him here. His style really suited the Joker and brought the character to life. Loved the intensity of the story between Babs and her brother. The underlying romance plot was also very well done between her and Jason. Overall, a very solid volume. If you're a huge Batgirl fan like me, please give this a chance!

[Mohan Vemulapalli · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Batgirl: The Joker War" has some solid stories but fails to gel as a graphic novel. This book ties together three different sequential plot ars that do not have a close relationship to each other and also contains to unrelated short stories. The actual "Joker War" plot arc comes across as incomplete and borderline incoherent because it is so closely connected to material from other titles that is referenced in this volume but not included. Finally, the last plot arc, which seems to be designed to end the series seems short and incomplete.

[Chase B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than the beginning issue with the pseudo-Midas electric gold type character, I really enjoyed this. There is some great focus done that really highlights the mindfulness Barbara has for the community. You can tell her time as a public servant in the form of a librarian fuels her drive in helping with a local government official. The tie-in with the Joker War is also a great battle with throwbacks to the Killing Joke.

Plus, I couldn't help but smile at the little bonus issue on the end of a D&D night with other superheroines to help them train in a way to think outside the box.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had been a good run on Batgirl but this writer didn't land for me, seeming too grim and consistently reducing the character to her trauma instead of the resourceful person we saw in the Gail Simone or Batgirl of Burnside runs. This was not a fun read, and I had to heavily skim sections like the electric gold story or yet another round of Batgirl vs her brother (with the same ending Gail Simone had).

[Will Cooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Positive note: I enjoy the talk and doing of Batgirl/Barbara doing actual helping for the community.

Negative notes: the rest. Batgirl vs a gold-manipulating boring villain. Joker War tie in. REMEMBER THE KILLING JOKE? DO YOU HAPPEN TO REMEMBER IT AT ALL?! And the last one is a spoiler as for why it was boring and overdone.

Pass. ;)

[quinnster · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a final 6 issues this was rather disappointing. The political stuff was dry and dull and except for issues 45, 46 and the D&D Birds of Prey short at the end of 50 the art was not great. The Many Deaths of Batgirl was pretty good but for all being part of the Joker Wars it was all pretty boring.

[Bryce · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is a bit all over the place. The themes are inconsistent throughout - going between a political romance and a mystery thriller. I felt the editing was too heavy-handed, every few pages a reference to a previous comic being brought up. The story overall was very predictable, and it was just entertaining enough to get through it.

[KeviledEggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars actually.

It’s solid, I just feel like it’s not a great conclusion to the entire run. It explores some of the stuff brought up in previous, but I would rather have the conclusion not be entirely brought upon by Batman’s big story/event.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really only read this because of the issue(s) within that tied in to The Joker War. Having not read any previous Batgirl comics, there was a lot I wasn't up to speed on. Some major things happen, as this contained the final issues of the series run, but it OK, not great.

[Elli]

ahh great volume! love Jason and Barabara together :))

[Megan Farve · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline was disjointed and the art was atrocious.

[Kris Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down, an otherwise great Joker War tie-in and a Gordon family arc is marred by a lackluster opening arc and a quick issue 50 meant to end the series.

[Shaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Daniel Butcher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another barely Joker War tie in.

So very dense and not my style.

[J.R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

What on Earth happened to Jim Gordon and why is he so ridiculously out of character?

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to follow cause its part of a bugger story that I don't plan on reading.

[Adam Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

This brings us to the end of Barbara Gordon's Batgirl series.

We start with an unengaging mystery and a Batwoman appearance, a tie-in to Joker War that calls back to the classic Killing Joke comic while being over the top, hammy, and ridiculous. Then a somewhat more interesting mystery about someone killing red heads and dressing them up as Batgirl, and then a big oversized Issue 50 where she's doing stuff and showing attitude to a lot of people. We get some back-up stories. One that's somewhat bleh, and another that's decent with the apparent message that girsl should play DnD.

And that's it. Fifty issues of Batgirl come to a close. There were multiple creative teams, some good story arcs, some bad story arcs, but never really a consistent direction. The book seems to have existed mainly because someone thought there should be a Barbara Gordon Batgirl comic, and there should be, but she deserves better than she got, particularly in this sputtering conclusion to her book.