Batgirl #3

Series: Batgirl
Words: Gail Simone
Images: Adrian Syaf, Vincent Cifuentes
Issue Number: 3
Release Date: November 2011
Format: Comic

 

Batgirl 3 is amazing. We see more discussion of disability issues in terms of Babs. Especially in terms of her frustration with how everyone else is over protecting her. As a woman with a disability I can relate to that frustration. There are times when people step in too much, where there are things that I can do for myself and the people who love me try to take that control out of my life. Experiences like this are not unusual for people with disabilities. I like to see that reflected in Bab's recover. The more I read the less I am worried about Batgirl becoming an able-ist story that ignores the spinal cord injury or the impact that has had on Barbara's life.

 

A total side note.  Minor spoiler but has nothing to do with the actual plot or story line really. Barbara is no longer seeing her physical therapist. I am relived. Working in the disability field. Having a disability myself. Like I said in my last review that was a huge sticking point. There is no way a professional organization would support a physical therapist having a relationship with their client / patient. I am left very happy to see that relationship is over.

 

Nightwing shows up and Simone's writing of Nightwing is amazing. All the character traits that have my back up in the most recent Nightwing run suddenly are given a context. And one of the best parts? One while he still the rich play boy, he is also a human under that. Also, we see him within the rest of the D.C. world. We see a Nightwing that fits into the current D.C. universe that fits in with the existing Nightwing run. I am much more impressed with this over say the many, many, many different versions of Batman.

 

Batgirl is one of the better reads coming out of D.C. these days. If you are not reading it already well then you probably should.

Nightwing #2

Series: Nightwing
Words:  Kyle Higgins
Images: Eddy Barrows, J.P. Mayer, Paulo Siqueira
Issue Number: 2
Release Date: It reads December 2011 but we got it in October
Format: Single Issue comic

Nightwing is one of the comics we are pulling that I want to like. I am trying so very hard to like. It is a character I never had a ton invested in (outside of his time with Barbara Gordon). But he is a character that the mister includes on his top five.

I left the first issue feeling impressed that it was more character driven then action. After reading issue two? Well I would like to eat my hat. After such a strong start in issue two Nightwing promptly takes a tale spin downwards.

I will probably keep reading it because the mister will keep pulling it. I would probably be tempted to give up on it after this. Not fair since I am giving other runs a longer trial. But well I am emotionally invested in those characters or the potential they can bring to the D.C. universe.

So where in my opinion did it go wrong? This issue was pretty almost totally action based and to be honest I found the action dull. Dick / Nightwing reads like a bit of a Mary Sue at this point. His interactions with the other characters come across as very plastic and superficial. They failed to build on the strengths of issue one which was attention to detail and character development. Nightwing’s muscles did not really need to have muscles on them. He went from being attractive to … scary looking. And that is coming from a woman who lives with a guy who works out twice a day for an hour each time and lifts weights. One of the things I liked about the first issue is while Nightwing was the attention to detail in terms of exercise equipment in the loft.

At this point I would not suggest anyone invest too heavily in the D.C.'s relaunch of Nightwing. I will let you know if it improves. For those of you who left comments saying that you hope that the relaunch would mean less of the Play Boy Nightwing... well please just ignore this entire run. By the end of the second issue he's sleeping with a childhood friend from the circus on a plane in between action scenes. Yes that is right. Nightwing reads like the Transformers movies.

Nightwing #1

Series: Nightwing
Words: Kyle Higgins
Images: Eddy Barrows, J.P. Mayer
Issue Number: 1
Release Date: In reality September but our cover reads November 2011
Format: Comic

After the crushing disappointment of Birds of Prey. I decided to opt out of reading Wonder Woman (one of my favourite female super heroes) to read Nightwing. I'm less invested in Nightwing and I'm less likely to freak out over issues of representation and regressions of female characters (hopefully). Now that I have said that I am going to curl up on the sofa with a tasty drink and devour Nightwing.

And oh my goodness my pallet has been cleansed.

Once again Gotham is all shaded details and harsh lines. It is a very good look on Gotham.

In the first issue of Nightwing we get to see Dick Grayson faced with his old troupe coming back to town. You find out enough back details about his family, his parent's death, his time in the circus and his later adoption by Bruce Wayne / Batman to discover enough of his back story that a new comer would not feel totally lost.

There are small details I noticed that were great. Grayson's apartment? Had weights in it. Like he magically wasn't cut the way he was. I liked that attention to detail and that practical reality put into the background of a comic.

Unlike Birds of Prey the nod to Babs made me smirk. For those of you new to the D.C. world it's a little in joke you may have missed. Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon have a huge history a mile wild. They are on again and off again as quickly as either one changes authors.

So when Dick Grayson makes the comment he's always had a weakness for red heads... I did have to giggle quite a bit.



Unlike most of the others I've read in the relaunch this issue was less action and more direct character development. And I loved it. If you like the Gotham universe or you like Batman or you like the thought of Batman's slightly more human son as a super hero well this is the comic for you.



If you aren't interested in Gotham or the Batman universe well then maybe check it out because it is fairly well drawn (nothing as heart stopping as Batwoman but still good work mister art person) and the writing so far is top notch. I have a sneaky feeling it would make a great gateway comic for people who have already been exposed to graphic novels and feel like testing the water.

There certainly is potential for the story line to get me up in arms. Especially in terms the main character's relationship with women. But I'm willing to at least give this one a shot.