Batgirls‘ debut was such a shot of kinetic energy. Picking up after “Fear State”, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, and Barbara Gordon are a bit wobbly having to find a new headquarters and lay low. The Batgirls are being blamed for the destruction of the clock tower, their former base, and have a foe who’s as good on the computer as Barbara. Now, they have some disciples of the Magistrate to contend with too. Batgirls #2 introduces us formally to The Saints, a trio of villains who follow Simon Saint and use his technology to fight crime.

Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad Batgirls #2 kicks things off with those solid additions to the Batman rogue gallery. Each character of the trio could be a stand-alone villain but the three together bring a shot of technology that you don’t see a ton of in Batman comics. Like the Magistrate himself, the three each have a tech suit that gives them a style and focus that feels a bit like a video game. Each has a role. There’s Tarsus, the brute/tank, Valentine who is the assassin type, and then Assisi is the tech person and sniper. While each has a silo we’ve seen before, it’s still an interesting group and switches up the terror that Simon Saint brought with his Magistrate program.

What’s particularly solid about these two issues is that they seem to have a nice theme running through them. The Batgirls, The Saints, and the mystery zombie issue, all have a tinge of blind faith about them. Each is a group that’s following someone and putting their trust, and blinders, on because of that. How deep the series will explore this will be interesting but there’s a great dynamic being set up all around.

The art by Jorge Corona with color by Sarah Stern and lettering by Becca Carey is unique. The comic continues to pop with the same kinetic energy from that first issue. The art style is “pop art” in the same way tagging and graffiti is. And they share a style in many ways, in fact graffiti is part of the story. There’s an exaggeration between the art styles that works here to bring about the youthful energy of the characters from the comic and delivers the exuberance in visuals that jump from the page.

Batgirls #2 is another solid issue. It delivers the same excitement and fun as the debut issue. There’s a style about it that lets you know this is a comic that knows what it is… and that’s a hell of a lot of fun. Even if you don’t know the characters, this is a series to check out and join in on. It’s hard to get through it without finding yourself smiling and enjoying the energetic ride.

Story: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad Art: Jorge Corona
Color: Sarah Stern Letterer: Becca Carey
Story: 8.4 Art: 8.65 Overall: 8.5 Recommendation: Buy

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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