Batgirl #3
Written by: Hope Larson
Art by: Rafael Albuquerque
Cover by: Rafael Albuquerque
Variant cover by: Francis Manapul
“Beyond Burnside” part 3! After Batgirl faces off against a second villain with the mark of “The Student,” she must set off to Korea to get to the bottom of the mysterious attacks before someone close to her gets caught in the crossfire!
This January, Batgirl is headed home— with a new artist and new villain to kick off the next arc! Artist Christian Wildgoose will take over art duties once Rafael Albuquerque’s run concludes with Batgirl #6. Wildgoose joins writer Hope Larson upon Batgirl’s return home in “Son of Penguin.” Since the launch of Rebirth, Barbara Gordon has left Burnside and Gotham behind for some well-earned time off. Traveling to Japan, Singapore and more she’s been on a quest to train with the most elite masters of the East— as well as taking a break from her everyday crimefighting life. But where she goes, danger always follows.
In Batgirl #7, the Batgirl we know and love returns to Burnside to find an entirely different city than the one she left behind. Due to a boom in tech start-up companies, Burnside is now trendier than ever, leaving Babs to feel out of place in her newly gentrified neighborhood. But it’s not all a loss. She’ll soon meet a dashing and handsome techie named Ethan, only to find out that her striking beau has a familiar last name—Cobblepot! Will her new found romance bring her more trouble than she was ready for? You’ll have to find out.
Check out these beautiful promo pieces from Christian Wildgoose here! The new arc “Son of Penguin” debuts January 25th in Batgirl #7.
You know when you have to take a three-hour train ride from your current home city to another city for a cool event or to visit friends? Batgirl #3 is the comic book equivalent of that train ride. Sure, the seats are comfortable, there is wi-fi, and you have time to relax and read, but it’s just a transitional period before the real fun starts. Batgirl #3 does have its good bits, like artist Rafael Albuquerque and colorist Dave McCaig’s depiction of the punishment that Batgirl takes from the MMA fighter Wen Lu or her eidetic memory. Writer Hope Larson also uses thought bubbles to provide a barbed running commentary on Babs’ interaction with an annoying businessman on her plane ride to Seoul, which skewers both public transportation harassment and modern day snake oil salesmen like But the issue is all setup for the real fun stuff, like a Seoul rooftop battle between Batgirl and Teacher’s acolytes as well as more information about her friend Kai’s secret.
The thought bubbles are both a blessing and a curse in Batgirl #3. At their best, they allow us access to Batgirl’s immediate unfiltered thoughts like how she got beat up so badly in her MMA fight that she had to access her long term memory to remember what happened. At their worst, Larson simply narrates the action on the panel like when Batgirl tries to investigate the connection between Wen Lu and Teacher through various gadgets. The thought bubbles get in the way of Albuquerque and McCaig’s art of Batgirl’s stealthy recon. They are clear enough storytellers for readers to piece together the investigation and the trap that Wen Lu sets for her.
On a more positive note, Larson and Albuquerque tag team to make Batgirl a mixture of competence and vulnerability. Of course, she gets dropped by one of the best MMA fighters in East Asia, but she uses this loss to train and choose a different move to take out her opponent. (Wen Lu gets away because there are a few issues in 
this arc to go.) Albuquerque doesn’t shy away from showing the bruises on Babs’ face after she gets her ass kicked, but he almost immediately cuts to a double page “rewind” spread where she replays the events of the fight in her head. These pages allow readers to get a look at Babs’ thought process as he zooms into her mistakes in the fight and when she got distracted by the “Student” tattoo that she saw on her opponent in Batgirl #1. Batgirl isn’t just a superhero, but a lifelong student too, and a second chance can be deadly for her enemies. (Unfortunately, the second chance in this issue gets delayed until Batgirl #4 is released.) Albuquerque should also be praised for giving both Batgirl, her trainer May Hao, and Wen Lu physiques that look like they practice combat sports than making them look like the stereotypical wasp waisted super model superheroines.
Batgirl #3 is a well-executed table setting issue as Rafael Albuquerque excels at showing Barbara Gordon as a superhero, beaten down MMA fighter, and as a suspicious friend as she and Kai part ways. Hope Larson keeps most of the information about him hidden and spends most of the issue switching the setting from Singapore to South Korea. Her plot is connect the dots detective work and sets up a battle royale in an upcoming issue so don’t sleep on this comic just yet.
Story: Hope Larson Art: Rafael Albuquerque Colors: Dave McCaig
Story: 6 Art: 8 Overall: 7 Verdict: Read
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Remember when two months seemed like forever to wait for the continuation of Goldie Vance, one of BOOM!’s cutest and most intriguing new series? Good news: Goldie is back. Hope Larson and Brittney Williams’s kid-friendly series returns with Goldie Vance #5, which begins a new arc for the young detective.
The first arc of the series followed Goldie as she and her friends at the Crossed Palms Resort tried to solve the mysterious disappearance of a resort guest, which culminated in Goldie losing and regaining her job as a resort valet. It set up a solid cast of characters that is equally important and developed as Goldie, emphasizing a theme of friendship and support. Issue 5 continues this theme by exploring Goldie’s relationships with her friends and coworkers as well as the amazingly cool Diane.
In this new arc, Goldie is thrown right into the center of a mystery when an unconscious Jane Doe turns up on the resort beach. And she’s an astronaut. Goldie’s friend Cheryl, whose lifelong dream is to become an astronaut, also plays a central role. This immediately causes problems for the resort and sets up a conflict between Goldie and Cheryl, a plot point that allows the reader to see that even though Goldie is well-intentioned, she is still a flawed character.
The art, as always, is another high point for the series. Brittney Williams has a fun and wonderfully consistent style that is absolutely perfect for the series. Combined with Sarah Stern’s coloring, the two create a book that, though fun for adults to read, is great for its intended younger audience. The retro style and palette is engaging and whimsical, and kids will not only relate to Goldie’s enthusiasm and nose for trouble, but her expressions as well. Williams’s comedic timing with Goldie’s expressions is a credit to the series and a testament to the strength of the creative team.
The team’s enthusiasm for the book is obvious, and the plot and characters are written, drawn, and colored with great care. The second arc has perhaps started better than the first, and while we don’t yet know where the story will go, it is guaranteed that it will be fun and full of surprises.
Story: Hope Larson Art: Brittney Williams
Story: 10.0 Art: 10.0 Overall: 10.0 Recommendation: Buy
BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.
Goldie Vance #5
Publisher: BOOM! Box, an imprint of BOOM! Studios
Writer: Hope Larson
Artist: Brittney Williams
Cover Artist: Brittney Williams
Price: $3.99
Now an ongoing series! Goldie and Cheryl find an astronaut on the beach who has lost her memory!
Batgirl #2
Written by: Hope Larson
Art by: Rafael Albuquerque
Cover by: Rafael Albuquerque
Variant cover by: Francis Manapul
“Beyond Burnside” part two. Batgirl is off to Singapore! Following the mysterious advice of the ancient superhero known as Fruit Bat, Babs dives into the dangerous world of MMA fighting. But her first opponent may be more than just an adversary in the ring. Could she be connected to Babs’ new travel-companion-slash-maybe-crush?
Batgirl’s recent tradition of striking visuals continues in this new volume and its new creative team of writer Hope Larson (A Wrinkle in Time), artist Rafael Albuquerque (Huck), and colorist Dave McCaig (American Vampire). They take Barbara Gordon out of her home, company, and friends in Burnside and take her on a road trip through Asia. Her first stop is Japan where she runs into a good friend, meets a superhero from the past, and gets into a hand to hand fight with a woman, who looks like the adopted daughter of Sailor Moon and DC’s Katana. It’s a fun story filled with lively dialogue, fluid combat sequences, and a clever use and exploration into Babs’ eidetic memory. Unfortunately, Larson doesn’t give us much time to explore or enjoy Japan before immediately moving to another location, which is my only major issue with this comic.
From the action-packed cold open, Albuquerque’s art and McCaig’s colors excite the senses with brisk speed lines, a sharp orange palette, fierce action poses Like Frank Miller and John Romita Jr before him, Albuquerque chooses storytelling over photorealism, and it pays off and immerses you into the story even if the Batgirl and her Chinese-American friend Kai’s attacker isn’t developed as an antagonist just yet. Later, in the story, Albuquerque uses grids to show the precision of Fruit Bat’s movements as she goes from asleep 104 year old woman in a wheelchair to complete and utter badass. On the other hand, he uses wider panels for the quick lunges and reckless abandon of Batgirl’s antagonist, who is out of control.
During the quieter scenes, Albuquerque returns to the grids to focus on more intimate, character focused scenes like when Kai is talking about returning to his ancestors’ homeland to find himself while the bigger panels work better with the more comedic moments like Kai puking his guts out after having octopus. McCaig’s colors enhance Babs’ emotions like a deep purple background when she is astonished by Fruit Bat’s combat skill or a harsh pink when she’ locked in mortal combat with her attacker. He also lets Albuquerque’s art breathe and doesn’t cover all of 
his lines and black space.
The plot of Batgirl #1 has some cliches, like American tourists not being able to handle other countries’ food and the mysterious, almost silent female Asian assassin, found in dozens of action movies. But Larson shines in the characterization department by having Batgirl worried about her life and company back home in Burnside while appreciating having a break and getting to enjoy Japanese culture. She doesn’t force a romance between Kai and Babs and has them slowly reconnect through memories of their childhood in Chicago with police officer fathers as well as fun quips about the Midwest. (Kai doesn’t like sea food even though Lake Michigan and Superior are basically oceans.) Larson also makes Kai essential to the key mystery as seen in the cold open, but focuses on who he is as a person instead of immediately turning him into a plot device.
Batgirl #1 has fantastic artwork from Rafael Albuquerque and Dave McCaig, who excel at depicting the detailed backgrounds of a to using diagram type panels to simulate Babs’ eidetic memory. Hope Larson writes some charming character interactions between Babs and Kai as well as showing Batgirl’s admiration for Fruit Bat and empathy for her because they both used to be or are currently disabled. But unfortunately their time together is cut short as Babs moves onto the next country in search of some amorphous “teacher”. However, unlike some other people at DC Entertainment, Larson, Albuquerque, and McCaig respect Batgirl and depict her in a thrilling, yet nuanced way. Hopefully, the book doesn’t slide into “white person is trained in martial arts by Asian person” cliches as Babs’ road trip continues.
Story: Hope Larson Art: Rafael Albuquerque Colors: Dave McCaig
Story: 7 Art: 9 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Read
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
The Batgirl you know and love is going global with Eisner Award-winning and New York Times best-selling writer Hope Larson and all-star artist Rafael Albuquerque. In order to up her game, Babs travels to Japan on a quest to train with the most elite modern combat masters of the East. But when a chance meeting with an old friend puts a target on her back, Batgirl may need to use her new skills to solve a deadly mystery.
DC Comics‘ Rebirth has been taking some characters back to basics in many ways and others are being shaken up in other ways setting them upon a new direction. Batgirl does the latter taking her away from her familiar Gotham for a global adventure. And that’s something I want to see.
Larson takes what’s come before and is adding to Barbara/Batgirl’s world on a worldwide trek. Of course, there’ll be bad guys she’ll fight and we get the first taste in this issue. And it’s a good and solid start though doesn’t totally blow me away. Though the comic says it takes place in Japan, to me what’s presented doesn’t quite give me the impression of that, it’s rather bland and generic in its look, though looks beautiful. If this is truly going to be a worldwide tour, I want it to really feel like one.
There’s a lot that is great. Barbara is her usual brilliant sell that’s also not 100% sure of herself and at times a bit clumsy too. She’s not the smooth Bat-family member like some others, but her brilliance, enthusiasm, and inquisitive nature is amongst the best. The thing I like most of all is Larson’s continuation of the fun and underlying positiveness about the character.
Rafael Albuquerque’s art is fantastic. Though it doesn’t completely scream Japan to me, what is presented is beautiful to look at. There are some great design choices and panel layouts. One scene of her figuring out the trajectory is an awesome touch and I’m hoping Albuquerque does more of this as far as how the comic is presented.
I think fans who have been reading Barbara’s adventures will enjoy the issue and new readers should have enough to stick around too. By sending Barbara abroad the idea is to help set her apart from the other Bat-books, but if this is really a worldwide trip, I need to see more to make me think she really is in Japan as opposed to the Japanese section of my town.
Story: Hope Larson Art: Rafael Albuquerque
Story: 7.6 Art: 8.4 Overall: 7.7 Recommendation: Read
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Batgirl #1
Written by: Hope Larson
Art by: Rafael Albuquerque
Cover by: Rafael Albuquerque
Variant cover by: Francis Manapul
“Beyond Burnside” Chapter One: The Batgirl you know and love is going global with Eisner Award-winning and New York Times best-selling writer Hope Larson (A Wrinkle in Time, Goldie Vance) and all-star artist Rafael Albuquerque (AMERICAN VAMPIRE). In order to up her game, Babs travels to Japan on a quest to train with the most elite modern combat masters of the East. But when a chance meeting with an old friend puts a target on her back, Batgirl may need to use her new skills to solve a deadly mystery.
Despite its promotion to an ongoing series, Hope Larson and Brittney Williams’s Goldie Vance #3 ended on something of a sour note.
Goldie’s at-times-unwelcome penchant for sleuthing got her into some hot water when Big Boss Mr. Maple caught her trying to do right, but using a guest’s car to do it. This all came to a head when Goldie lost her job, thanks to Maple’s daughter, Sugar.
It’s a testament to Goldie’s character that even this setback didn’t throw her off the case. Instead, she used her considerable smarts to find new leads, which served to set up Goldie Vance #4, the final issue of the first arc. The arc concludes in a manner that will likely satisfy readers. The story answers all of the pressing questions, while others are a little more open-ended. It’s the perfect conclusion for the first arc, definitively ending one story while leaving it open for more. (And there will be more. Yay!)
Goldie Vance #4 carries the same consistent pacing the story has had throughout. Williams’s art and Stern’s coloring work in tandem to amp up the adrenaline, making the issue fly like Goldie in a street race. Both art and coloring lend a slightly fantastical element to the comic, pulling through some of the other more magical elements from previous issues–the race, the scramble for Ludwig’s pendant, Goldie’s mom totally being a real mermaid. As always, the art is bouncy and expressive, perfect for the story being told.
The coloring has always been a vital aspect of the comic, with a bright and warm palette that gives it an inviting feel. Stern uses color to give each page a distinct mood and the noticeable difference in the everyday palette and the action palette is well-balanced. The strategic use of the “action” colors create the electric energy that makes the arc finale so exciting.
Goldie Vance is the perfect series for all readers. Readers of all ages will likely enjoy Goldie’s tenacity, stubborn curiosity, and determination to do the right thing, and the puzzling and at times otherworldly whodunit is a sure attention-grabber.
Goldie Vance will return with Goldie Vance #5 in September.
Story: Hope Larson Art: Brittney Williams
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy
BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.
