I suppose with the New52 If At First You Don't Succeed...
DC Comics’ Batgirl has been paralyzed, put through the ringer, gotten her groove back, faced The Joker, tussled with Batman, and now faces her biggest challenge of all: a new creative team.
Starting in October, Barbara Gordon gets a brand new look, and team of writers and artist with “Batgirl #35.” Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher, no strangers to the DC Universe from their work on “Batman Inc.” and “Wednesday Comics” respectively, will write the book, which finds a fire burning everything Batgirl owns, forcing her to reevaluate her life in a big way.
Additionally, the writing team is joined by newcomer, artist Babs Tarr, who along with sometimes artist Stewart, has revamped her namesake’s costume to be way more practical than the skin-hugging body-armor comic fans might be used to.
I'm a little conflicted with this. On the one hand, I actually like the sound of the change of tone, somewhat reminding me of what Waid's doing with Daredevil. I was a little put off by the Simone run because of all the crap that was piled on Barbara. On the other hand, I'm not feeling it with the costume. If this were Batgirl: Year One, I wouldn't mind it so much but we're talking about a twenty-four or so year old Barbara Gordon, aren't we? It really doesn't make much sense dropping the armor-esque suit in favor of something that looks like a motorcycle outfit. It may just be the way this picture's colored because I've seen another picture that showed it with a darker color scheme. I'll give a shot but at the moment I'm at odds with myself.
Suicide wrote:I stopped reading the Gail Simone run. It was... ugh. I'm down with this. It's a little hipster but at least its something different. I'm excited.
I'm dissapointed that Gail never explained how Babs got her mobility back (maybe she will before she leaves). That said, I admit I am into the darker more serious toned comics (Waid's Daredevil is ok, but far down my list of preferred comics). That is probably why I can not get into Dr WHO. Aside it being scifi, and my dislike of straight scifi besides classic Trek, I find it exceeds my weekly caloric intake of whimsy.
I feel like Simone is in a Frank Miller area of her career. She can't seem to stop writing Sinister Six when she's working with the DC Universe, regardless of what character she's using. She just needs to stop and stick with Red Sonja. That title has never been more entertaining than in her hands.
I love, LOVE this. I've never been a Gail Simone fan and her Batgirl run was an unpleasant reading to me, too much angst. But this? It sounds very good and the design is FANTASTIC. I've been following Cameron Stewart's books and Babs Tarr's artwork for a while so I'm familiar with them. Of course, the comparison has to be made, and I'm a BIG fan of Waid's Daredevil.
Let's hope it doesn't becomes grimdark after a couple issues or an annoying crossover gets in the way.
Having reflected on this a bit more, I wouldn't mind them lightening the book a tad but taking it into this radical a direction is off putting to me. I loved the title before, and thought Babs costume was great. The costume now looks like a glorified Halloween costume and Babs looks like a twelve year old girl. Also, saying there will be nothing "dark" at all in the title makes it sound like "My Little Pony: Gotham" no depth or conflict allowed. And from the sound of it she'll be walled off from the rest of the Bat-verse so the teeny boppers don't freak out when they see someone get killed. I just hate the sound of this, and although I like the art in iself, as art on a Batgirl book (the main one in the DC line, not a children's ofshoot) I hate it.
bunnydelic wrote:I love, LOVE this. I've never been a Gail Simone fan and her Batgirl run was an unpleasant reading to me, too much angst. But this? It sounds very good and the design is FANTASTIC. I've been following Cameron Stewart's books and Babs Tarr's artwork for a while so I'm familiar with them. Of course, the comparison has to be made, and I'm a BIG fan of Waid's Daredevil.
Let's hope it doesn't becomes grimdark after a couple issues or an annoying crossover gets in the way.
Exactly. Less grimdark blood and guts nonsense is the main reason I'm onboard with this. It also looks like the new costume has already become pretty big online. People are already making fan art and cosplays.
erikson wrote:Having reflected on this a bit more, I wouldn't mind them lightening the book a tad but taking it into this radical a direction is off putting to me. I loved the title before, and thought Babs costume was great. The costume now looks like a glorified Halloween costume and Babs looks like a twelve year old girl. Also, saying there will be nothing "dark" at all in the title makes it sound like "My Little Pony: Gotham" no depth or conflict allowed. And from the sound of it she'll be walled off from the rest of the Bat-verse so the teeny boppers don't freak out when they see someone get killed. I just hate the sound of this, and although I like the art in iself, as art on a Batgirl book (the main one in the DC line, not a children's ofshoot) I hate it.
I agree with you, put simply; the "New 52" strikes again. the art is fine, but the outfit.. eh.. yeah, and I'm not so sure about what they've said about her storyline so far either.
I always laugh a bit when people use the subject of comics aimed at young people as some sort of a pejorative. When one of the major reasons the industry is in its death knell and sells a tiny fraction of what it once did is because the decided everything had to be dark and gritty and aimed at adults.
