Written by Gail Simone
Pencils by Ardian Syaf
Inks by Vicente Cifuentes
Review by Brian Verderosa
What was possibly my favorite of the number ones last month, Batgirl, has staked a claim to remain as such with this second outing. It is one of the most saturated books I have read in some time, taking maybe double the length of time it normally takes me to digest an issue. Simone’s script is proficient at getting into Barbara’s head and allowing all of us to understand exactly why she makes the choices she makes — even when she’s unsure of them herself.
This new villain, Mirror, occupies a large part of issue #2, and he is quite formidable. There’s a true scariness about him that both we and Barbara feel, and it jumps off the page. The action is excellent, and the dialogue is quite believable. It’s also one of the better books at applying unique voices to characters. Babs’ new roommate is stern yet funny, and as I said last month, I can’t wait to see more from her. There’s a trust that has been fostered with only two issues that makes you believe that Barbara would absolutely divulge her identity to her. That’s something.
There’s a great wild card that gets played in the final act that I cannot wait to see the payoff from — sometimes waiting thirty days is just a crime in and of itself.
VERDICT
Buy it – This may be the best new 52 book you can pick up.
