I'm finally continuing Gail Simone's New 52 run of 'Batgirl'.
Let's see, I read and reviewed the first volume, which kickstarted my identity as both a massive Batgirl fan and a superheroine comics fan, oh, about eleven years ago? Then I read the second volume four years later, which was seven years ago.
So... catch up!
The third volume - also part of the Bat Family's (in)famous 'Death of the Family' arc - is as dark, horrific, disgusting and &^%@!ed up as other reviewers say. Holy hell, the gruesome, terrible, horrifying, and creative ways that Simone pits Barbara Gordon/Batgirl against the Joker post-'The Killing Joke' are almost awe-inspiring in their horror show. I cannot stress enough how truly terrible and nightmarish it is, what the Joker puts our heroine through, when he had already severely traumatised her in the past (whether he even realises it or not, as he doesn't seem to know that the woman he shot and paralysed a few years ago, and Batgirl, are the same person).
It is great, thrilling storytelling, however, and I could not put the whole exciting yet morbid ordeal down.
An ordeal that includes the concluding issue of the 'Death of the Family' arc, 'The Punchline', written by Scott Snyder. It is ultimately about Batman, and his pain and anguish, and his fight with Joker.
I won't dare spoil anything about the arc. Read it and be shocked on your own, in your own time, at you own pace.
Superhero comics and horror do go hand in hand, when written well.
Other details and highlights in 'Batgirl, Volume 3: Death of the Family' (that are purely about Batgirl) are: Catwoman; a continuation of the Court of Owls arc; Barbara's estranged mother, also named Barbara; Barbara's psychotic younger brother, James Gordon, Jr (wow, I would never have pegged their parents as narcissists, but...); Barbara/Batgirl suddenly starting a weird romance with a poor car thief named Ricky (how many disposable hetero love interests can one superheroine have?!); and it is this volume where Babs's roommate, Alysia Yeoh, comes out as transgender to her. Babs accepts her friend with love and open arms.
The artwork is $^*'!ing brilliant and gorgeous. This applies to all of it, by all the artists.
I'll briefly mention the elephant in the room, as I've got to:
Ray Fawkes wrote the next three issues of 'Batgirl' after 'Death of the Family', because DC inexplicably fired Gail Simone via email... and then they rehired her two days later after some completely justified backlash. Because, one way or another, DC is and always has been run by incompetent morons (especially during the New 52 era, where there were reports of a work environment that was toxic towards women). So Simone returned to write the last issue of this volume. The overall quality and consistency of the writing - of what I like to call the 'Batgirl's psycho murderer brother' arc - is good and solid enough that the abrupt change of writers isn't too noticeable. DC managed to handle its own arse then, and Simone was more than capable of picking up the idiot boys' club's slack.
It is her issue where Alysia comes out to Barbara, just FYI.
Was it Ray Fawkes's idea for Batgirl to have an out-of-place romance with random Ricky? Or some other brainstorm's at DC? Either way, we're unfortunately stuck with it for the foreseeable run of this, uh, run.
'Batgirl, Volume 3: Death of the Family' - Batgirl's darkest storyline yet. It is indeed her own personal hell, as it deeply involves members of her own close, non-Bat family. At the end of her life-shattering, waking nightmare that isn't the end at all, she may have to do something that utterly goes against her moral code. She will have no choice but to betray everyone she calls family.
She will only do the unthinkable when there is no other option available in the moment, and it will turn out to be the right thing to do. And because she is only human.
Poor Barbara. No one should suffer as much as her. I still love her - like nearly everyone in-story rightly does - even though I definitely wouldn't want to be in her Bat boots right now.
My review of 'Batgirl, Volume 1: The Darkest Reflection' can be read here.
My review of 'Batgirl, Volume 2: Knightfall Descends' can be read here.
Final Score: 4/5
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