As of now, 'Batgirls, Vol. 3: Girls to the Front' concludes Becky Cloonan's run on DC's modern 'Batgirls', starring all three of the Batgirls - Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown, and Cassandra Cain. And that's okay. The final issues themselves are okay. The story isn't important, nor is the action - though those are nonetheless entertaining and exciting as hell.
The Batgirls are a family. A family of arse-kicking femmes, each going through her own personal trauma, who will always get right back up again, and will never die. They will always have each other, after all.
I swear, Cloonan is a hardcore Steph Brown and Cass Cain shipper. They are so close in this volume, barely platonic! Steph's relationship with whatshisname is like, literally whatever! He's barely present.
Included in 'Girls to the Front' (even the title is on the nose in its feminism!) are: Cass and her mother issues; Steph and her father issues; Cass and Steph swapping bodies (bound to happen eventually, wasn't it? At least there is an original origin here in that the body switching is initiated by Steph saving a cat up a tree); callbacks to the previous two volumes; Commissioner Renee Montoya; Batman cameos; the Mad Hatter; robots of Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Huntress, Batwoman, and the rest of the Bat Family; Steph-Batgirl turning into a Girl-Bat (she gets better); reporter and podcaster Grace O'Halloran receiving a bigger - and more tragic - role; Batgirls support groups and protests against their coerced arrests; and sharpshooters.
Oh, and the best part - Alysia Yeoh, Babs's trans POC bestie and former roommate, is back, and she has her own boba bar and café now. She is part of the comic's sisterhood theme. I'm beyond glad she is still around, carried on from Gail Simone's New 52 'Batgirl' run.
Goddesses, DC'S New 52 reboot was nearly fifteen years ago...
Admittedly Babs Gordon, my all time favourite Batgirl and DC heroine, has a lesser role, as the focus is on the other two, younger and more active Batgirls and their relationship. But as Oracle, she is as important as she ever was. She remains a wheelchair user, which is respectful and vital for disability representation. She's her own heartfelt, women-supporting, tech genius star, as well as a big sister to Steph and Cass.
The ending of the run is a little rushed, but who cares? The Batgirls are back, and stronger together than ever. Plus, their adventures are fun!
We are all Batgirls.
We should aspire to be like them.
That concludes my final review of Becky Cloonan's 'Batgirls' comic volumes.
For my additional thoughts on the series, read:
My review of 'Batgirls, Vol. 1: One Way or Another'.
My review of 'Batgirls, Vol. 2: Bat Girl Summer'.
Final Score: 3.5/5
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