Review: Batgirl #45

Becca Tyrrell Becca Tyrrell
Contributor
November 3rd, 2015

A mild-mannered event planner by day and masked vigilante by night, Becca can usually be found sipping an iced coffee and scouring the stacks at her local comic shop. She splits her time between the TARDIS, Burnside, and Avengers' Tower.

Review: Batgirl #45
Comics
0
Review of: Comic
Price:
Batgirl #45

Reviewed by:
Rating:
5
On November 3, 2015
Last modified:November 4, 2015

Summary:

Fun! Full of love, laughter, and just the right amount of butt-kicking!

Review of: Comic
Price:
Batgirl #45

Reviewed by:
Rating:

5
On November 3, 2015
Last modified:November 4, 2015

Summary:

Fun! Full of love, laughter, and just the right amount of butt-kicking!

The big day is here! Wedding bells are ringing in Burnside, and ComiConverse's Becca Tyrrell gives us the scoop on Batgirl #45.

Alysia and Jo are finally getting hitched! But what will happen when a (handsome) and familiar face from Barbara's past turns up at the wedding and steals the rings? How far will Batgirl have to go to provide the perfect wedding for her friends? Between stained dresses, roof top fights, and even a surprise appearance from the world's most dangerous band — Batgirl #45 is sheer fun!

Summary

Despite a pretty rocky road to the altar, complete with kidnapping and trained tigers, Jo and Alysia have made it to their big day and Barbara has thought of everything to keep things running smoothly. She 's able to thwart the peskiest of wedding day issues, from missing earring backs to forgotten deodorant, and even a date that doesn't know how to tie his own bow tie.

But since this is Batgirl, things don't go according to plan, especially when none other than Dick Grayson shows up and asks Babs to talk. He promises to have her back in time for the ceremony, and reluctantly she follows him out the window. But Grayson, recently resurrected from a fake death in Grayson Annual #2, is in for quite a shock when his second reunion with Barbara doesn't go quite as he planned.

Babs doesn't pull any punches, calling him out for his recent behavior and treatment of those he purports to hold dear, herself included. It's a powerful series of panels that shows Babs reflecting on their former partnership, the way his "death" affected her, and where the two of them stand now. But even given the difficult conversation, the former teammates part on amicable terms, and Babs makes is back to the ceremony just in time to walk down the aisle.

With all the drama behind her, Babs is able to shed her Batgirl persona for the night and enjoy herself at her friends' wedding and reception, featuring an appearance from Black Canary and a sweet dance with her maybe-boyfriend, Luke Fox.

Batgirl #45

Credit: DC Comics

Critique

If you've read my previous Batgirl review, you know that I'm a huge Barbara Gordon fangirl. I honestly cannot say enough good things about this comic. Fletcher, Stewart, and Tarr excel at capturing the essence of Batgirl and establishing her as an incredible and accessible role model.

Batgirl is all about finding the place where you belong and doing it on your own terms, and we get two poignant examples of just that in this issue.

First, the wedding. I love that the characters in this comic make no special mention of the two brides or the "otherness" that could easily become the focus of this wedding in the hands of another creative team. Instead, Fletcher and Stewart choose to focus on the love that Barbara feels for her friends and that the brides feel for each other. The way that they've written these characters makes them all feel like dear friends of mine, and I'm thrilled to see these two finally make it down the aisle.

Secondly, the way that Barbara reacts to Dick is so important. I loved the way that Fletcher and Stewart use Babs to comment on the tropes in comics when she tells Dick that there was a time that she would have fallen into his arms at the profession of his feelings, but not anymore. She calls him out for being selfish and rude, and when he tries to silence her with the classic leading man finger on her lips, she flips him over her shoulder! How cool is that?! Excuse you, Dick Grayson. You don't get to come into my book and act however you want and then try and explain it away as romance.

I appreciate so much that Barbara demands more for herself, she knows what she deserves and she isn't afraid to ask for it. This is the kind of interaction that I want to read, made all the more powerful by the way that Grayson respects her wishes, and departs gracefully and respectfully.

Overall, I found this issue of Batgirl to be fun — full of love, laughter, and just the right amount of butt-kicking.

Becca Tyrrell is a Contributor to ComiConvers. Follow her on Twitter: @ArrTee

Comic

  • 5

Batgirl #45

Fun! Full of love, laughter, and just the right amount of butt-kicking!

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