Tag Sarah Stern

A Batgirls #17 Micro-Review – Untrained Hands

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***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 17, cover, April 2023, Jorge Corona, Sarah SternTITLE: Batgirls #17
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS: Robbi Rodriguez, Rico Renzi (Colorist), Becca Carey (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern.
RELEASED: April 18 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi make a really strong team, which makes for a really strong issue.

This issue gets a little preachy about guns at one point. I can’t say that bothered me. But it might irk the more…gun-inclined. I particularly dug the line, “We don’t need more guns in untrained hands.”

There’s a thug in this issue that looks more than a little like one of the mutants from The Dark Knight Returns. Again, Rodriguez and Renzi make him look good.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Batman: The Adventures Continue – Season Three #4 Micro-Review – A Continuity Hat-Tip

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.

Batman The Adventures Continue Season Three 4, cover, April 2023, Jorge Corona, Sarah SternTITLE: Batman: The Adventures Continue – Season Three #4
AUTHOR: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini
ARTISTS:  Ty Templeton, Monica Kubina (Colorist), Josh Reed (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern.
RELEASED: April 11, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This issue reveals a Batman Beyond connection in this Season Three story. Hardly necessary. But still a pretty cool continuity hat-tip.

Among the various villain we see is March Harriet, a character I’d completely forgotten about. I kind of thought she was just a Vegas showgirl (the scene takes place in Las Vegas) with a bunny gimmick. Whoops.

Baby Doll is recruited to Task Force X in this issue. It’s morbidly interesting to think of how a person who looks like a child would be useful to a group like the Suicide Squad…

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batgirls #16 Micro-Review – Puppet Nightmare Fuel

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 16, cover, March 2023, Jorge Corona, Sarah SternTITLE: Batgirls #16
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS:  Neil Googe, Geraldo Borges (Finishes), Rico Renzi (Colorist), Becca Carey (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern.
RELEASED: March 14, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This issue serves up some nightmare fuel in the form of robot puppets made up to look like the extended Batman family. Most of them are in classic costumes too. So the book gets some added fanboy cred there.

Neil Googe draws a pretty awesome Mad  Hatter. Neil Googe draws a lot of things pretty awesome. This is a really strong issue for him.

Has there ever been a Girl-Bat, i.e. a young female version of Man-Bat? Why do I ask? Oh, no reason…

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batgirls #15 Micro-Review – An Essential Stephanie Brown Issue

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 15, cover, February 2023, Jorge Corona, Sarah SternTITLE: Batgirls #15
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS:  Neil Googe, Rico Renzi (Colorist), Frank Cvetkovic (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern. 
RELEASED: February 14, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This is one of the better issues you’ll ever read about Stephanie Brown and her father, the Cluemaster. If they ever make a collection of essential Stephanie stories, this one should be included. It’s that strong. My hat’s off to Cloonan and Conrad for delivering the goods, and to Googe and Renzi for delivering on the drama and heart.

The centerpiece of this series is, as it should be, the friendship between our main characters, Stephanie and Cassandra. That’s one of the notes this issue ends on, and it really sticks the landing.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batgirls #14 Micro-Review – No Words…

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 14, cover, January 2023, Jorge Corona, Sarah SternTITLE: Batgirls #14
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS: Jonathan Case. Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern. 
RELEASED: January 17, 2023

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This might be the overall strongest issue Batgirls has produced. That largely has to do with Jonathan Case, who’s a one-man artistic force of nature.

It’s also about the way this issue is written. For most of it, there’s no dialogue. Which is fitting, as we spend the whole thing with the typically silent Cassandra Cain. Case masterfully shows her being stealthy, doing her thing, etc.

But the issue eventually dives into the core of Cass’ friendship with Stephanie Brown. It’s beautifully written, and downright touching. A tremendous series of pages for both Cass and Steph.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batgirls #13 Micro-Review – A One-Man Show

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 13, cover, December 2022, Jorge Corona, Sarah SternTITLE: Batgirls #13
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS: Jonathan Case. Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern.

RELEASED: December 13, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Artistically, this is probably the most noteworthy issue of Batgirls yet, as Jonathan Case is a one-man show. He’s on the pencils, inks, colors, and letters, and it all looks positively gorgeous.

There’s a fight between Lady Shiva and Stephanie Brown (in Cassandra Cain’s body) in this issue that’s handled very well. The end result is pretty much what you think it’ll be. But I like how we got there. Specifically, Steph’s strategy against Shiva. It’s a nice character moment for her, despite her not being in her own body.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batgirls #11 Micro-Review – Arkham Zoo?!?

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 11, cover, 2022, Jorge Corona, Sarah SternTITLE: Batgirls #11
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS: Neil Googe, Scott Godlewski, Wayne Faucher (Co-Inker), Rico Renzi (Colorist), Becca Carey (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern.

RELEASED: October 11, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Cloonan and Conrad are doing a nice job making the Gotham Academy characters feel important and relevant to Batgirls. I never read GA, but always heard good things.

As I’m a stickler for this sort of thing, I have to point out that while there is a zoo in this issue, there is in fact no Arkham Zoo as the cover suggests. No pack of tigers surrounding our heroes either.

Who would you keep at Arkham Zoo, anyway? All the animal-themed villains? The Penguin? Killer Croc? Man-Bat?

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batgirls #10 Micro-Review – Animated Grit

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 10, cover, 2022, Sarah SternTITLE: Batgirls #10
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS: Neil Googe, Rico Renzi (Colorist), Becca Carey (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern.
RELEASED: September 13, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

For my tastes, Neil Googe and Rico Renzi’s art is a little easier on the palette. It’s highly animated at times, especially when it comes to Stephanie Brown. But at the same time it’s got a certain grit to it that fits Gotham City well. Let’s call it animated grit…

Steph gets a love interest in this issue. It comes off pretty charming, largely thanks to the way Neil Googe and Rico Renzi draw it. After a couple decades of conditioning, having that love interest not be Tim Drake is going to take some getting used to.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batgirls #9 Micro-Review – Thanks For Showing Up!

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 9, cover, 2022, Jorge Corona, Sarah SternTITLE: Batgirls #9
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS: Neil Googe, Rico Renzi (Colorist), Becca Carey (Letterer). Cover by Jorge Corona & Sarah Stern.
RELEASED: August 9, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

This is one of the only superhero comics I’ve ever read to not only acknowledge that it’s a comic book, but to have our narrator (Stephanie) thank us for showing up again. Granted, this is the first issue of Batgirls I’ve picked up in awhile. Have they been doing that kind of thing the whole time? It’s…different.

KGBeast, the villain that shot Nightwing in the head and gave him amnesia, is back to being treated like a chump. Our heroes pretty much spank him here. Well, we knew his sudden serious turn wouldn’t last, didn’t we?

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

A Batgirls #2 Micro-Review – Good Chemistry

Rob Siebert Leave a comment

***This is where we keep it nice and simple. Comic book reviews in 100 words or less. Straight, concise, and to the point.***

Batgirls 2, cover, 2022, Jorge CoronaTITLE: Batgirls #2
AUTHORS: Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad
ARTISTS: Jorge Corona, Sarah Stern (Colorist), Becca Carey (Letterer)

RELEASED: January 11, 2022

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Like issue #1, Batgirls #2 is able to scrape by on the chemistry between its three main characters. There’s definitely life to this book. But it’s lacking in the villain department. It feels like we’re looking at leftovers from the “Fear State” storyline.

Good chemistry can get you far. But at the same time, only so far…

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.