By Don M. Ventura
Batgirl #17
DC Comics
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Batgirl #17 was a perfect comic book. Every note was right, it was funny (as always), and it was surprisingly touching.
For the past few years we’ve gotten to read a lot of good stories that have featured one of DC most popular new characters: Damian Wayne. In this issue we see Damian through Stephanie’s eyes and there is a scene that is kind of heartbreaking.
Batgirl and Robin are tracking down some criminals responsible for abducting children in Gotham and the two find themselves staking out a museum in which a class of ten-year-olds are on a field trip. In the most hilarious scene, Stefanie disguises Damian as a typical kid: shorts, a T-shirt with happy faces and a red cap with eyes adorned on the top. “This is humiliating” responds the boy wonder.
From a security booth Batgirl observes the normally unshakable Damian Wayne as he is at a complete loss when confronted by a little girl who wants to play with him. “My heart just broke for him,” thinks Batgirl. Damian has been used to great effect in other titles, namely J.T. Krul’s Teen Titans, where he runs around kicking ass and grating his teammates with his hubris. That is here for sure, but there is more.
I was reminded with this book that the Bat-family of characters is just that, a family. Stephanie has always come off as the most grounded of Gotham’s protectors and series writer Bryan Q. Miller conveys that in this in just a few panels and on the last two pages of the issue. At the end of the story Stephanie takes Damian to a bounce house where she shows him that part of what it means to be a ten year old kid is to have fun every once in a while. Of course he eventually says “I’m thinking about stabbing you” but nevertheless they both appear to be having fun.
This serves as a nice contrast to the opening of the book where Alfred attempts to coerce Damian to eat his breakfast because “without adequate sleep or nutrition you’ll stunt your growth.” Damian wasn’t buying any of this.
Miller is on a winning streak with this book. I was excited to see that he was would be writing a story featuring Damian because he’s got a strong sense for characterization. He did equally well with Supergirl in Batgirl #14, one of my favorite single issues of last year.
Pere Perez fills in nicely for series artist Dustin Nguyen. Perez handled the artwork on last year’s excellent (but awkwardly named) Bruce Wayne: The Road Home: Batgirl one-shot. Perez would be great on a Damian mini (consider this planting a seed); his expressions are priceless in this book, especially in the first dismissive scene with Alfred.
If you have any trepidation about picking up any of the Bat-books, consider picking up Batgirl. This is probably the most accessible of the bunch. Oh, and it’s fun.
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