|
BATGIRL #24
"Bruce Wayne: Murderer? Part Two"
Recommended (7/10)
|
DC Comics
Writer: Kelley Puckett
Pencils: Damion Scott
Inks: Robert Campanella
Colors: Jason Wright & Digital Chameleon
Letters: John Costanza
Editor: Michael Wright
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
While Detective Comics gives us the cop's-eye view of the aftermath of the murder in Wayne Manor, Batgirl
gives us the super-hero point of view, and it's a lot less interesting. Partly
that's because Batgirl's infiltration of the mansion snaps my suspension of
disbelief, partly it's because the super-hero viewpoint isn't as fresh, but
mainly it's because, as with "Officer Down," Batgirl really doesn't belong here.
Seeing how Batman's allies react to the murder is important, but given how
periphery Batgirl is to that circle, it's unfortunate that hers is the first
reaction we got.
Fortunately, Puckett does
give us the reaction from Oracle, who is closer to Bruce Wayne and thus has a
much more personal connection to all this. Her reaction to a 911 call in
progress at Wayne Manor, debating about who to send in while time was running
out, was fantastic, and it gives a plausible reason why Batgirl would be the
first to be sent in, at least. I still wasn't crazy about it, but I bought it.
Which I can't say about
Batgirl's infiltration of the house, even given the massive media and police
presence. While I appreciate that she's meant to be a stealthy character, this
crossed the line into almost humorously ridiculous, having her literally right
behind Lieutenant Sawyer or next to Detectives Allen and Montoya. It makes
Batgirl look supernaturally stealthy, but it also makes the cops look like
absolute clowns.
There's some nice repetition
here, as we go back into events previously seen in Detective Comics and examine
them from another point of view. I thought the creative team did an excellent
job of recreating the early post-murder events, and I was also quite impressed
with how well Damion Scott's style meshes with both Rick Burchett's and Scott
McDaniel's, lessening the art shock that often comes from various chapters of
crossover stories.
In the end, however, while
there's an important moment in the investigation unveiled here, this is a
less-important chapter of "Bruce Wayne: Murderer?" and another example of why
crossovers aren't my favorite thing. As a Batgirl issue, this has several
important moments, not least of which are Cassandra's realization about the
secret identity of Batman or her skillful work with Oracle. But as a piece of
the crossover, this is mostly repetition and marking time, with one or two pages
that directly relate to the story at hand.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board. |
