“Dead Wrong”
Writers: Becky Cloonan & Michael W. Conrad
Artist: Neil Googe
Color Artist: Rico Renzi
Letterer: Frank Cvetkovic
Review by Fay Clark
Batgirls #15 had better give me the sweet answers I crave, because I’m not sure how much more drama I can deal with!
We left the Batgirls in a bit of a precarious position. Stephanie Brown’s all tied up, Cassandra Cain’s racing toward the danger, and Barbara Gordon’s… nowhere to be found.
What a Killer Plot!
After the last issue, the one that was silent and outstanding, I didn’t think I could get much more out of this series. Clearly Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad laughed and said, “hold my drink”. New emotions and facial expressions were torn out of me because of these amazing writers. I could not have guessed where Batgirls #15 was going, but OH BOOOOY did they reach into my brain and scramble it about.
I’ve talked about emotional roller coasters before, but nothing like this. Cloonan and Conrad might be amazing as a writing team, but WHO HURT YOU? Why do you have to pass that pain on to me? I didn’t need my emotional attachment to the character to be called into question like that. I care, okay! Please, just give the Batgirls a break! They deserve it at this point.
I’ve been wanting a more Stephanie-centric issue for a while, like the Cass one we just had. Be careful what you wish for, has never been a more justified phrase. The relationships that we get to see come forth and shine in Batgirls #15 are super interesting. We all know that vigilantes frequently have parental issues that fuel most of their actions. Stephanie gets to show hers off like a badge of honor! Cloonan and Conrad really have a twisted sense of creative storytelling!
Rule number 96, AIM!
Neil Googe is back and ready to wreck your life. Googe’s depiction of some truly heart-wrenching moments makes everything even more painful. Leaning back into the original style of issue #1, you find yourself reminiscing on how the storyline got here. If you mix that in with the color work of Rico Renzi, and the amazingly bright tones, the emotional gut punch then gets worse still.
The team of Googe and Renzi is great and the work they have put into Batgirls #15 is evident. I would be okay if I never see them work together again though, because I don’t need the reminder of the harrowing things that happened in this issue. No matter how good it looked from an objective point of view!
Conclusion
I don’t even know where to go from here. I have so many emotions swirling around in my head and no idea what to do with them. I would normally say “I’d never miss the next issue” or “I’m really excited about getting the next chapter in my hands”, but I’ve been left just a little bit traumatized by Batgirls #15. Don’t get me wrong, I love it. There’s so much interest and intrigue, but please, just a nice filler issue might be needed to recover!
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
