“Everyone’s Mad Here”
Writers: Becky Cloonan & Michael W. Conrad
Artists: Neil Googe and Geraldo Borges
Color Artist: Rico Renzi
Letterer: Becca Carey
Review by Fay Clark
So much drama has been happening lately, and I’m super excited to see more from the toughest ladies in comics, in Batgirls #16. Steph and Cass have been through the wringer recently and have come out fighting… literally. Let’s hope they keep up the energy and continue to show the baddies who’s boss.
Crazy, Table for Two
I do wonder how Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad come up with their ideas. Sitting there reading this issue had me thinking it would be cool to be inside their heads to check out how they work. Then I realized all the things they’ve put the Batgirls through over 16 issues, and I got a little scared. Still, I think it would be amazing to shadow Cloonan and Conrad for an issue to understand how they work together and see the creativity flow.
The dialogue in this issue is outstanding as the back-and-forth between the girls and the bad guys is always fun to read. Joking around is a vigilante pastime, but Steph and Cas are getting really good at one-liners and quips. I love being able to see the relationships between people who aren’t even in the room, with Babs doing her oracle thing and the girls respecting and listening to her. Cloonan and Conrad have their dynamics down to a T.
Animal Instinct
We have our classic artist team up with Neil Googe and Rico Renzi. However, there’s a new kid on the block too, Geraldo Borges. After being familiar with Neil Googe’s work, I thought I’d be able to tell immediately when another artist inked or finished his pencils… I was very wrong, Geraldo has smoothly merged Googe’s style with his own. When you add in the bright, confident color work by Rico Renzi you’re in for an amazing comic.
This issue has some very interesting panels towards the end and being able to see the emotion on characters’ faces, even when they aren’t speaking, is a testament to the skill of these artists. I love the idea of Cas and Steph being able to communicate without even having to open their mouths.
Conclusion
Well, this issue sure was Batty! I’m starting to just get used to the new level of insane and then another issue comes out and throws me a curveball. Batgirls #16 did this exact thing. I was expecting a normal baddie beat down, but we ended with something much more. Cloonan and Conrad and quickly becoming must-read writers for me, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
