Written by: Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad
Art by: Robbi Rodriguez
Colors by: Rico Renzi
Letters by: Becca Carey
Cover art by: Jorge Corona, Sarah Stern
Cover price: $3.99
Release date: July 12, 2022
Batgirls #8 concludes the two-parter adventure as Babs and Sick infiltrate the Iceberg Lounge to save Seer from the Saints while Batgirl #1 and Batgirl #2 play Oracle Jr. on the rooftops above. Of course, the plan never works out as expected.
Is It Good?
Credit where credit is due, Batgirls #8 is fine. Cloonan and Conrad appear to have corrected that lack of focus plaguing the early issues in the series by having the Cauldron deal with one major conflict at a time. Here, rescuing Seer is the day's focus, and it plays out well with a light, airy conclusion.The two high points in this issue are the relatively neat conclusion to the conflict with Seer and the Saints and Rodriguez's art.
When last we left the Cauldron, Barabara and Dick infiltrated the Iceberg Lounge as anonymous patrons in for dinner and a show. Batgirl #1 (BG1) and Batgirl #2 (BG1) were left to flit among the rooftops to remove any guards, snipers, or resistance. Now, we pick up with the Dick and Barbara mid-faux date while BG1 and BG2 send them intel after tying up a pesky sniper. Once they get a read on Seer's location, Dick and Barbara sneak away for a quick change and descend into the depths of the Lounge.
Rodriguez handles the art in stride with plenty of dynamic panel angles, excellent character linework, and a few energetic fights. Depending on your tastes, adding Rodriguez to the art team is a significant improvement for the title.
The story by Cloonan and Conrad gets the job done and resolves the conflict with the Saints (again) and Seer with reasonable satisfaction. Despite the seriousness of the situation, this issue exudes tons of charm, mainly through the constant flirting between Dick and Barbara.
Ironically, the down points of this issue also relate to the writing and the art.
The story wraps up too quickly and with nary a hint of dramatic tension. Nobody in the Cauldron seems to be taking this rescue mission as though there's an actual threat of danger. It would be easy to ignore the assignment or its outcome because the characters treat the mission as if it were simply a game. There's no drama, no tension, and no sense of stakes.
Despite Rodriguez as a welcome improvement to this title's art, Renzi's colors are abysmal. Nearly every page is super-saturated with pinks and purples, even in scenes where those colors don't make sense, and it flattens and washes out the visuals in several spots.
In all, this is a decent comic. Some positives and negatives combine for an average reading experience.
Make sure to listen to our Weekly DC Comics Recap and Review Podcast to hear us talk more about this book. Just look up "Weird Science DC Comics" anywhere you listen to podcasts or click here for podcast links and more: https://campsite.bio/weirdsciencecomics
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces:
Batgirls #8 wraps up the conflict with the Seer and the Saints with light (read: low-tension) resolution that puts the saints out of commission and takes away Seer's power (for now). The art style and the story focus are significantly better than in the previous issue, but the coloring is not good, and the lack of story tension leads to a forgettable ending.
6.5/10
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