iffer's review
4.0
So good. I probably could've given this 5 stars if it weren't for the blah boring standard DC art. I love Gail Simone's Batgirl. Simone hits the right notes of angst and lightness, in this volume, and portrays Barbara and Jim Gordon's relationship with nuance that other writers don't. Perhaps it should be unsurprising, because Simone is a woman herself, but she writes a believable young woman main character, including her friendships and things like street harassment. Simone also succeeds at painting Ventriloquist as both sympathetic, and as something out of a horror movie.
jacquilynn's review
3.0
I didn't love this as much as the others in the series, I wanted more focus on the aftermath of James.
rhganci's review against another edition
5.0
Gail Simone is writing the best Batbook right now--that has probably been true since the beginning of New 52, but Snyder really gave Batman a long-needed and refreshing overhaul with the Court of Owls, which I still consider the best pure "Gotham City" story in the setting's history. But when it comes to mixing the comic medium with the psychology of the non-superpowered folk, Gail Simone keeps the story of the renewed Barbara Gordon at the top of the class in terms of plotting, quality, and self-awareness.
We get to revisit some of the earlier plots in Wanted, as it really brings together the "Knightfall" storyline with that of James, Jr., and things in Cherry Hill get even messier for Babs. There's a lot of questioning and residual guilt after the events at the docks, and Simone takes Barbara through an identity crisis that succeeds not only as a good story in its own right, but avoids simply being a rehash of the inner struggle that Simone plots for Babs in The Darkest Reflection.
This volume is thoughtful in a different way than Vol. 1, neither so similar to the crisis of self that Barbara experiences there, nor so different as to bail on the extraordinary work that Simone has done in the first 19 issues of her run. The range of storytelling options that she has isn't any narrower than Snyder has with Batman, but she somehow keeps the circle small and inclusive even as the story shows remarkable and suspenseful development. Wanted is a collection of Simone's best work on Batgirl, and even as it sort of does require familiarity with the majority of the previous year's arcs, it's an outstanding sample of some of DC's finest offerings from 2014.
We get to revisit some of the earlier plots in Wanted, as it really brings together the "Knightfall" storyline with that of James, Jr., and things in Cherry Hill get even messier for Babs. There's a lot of questioning and residual guilt after the events at the docks, and Simone takes Barbara through an identity crisis that succeeds not only as a good story in its own right, but avoids simply being a rehash of the inner struggle that Simone plots for Babs in The Darkest Reflection.
This volume is thoughtful in a different way than Vol. 1, neither so similar to the crisis of self that Barbara experiences there, nor so different as to bail on the extraordinary work that Simone has done in the first 19 issues of her run. The range of storytelling options that she has isn't any narrower than Snyder has with Batman, but she somehow keeps the circle small and inclusive even as the story shows remarkable and suspenseful development. Wanted is a collection of Simone's best work on Batgirl, and even as it sort of does require familiarity with the majority of the previous year's arcs, it's an outstanding sample of some of DC's finest offerings from 2014.
wanderlustlover's review
3.0
Part of my massive Barbara Gordon Re-read which I had a glorious amazing time with. Birds of Prey, under the hands of Gail Simone, was a gorgeous thing and It made me super happy to have all my amazing women back together doing amazing things!
carroq's review
4.0
It's been a while since I read the previous volume of Batgirl. I put it off because I just wasn't that impressed with the last two volumes. This one turns things around in my opinion and does a great job of bridging the various storylines together. I recommend reading the rest of the series first to get the most out of this book.
Jim Gordon is on the hunt for Batgirl after witnessing her killing a bad guy. At the same time, Barbara is struggling with the privilege of being Batgirl due to her actions. Meanwhile, Knightfall continues her battle against the criminals of Gotham City, which ultimately draws Batgirl back out.
There are some side stories here, but they don't stick out quite as much as those in the other volumes did. One features a villain called the ventriloquist. This one is pretty dark, but is put together superbly. The other looks back at Barbara's first steps toward becoming Batgirl during a disaster in Gotham. Interesting on its own. I felt like it was unnecessary for the character as a whole though.
Not surprisingly for a DC book, the art is great. There is quite a range within this book and it all works really well. This showcases Gotham at its darkest in a nice complement to where Batgirl is at in this arc. I tend to focus on characterization when I'm reading, and that was done fantastically here. The struggle Batgirl goes through during this arc feels real. The other characters are interesting and help move the story along too, although the bad guys used in the big fight at the end aren't developed much.
This book moves away from the crossover events that the previous books fell into, and it is stronger for that. Batgirl takes center stage and stays there throughout.
Jim Gordon is on the hunt for Batgirl after witnessing her killing a bad guy. At the same time, Barbara is struggling with the privilege of being Batgirl due to her actions. Meanwhile, Knightfall continues her battle against the criminals of Gotham City, which ultimately draws Batgirl back out.
There are some side stories here, but they don't stick out quite as much as those in the other volumes did. One features a villain called the ventriloquist. This one is pretty dark, but is put together superbly. The other looks back at Barbara's first steps toward becoming Batgirl during a disaster in Gotham. Interesting on its own. I felt like it was unnecessary for the character as a whole though.
Not surprisingly for a DC book, the art is great. There is quite a range within this book and it all works really well. This showcases Gotham at its darkest in a nice complement to where Batgirl is at in this arc. I tend to focus on characterization when I'm reading, and that was done fantastically here. The struggle Batgirl goes through during this arc feels real. The other characters are interesting and help move the story along too, although the bad guys used in the big fight at the end aren't developed much.
This book moves away from the crossover events that the previous books fell into, and it is stronger for that. Batgirl takes center stage and stays there throughout.
19lindsey89's review
4.0
You know what the world needs fewer of? Creepy ventriloquist dummy murderers.
But I really liked the "Wanted" story arc.
But I really liked the "Wanted" story arc.
linklex7's review
4.0
Batgirl is on the run from her own father, Commissioner Gordon, for a murder. It’s pretty cool to see Batgirl/Barbara dealing with the repercussions of the last vol and watching her slight decline into madness as it feels like her entire world is crashing down around her. The villains weren’t anything too spectacular, but they fit the bill for this arc. Definitely still worth reading.
lberestecki's review
5.0
Plot: The series is definitely getting darker. It was interesting to watch how the events of volume 3 affected Barbara - she did some things that were tough to excuse, and it's always compelling to watch how heroes deal with the darker side of maintaining their secret identity and protecting the city. I did think it was a bit ridiculous that her Dad didn't recognize Batgirl, but it did seem to imply that he knows and is just in denial about it.
Characters: I love Barbara and it was interesting to to see a darker side of her. I felt some of the rage was a bit out of character, but she does think she killed her brother so I can accept the rage. I really enjoyed Shauna as a villain. Simone does a great job of writing villains that are really creepy and unsettling, and Shauna and her dummy were also funny in a really dark way.
Overall: I am still totally loving this run. I really hope the quality holds up with the new writer.
Characters: I love Barbara and it was interesting to to see a darker side of her. I felt some of the rage was a bit out of character, but she does think she killed her brother so I can accept the rage. I really enjoyed Shauna as a villain. Simone does a great job of writing villains that are really creepy and unsettling, and Shauna and her dummy were also funny in a really dark way.
Overall: I am still totally loving this run. I really hope the quality holds up with the new writer.
renatasnacks's review
3.0
Again: this is good but so grim and upsettinggggg. Also the Ventriloquist poisons a homeless person's cat which is SO UNNECESSARY >:( (also a bunch of humans.)
I wish there was more about Babs and Alysia and less about like, crime? But... uh... that's just personal preference.
I wish there was more about Babs and Alysia and less about like, crime? But... uh... that's just personal preference.