A review by rhganci
Batgirl Vol. 4: Wanted (the New 52) by Gail Simone
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.