Batgirl

Batgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batgirl has also been the title of three ongoing comic book series published by DC Comics.

Batgirl

Batgirl Superhero Girls

Batgirl Cartoon Wallpaper

DC New 52 Picks - Week One Reviews

I know this is late, but I don't care. This article covers my review of some the titles from the first week of the game-changing DC Reboot.

I didn't read every DC book that went out, and basically just picked out the ones that interested me, so if you don't see any titles that you want to see I do apologize and cut me some slack. Thank you.

Let's get it on.

Justice League #1  by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee - two of the biggest superstar and writer tandems today team up to tell the story of how DC's flagship team came together, and their names alone makes for a great sales pitch. But the story itself  (though it focused more on Batman and Green Lantern bickering right from the start) and dialogue makes the book even more fun and sells the book even more. 

Set 5 years before the current continuity, JL is set at a time where costumed vigilantes are feared and hunted. The League isn't introduced fully here - no Aquaman or Wonder Woman which is a shame - but by the end of the issue, we see a certain stripe of red and blue knocking out big-mouthed Hal Jordan, and that's more than enough for me to get on board. There's also a lantern-ring theft moment featuring Batman (and his cold) grin at the middle part of the story, something that the comic book world will talk about for a long long time.

Its so good to see Jim Lee's art once more, and I feel that 90s vibe once again with his lines and exaggerated musculature, and his ability to tell a story hasn't diminished one bit.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales - I have only read a single Morrison book, and that's All-Star Superman which I really liked,  so I expected a lot of from this book that features a young Clark Kent (who works as a journalist for the Daily Star)  in his early days of vigilantism, way before he became Superman. 

And its safe to say that Morrison didn't disappoint. For one, he made this version of the hero more vulnerable and somebody who feels like a normal human being. Sure he takes on tank bullets and a high speed bullet train, but he gets wounded and weak in a degree, and is not the uber-powerful near-indestructible alien we used to know. That's refreshing. Also, I like the fact that this Superman defends the common man and deals with problems that human beings can relate to, such as scaring a corrupt official to spill out his beans. I can wrap my head around that. Its also a nice tribute to the early Siegel and Shuster stories of the 50s and 60s by the way, so a plus point.

In addition, introducted are the familiar Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen (who doesn't have any relationship with Clark at all asides from being a competitor working for the Daily Planet), and the ever bald Lex Luthor, who actually looks different here - and I meant that in a bad way. 

Morales' art isn't that impressive for me, but its passable, and he did a great job of keeping things going by having Superman running and leaping tall buildings in a single bound. I want more.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Batgirl by Gail Simone and Vicente Cifuentes - They said that if there's one writer who can write Batgirl, its Gail Simone. And yes, she made a suddenly-walking Barbara Gordon the one and only Batgirl that I have known since the classic Batgirl: Year One.

And take note, the events that happened in Alan Moore's The Killing Joke still happened (which we see via Barbara's dream) so the continuity fanboys have nothing to worry about, but still, I can't help but wonder as to how in the world Barbara healed. I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the bone section where she was hit before.

Anyway Simone captures the correct tone for the character, making her an optimistic person who is determined to bring the pieces of her life back. But at the same time, Simone includes all the guilt and trauma in the world for her to handle, all the while facing a creepy and mysterious villain that uses a damn mirror. I don't know who this new villain is, but he surely looks formidable for Babs, especially now that our heroine is a little bit disoriented with all the shebang in her present and past life. 

The art is nice and shows Babs new costume with all the seams, and the action working hand in hand with Batgirl's internal monologue is fantastic. Over all, it was great to see the original Batgirl on patrol again, and I'm looking forward to number 2. 

Rating: 3 out of 5

Click on the jump for more reviews...

Animal Man  by Jeff Lemire and Travis Foreman - Animal Man was a hero that I was looking to read on back then but for some reason I always thought that he wasn't that interesting. Boy I was wrong. With this awesome new 52 release, Buddy Baker is the titular hero who struggles to balance his life as a family man and a superhero saving people's lives at the same time, which sets up the entertaining superhero/horror read.

This book reminded me of Bravestar for some reason - maybe because of the scene where Animal Man tries to apprehend a hostage-taker using his ability to channel the powers/abilities of any animal. I was like a 12 year old kid when I read that awesome scene, and it hit me like a rhino. From that point, I know that I love this book. 

Towards the ending, the book goes into its horror aspect, and we see blood, more blood and then a beautifully executed disturbing cliffhanger that left me gasping. I loved it even more. Terrific storytelling by Lemire.

I can't really say if I liked Foreman's style of pencilling here, but he definitely knows what he is doing story-wise. I'm not a big fan of his kindergarten art-style, but then again, there's nothing I can do about it, and besides, it works for the book, so there.

Now I really have to read Grant Morrison's run on Animal Man (which according to many, is a classic), while I'm waiting.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Swamp Thing by Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette - I'm gonna tell you right off the bat this is one of the most surprisingly good books from this New 52, together with Animal Man. The main character that is Swamp Thing is more on the horror aspect, and who is better to write this than the great Scott Snyder who currently, has a streak of award-winning works at his disposal. And he's just getting started.

Snyder goes directly to the point here and doesn't waste time on an origin story for Swamp Thing. He just explains how Alec Holland became the monster through a dream that just took 1 page, and that is something that other writers might like to emulate. Don't bore the reader, entertain them - and that's exactly what Snyder did through some excellent exposition in the beginning. 

Then he turns heads down the end, with that evil-mastodon-bone monster and a twisted group of flies (if you have already read this book, you see what I did there). Damn, that whole ending was one of the most disturbing, creepiest, and sort of disgusting things I have ever seen. It scared me more than Animal Man, and it isn't even close.

Another reason to love this book is Paquette's art that probably rivals some of JH Williams III's work. Believe me, this book as some exquisitely detailed art, from the city backdrops, to the fauna and flora all over Swamp Thing, up to the two-page spread of Superman, Batman, and Aquaman (yes, the make a cameo) talking to each other (with all the dead animals) - all of it, is nothing short of amazing.

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Batwing #1 by Judd Winick and Ben Oliver - All you need to know about Batwing is that he is the Batman of Africa, appointed by Bruce Wayne in Grant Morrison's Batman Inc. series. Now that we got that out of the way, let's go to the review.

Frankly, Batwing is one of those books that you will only pickup because of the art, and I have to give Oliver a round of applause here. He's got some mad skills when it comes to photorealism, and his work here is one of the most beautiful artworks I have seen. One glaring flaw in his art though is his inability to create good, detailed backdrops to go with his characters and his one-dimensional style that focuses on close-up shots.I hope he improves this as the series goes on - if it ever gets an extension.

On the other hand, Winick's story is doesn't really stand out, mainly because of his use of the reverse timeline technique. At first we have Batwing engaging in a bloody-all out war with a guy named Massacre (who is like Danny Trejo from Machete, but with a mask) and then suddenly, we shift to a flashback that sees the man behind Batwing - David Zambive - an honest and straight-up police officer in the city of Tinasha, in the Republic of Congo, who mainly joined the ranks in order to get information he needs for his Batwing operations.

From there, we are given an insight into the life of David during the day and how he utilizes his resources to rid his country of evil while adhering to his "no kill" mantra like Batman. Also, Winnick gives the impression that David is the real person and that Batwing is just the mask - an interesting take on the character.

Winnick isn't bad of a writer, but I just wish that he won't do that confusing reverse storytelling again because it removes the effectiveness of his supposed-to-be -surprising end.

I'm still on board for Batwing, mainly because I want to see more of Oliver's stunning artwork.

(Oh did I mention that Batwing has his own headquarters and his own version of Alfred?)

Rating: 3 out of 5

Detective Comics #1 by Tony Daniel (story and art) - I'm always impressed when a writer does the drawing as well. Its already hard to come up with a good story, then you got to worry about making a great story because well - its the goddamn Batman my friends - and finally you have to take care of the art department too in the best way possible so you won't piss everybody off. Well, Tony Daniel did just that.

He impressed me with his book and with a lot of reasons. First, he showcases Batman using his  over-all thought process in figuring out a certain clown, who Batman admits as to being "one without a true pattern" right from the opening sequence. This immediately sets up the word "detective" in reader's mind and thus staying true to the title of the comic.

Second, Daniel gives the idea that his story is setup from the early years of Batman, with the GCPD at odds with the Caped Crusader, Clearly, the police doesn't like him being around (except for one cop), and that gives another thing for Batman to worry about. Keep Batman busy and you do that by throwing a lot of stuff at him.

Third, the book is not without action and explosions. Joker and Batman coming face to face for the first time is a sight to behold, and their fight scenes are outstanding. Batman might be better in terms of physical strength and martial arts technique, but Joker has all the tricks up in his sleeve to surprise one of the greatest martial artists in the world.

And finally, a fantastic cliffhanger that caught me off-guard. That kind of unpredictability always works. Just when you totally figured it out, you get another thing coming right at you. Played perfectly by Daniel.

But that doesn't mean that the book is without flaws. The gripe I have is that dialogue where Batman is wondering as to what the Joker is doing without his clothes. Then there's the cheesy "I own the night". And also, hologram Alfred. I don't know where that came from.

Still, a solid work from Daniel and I look forward to more detective-style puzzles, more crime-solving, and impressive artwork featuring Batman running on top of buildings. And please, no more fucking holograms.

Rating 3.5/5


Whew. That's a lot! But there you go my friends. Let me know in the comments what you think of these titles. A healthy discussion is always welcome.

Tomorrow or maybe the next next day:  Week Two titles that includes dragons and sorcerers. Wait... what? 

Batgirl 0011

new portrait of Batgirl... :)
painted with various brush of ps-cs3 and some textures..

Batgirl © DC Comics

'Threesome Art' - 08/05/2011 - Phil Noto Barbara Gordon/Oracle Tribute

By now most of you probably know about DC's New 52, and that our beloved Oracle will be back as Batgirl with fan-favorite Gail Simone writing her new #1 which is out soon in September. So as a tribute to one of the most beloved characters in comics, I have decided to feature three Oracle/Batgirl art courtesy of Phil Noto.

Phil Noto is one of my favorite comic book artists, and he draws so well that its such a joy to read every comic book that has his name on it. His illustrations are so good that I'm having trouble explaining it. So with that said...

I'll just let his art do the talking. Enjoy!

Only a half-faced Batgirl? No problem. Phil still shows great dynamic and story by using a simple gesture: gearing up and getting ready to kick some ass.

I'm such a sucker for "pin-upy" artwork involving females. Asides from Adam Hughes, Phil Noto is one of those guys who can create such sexy female art without getting overly sexy. Sophisticated I should say. And this image of a smiling Barbara, posing at the camera is such a mushy one that I can't help but smile back.

 

Finally, the ultimate "goodbye Oracle" image. 

Simply put, this image of Oracle in her wheelchair - waving goodbye to everybody with that almost painful smile on her face - is just the perfect send-off. Anybody who loves Oracle  will not be able to hold back their tears when they see this. Everything about this image is fully executed to perfection by Noto, and I won't have it any other way. 

2011 DC Reboot: Relaunches For Batman Books... Dick Grayson Is Nightwing (Again) & Barbara Gordon To Return As Batgirl!

So many updates in just one day and I just happen to catch up with all of the latest juice. If you have just tuned in to this news, let me fill you in: DC has decided to renumber and update all their titles and superheroes, with 52 number1 titles to be released in September. 

Now here we are with the first major updates that would affect the Batman Family of books:

Information on DC's plans for the Batman and his comrades has surfaced and IGN has got all of the blow by blow details for that, but here's a quick roundup of the BIG CHANGES to our Dark Knight and his comrades for easy reference.

The list after the jump.

• For Grant Morrison fans, don't worry because our favorite Bat-writer who has authored and created the most massive Batman mythos we have seen in years is going to be involved in the relaunch with him writing a new #1 issue for Batman Incorporated. 

Here is Morrison's official statement:

"Batman, Incorporated will continue through to Issue #10 and August's shocking season finale that changes the Batman status quo yet again. The series will take a brief hiatus while I work on a major new project to be announced shortly. Batman, Incorporated returns next year with me, Chris Burnham and Batman: Leviathan, the epic 12 part conclusion to my 6 year Batman saga. Don't miss it!" 

Batman Inc has been going good and it is a big sucker to see that end just because of the reboot. But on the bright side of things, its nice to know that Morrison is still in the game writing Batman. He might not be the best writer for this hero, but he's done pretty well so far so I don't mind him writing volume 2.

• Long time comic book series Detective Comics will also be updated with a new number #1 - the first time this has happened in over 60+-plus years. The number one issue will be written and drawn by Tony Daniel.

Here is the cover for Detective Comics #1:

(click image for full size)

• Scott Snyder (American Vampire) will team up with artist Greg Capullo to create Batman #1. This will be Capullo's DC debut after working on Image Comics' notable titles like Spawn and Haunt.

Here is the cover for Batman # 1:

(click image for full size)

• For the first time ever, we will have a father-and-son tandem in Batman and Robin #1 with Bruce Wayne as the Bat and his only son Damian reprising the role of Robin The Boy Wonder. The team of Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason will take their talents at creating a new, interesting dynamic to the Batman mythos. 

Need I say more? This is freaking cool. Bruce will finally team-up with his hard-headed son Damian and it will be interesting to see how Tomasi will play around this imperfect family angle.

Cover to Batman and Robin # 1:

• David Finch will write and illustrate a new number #1 for his Batman: The Dark Knight series that will feature the Bat taking his adventures into the dreaded bars of Arkham Asylum. (Are we gonna see a story ala-Grant Morrison's Batman: Arkham Asylum "A Serious House on a Serious Earth"?)

The cover for Batman The Dark Knight #1:

Notes: Batman #1, Batman & Robin #1 and Detective Comics # 1 will star Bruce Wayne as The Caped Crusader, making him the only man to don the cape and cowl once more. Yes folks, its happening (as much as Dick Grayson as Batman is fucking cool).Which brings us to this...

• Current Batman Dick Grayson will be back as Nightwing in an all-new Nightwing series written by Kyle Higgins with art by Eddie Barrows. According to IGN, the story will put Dick back in his roots, mainly with the return Haley Circus to Gotham City - the famous attraction where Dick performed with his parents before they were murdered. 

Cover for Nightwing #1:

 

and finally, in what could be the most controversial of all title-relaunches:

• Barbara Gordon, known to comic book fans as Oracle - the strong and competent paraplegic leader of the Birds of Prey  - is going to take the role of Batgirl once again after years of being in a wheelchair as a result of the events that transpired in Alan Moore's 1986 Batman: The Killing Joke novel. Batgirl #1 will be written by Gail Simone.

Considered to be the greatest symbol of "girl power" especially for the disabled, Babs has been the quintessential kick-ass babe of the DCU as the original Batgirl, and even when she eventually worked behind the scenes as Oracle for 20 plus years, serving as the watchtower for many heroes (including Batman himself) with her intellect and dependable hacking skills. And now she's gonna stand up again, protecting Gotham as Batgirl.

I know this is a big deal for many readers who have followed and idolized Babs over the years, who watched her every pain, suffering and triumph - and honestly, I cannot blame them. Since reading Chuck Dixon's 2003 Batgirl: Year One, Babs became my one of my favorite heroines in any comic book and I even loved her more as Oracle for the qualities she exemplify.  

This is a bittersweet farewell to the character I used to know for so many years, but I know that DC and writer Gail Simone has nothing but GREAT plans for her. Simone has this to say:

"Barbara Gordon is pretty much my everything. Because of the Batman TV show, she was the reason I fell in love with superheroes. Because she was a redhead who could kick ass, she is the reason I fell in love with comics. She was always forward-looking as Batgirl, a girl who was smarter than the male characters, who had class and elegance and style, as well as tough-as-nails grit. For a long time, there was simply nothing else like her in comics, and for me and a lot of other readers, her every appearance was joyful and explosive.  

For many years, I got to write the character as Oracle, and there is to this day, no character who means more to me. This is classic Barbara as she was originally conceived, with a few big surprises. It's a bit of a shock, to be sure, but we're doing everything we can to be respectful to this character's amazing legacy, while presenting something thrilling that a generation of comics readers will be experiencing for the first time...

...Barbara Gordon leaping, fighting, and swinging over Gotham. Now, when citizens of that city look up, they are going to see Batgirl.

And that is absolutely thrilling." 

Cover to Batgirl #1:

(click image to enlarge)

Keep it locked here on Comically Graphic for more updates on the 2011 DC Universe Reboot.

Batgirl 05

Batgirl portrait 05..
Digital paint. Done in ps-cs4, brush tool.

Batgirl © DC Comics

Cool "Animated" X-Men, Avengers, and DC Art from Marcio Takara

I'm not reading comic books lately so I'm on the hunt again for some of the finest works of art on Deviant. 

This time we have Brazilian comic book artist Marcio Takara, who according to his official website - has been working with illustrations, character design and graphic design since 2000. He also did comicbook work for companies like Marvel Comics (SpiderMan & Fantastic Four: Hard Choices), Chimaera (Consortium of Justice), Image Comics (Dynamo5) and Boom! Studios (The Incredibles). 

I frankly like his style - like its really made for animation shows that we see on TV. And to be honest, I have never seen such a clean and fine style of drawing like he has. How come animation studios don't get this guy to do their flicks? This guy is absolutely fit for that in my opinion, and its a shame that we are not seeing his illustrations come alive - literally - on our TV sets.

Anyway, check out more of my favorites from his deviantArt page featuring our guys from Marvel and DC.

Click to enlarge the images

 

Comic Book Review: Batgirl Year One

Batgirl: Year One

Writers: Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon

Artists: Alvaro Lopez and Marcos Martin

Number of Issues : 9

Published by DC Comics

Girl power has never been this good.

And seriously, I never thought I would ever enjoy reading a Batgirl story, but I did. I really did enjoy the darn book. 9 issues, 226 pages of full kick-ass Barbara Gordon aka  The Original Batgirl. Its an origin tale, which means it tells us how did Batgirl became hero that she is. 

As the daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon, she wants to follow her father's footsteps and be a cop, but he (Commish Gordon) doesn't want his little baby girl meddling with thugs and thieves. Babs tries to apply for a protection agency, but is rejected again because she didn't meet the minimum height requirements. She feels frustrated about it because every body thinks that she is nothing but a pretty, intelligent girl who should just go to law school and be a successful lawyer someday.

She doesn't want any of that. So our heroine decides to do something more than just become an ordinary citizen. Wanting to prove to everybody that she is just not your typical girl-next-door figure, she uses her wits, fact finding abilities, improvisational skills, computer wizardry and physical prowess (Barbara is an exceptional martial artist - she knows karate, judo  etc and is also proficient in gymnastics) to help save Gotham from its "freaks", and creates a costume that resembles a bat then starts fighting crime,  beating lowlife thugs and petty thieves. But she instantly finds out that it takes more than just imitating Batman - donning a cowl and putting some yellow bat logo on her chest - to become a full-pledged hero who wants to make Gotham a better place.

Batman and Robin also appears in this comic book, and we see them meeting Batgirl for the first time. (take note that Barbara Gordon has not met them before and that she knows nothing about them). They are both cautious about her, especially Bats. And over the course of the story, he tries to tell our red head heroine that this whole thing is not a game and that she should stop doing the whole vigilante thing before she gets hurt real bad. Of course Barbara doesn't listen to what he says, and it now its all up to her to show the Caped Crusader that she deserves to be  part of the team.

Artists did a good job of illustrating all the action, and I love the vintage style they used on the characters.  Its always good to see the Golden Age art on Bats. Such a classic.

Another great aspect of the comic would be the focus on Barbara and Dick Grayson's (aka Robin The Boy Freaking Wonder, or Pixie Boots as Babs would call him here) adventures and err.. blooming romance.I would have to say, that angle worked for me. It added a somewhat lighthearted tone to  all of  the crazy action.

Oh and the dark, murky, crazy Gotham. Superb.

The verdict: What can I say? This is as good as any DC story out there... no wait, its one of the better comic book you will read in a while, considering that the spotlight here is on beautiful red headed chick. I  definitely enjoyed the ride with Batgirl and she really shined all through out in this series, proving that she is just as important as any character in Batman's fight against crime. The perfect example of girl power. Not even the Powerpuff Girls can beat Babs here.

When We Were Young And Comics Were Fun

I've been super-busy for several weeks, first finishing off a major paper, then going on a cruise, then prepping for and presenting at a conference, and finally sorting through my comics, which mostly have to be sold before we move in August. As I arrange the comics in lots for sale, I can't help reminiscing over some of them, and of course lamenting that we have to part. On Monday I was stopped in my tracks by an old favorite, Detective Comics 371, with this fabulous Batgirl cover:

This issue is from January 1968 and so we're beginning to see some feminist issues surfacing. Basically the plot revolves around Batgirl's preoccupation with her appearance and how this interferes with her crime-fighting. Supposedly this vanity is an aspect of femininity and part of the overall weakness the latter allegedly confers upon females. Here's some excerpts:

In this early sequence, Batgirl goes into action when she witnesses the robbery of an armored truck in progress. As you see, worrying about her mask being out of place puts her at a disadvantage, and what happens subsequently is that Batman & Robin arrive on the scene and mop up at least some of the bad guys, leaving Barbara much to ponder once the fighting is over:

Next the same sports-themed robbers are interrupted as they are about to complete their heist of precious metals from the trophy-making department of the Gotham River Sawmill. Batman and Robin are, of course, expert log rollers, and so the battle is going their way until they are distracted by Batgirl's spontaneous feminine scream uttered as she arrives to see her crime-fighting companions in danger. And just when you thought things couldn't get worse, Batgirl is again sidelined by her anxiety over her looks as mud splashes on her face. Note that it's okay for Batman and Robin to be distracted by hearing a woman scream, i.e. their chauvinistic masculinity, but Batgirl's femininity is here labeled as a major disadvantage.

Next Batman and Robin are tipped off that the sports thieves are going to commit a robbery at the Royal Happening, an event taking place that evening and which Batman was scheduled to attend as his alter ego Bruce Wayne. Bruce gives his tickets to Commissioner Gordon and his daughter Barbara a.k.a. Batgirl, and plans to thwart the crooks' intentions as the Caped Crusader. The showdown occurs as the Batman calculated, but he and Robin are seriously outnumbered, and so Batgirl decides to shed her Queen Victoria costume and enter the fray, only this time she's prepared!

Taking advantage of the predictably sexist outlook of the crooks, Batgirl uses her femininity to her advantage and distracts the bad guys with her curvaceous appearance. Batman and Robin waste no time in finishing off the tactically compromised gang, but Barbara doesn't reveal the whole truth to the Dynamic Duo in the post-case analysis. Yes, that run in her tights was a deliberate ploy to get the attention of the crooks.

The story presents an interesting take on the emerging Feminist Movement, one I might suggest was fairly typical of DC and Marvel's male-dominated creative teams of the time. To begin with Batgirl's feminine traits are shown as disadvantageous to her ability to compete with men. In the end, those same characteristics are switched around and considered a strength. To an early-70s Second Wave Feminist this would most likely have been interpreted as male chauvinism, and an attempt on the part of the DC staff to support a system based on differences of the sexes. Ironically, the story is more in tune with more modern difference feminism, exploitation of the sexist attitudes of the male crooks aside, which sees strength in traditional feminine attributes.

The story also reminds me of how things have changed in comic books. This one can be read on a couple of levels. It's fun (I remember guffawing over and over at the cover and the panel where the crooks get distracted when I was around 13) but there's also some social issues being dealt with. And that's why, despite having admiration for his artistic finesse, I was really disappointed by Frank Miller and what he did to Batman and Daredevil, two of my fun faves of the 60s. Who needs all that darkness when there's enough of it in real life!? Comics were my escape from the harsh realities of the inner city! This particular book (Detective 371) also has work by a mixture of some of my all-time favorite artists - Carmine Infantino and Murphy Anderson (cover), Gardner Fox (writer), and Gil Kane and Sid Greene (artist and inker). These guys are some of the greatest of the greats in comic book history, to whom Miller, significant as his work has been, pales in comparison, in my opinion anyway.