Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Re:tro Re:view - Batgirls #2!

 Re:cap - The Batgirls are adjusting to life returning to Gotham with their new apartment in The Hill.  Barbara Gordon (Oracle), the original Batgirl, is setting up the apartment and advising the Batgirls.  They run into some street toughs, while the mysterious Seer acting as the anti-Oracle!  Then, Cassandra Cain (Batgirl) and Stephanie Brown (Batgirl) encounter the armored Saints (the last “s” is reversed) sent by the Magistrate!  Interior artist, Jorge Corona, provides the crazy cover, “Because the Batgirls Demanded It - - “, we see Batgirl Cassandra leaping and Batgirl Stephanie kinda thrown over while Barbara watches from a billboard screen “- - Introducing Bondo The Muscle Car!”  It was actually introduced last issue, but that’s besides the point.  


The writing team of Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad contine “One Way or Another Part 2 of 6.”  It immediately drops into the action with the Batgirls fighting The Saints.  Barbara notes that Simon Saint, the creator of the Magistrate and the Peacekeepers had died in I Am Batman #4 (2022).  Babs realizes they are already fighting and finds out that the Gotham police already knew about The Saints.  They are extreme even to the Magistrate.  Oracle introduces Tarsus, a massive armored soldier with a flail, he brings it down trying to strike Batgirl Stephanie.  Next is the Saints member, Valentine, she has a heart on the left side of her helmet, pony tail, an armored ninja with a bo staff.  Valentine takes on Batgirl Cassandra.  She turns Batgirl Cass’ weapon against her!  


Up on the shadowy rooftop is the sniper-like Assisi.  He has supplied the Saints with their armor and weapons taken from S.T.A.R. Labs.  Assisi has a robot dog and fires a harpoon-like weapon from his gauntlet that ties up Batgirl Cassandra!  This is a villain group of Deathstrokes!  I wonder if they will encounter Deathstroke?  Babs warns the duo that they have to strategize and confused over them both using the Batgirl name.  Cass had taken the identity of Orphan and Steph was known as Spoiler.  Still, Barbara laughs and says the duo are great as we get a sniper scope on Batgirl Steph!  Assisi fires a net, but Stephanie throws three Batarangs!  She picks up Cassandra and then fires her bat grapnel gun.  They escape, Valentine asks if they will pursue, but the leader Tarsus tells them to wait.  



They both return to the apartment, Steph feels like it is not only the Seer, the Saints, but all of the city against them.  The Saints also return to the abandoned church, Our Lady of Mercy, they find Simon Saint there and Tarsus vows to kill the Batgirls!  The captions are funny by the way.  Stephanie tells Barbara that the Saints said Simon Saint sent them.  She wonders about the serial killer dubbed The Hill Ripper by Steph.  Barbara sends the Batgirls when it turns night while she works on The Seer.  The Batgirls are on night patrol riding Bondi.  They see the tough guys, called Hill’s Angels, back on the street.  The Batgirls follow and find out that Gotham P.D. is working with them.  They are building some structure from their stolen goods that half curves around the moon.  Babs is back at the apartment she is soldering what seems to be a circuit board.  


This is while she chats with Dick Grayson aka Nightwing.  She updates him on the situation before interrupted by an excited Steph.  Barbara is updated on their discovery by Stephanie who is also suspicious of their neighbor.  Babs is making them dinner and chats with Cass.  She brings up the scooters and Cassandra slips away escaping mention of Bondi.  Cass surprises Steph who was sending something to Spellbound Gallery on her phone.  The television news plays as we see the Batgirls at dinner.  The reporter, Grace O’Halloran, notes that the Batgirls were at an explosion of the clock toer.  We see Babs reading in bed, the streets, and then Steph putting up a Spellbound poster in her room.  Then, the serial killer is mentioned, we see a man in a chair, the Hill Ripper?  O’Halloran is broadcasting in front of a mural put by the Tutor.  Babs has earrings with their new comms, but Cass doesn’t have her ears pierced.  There is more complications for the Batgirls!  This title with Batgirls #2 is a light, fun read, with tough heroines and dark threats!  


Four Batarangs out of Five!  


#Batgirls, #OneWayOrAnother, #BeckyCloonan, #MichaelWConrad, #JorgeCorona.   

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