Comic Frontline

Batgirl #19 Review (SPOILERS)

By: Mike Ray
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I will admit that I haven't really been into the New 52 Batgirl series, but after the 'Death Of The Family' I think Batgirl has really picked up. This issue is a must read for anyone that has been keeping up with this series. A lot of secrets are revealed and we get to witness the loss of one of Batgirl's biggest allies. This issue is also very gruesome and violent which makes it even more dramatic.

Barbara attempts to come back home to her room mate Alyssa, who at first isn't to impressed to see her, but then takes her in with open arms as Barbara spills her guts to Alyssa about her horrific past. We are then taken to the main focal point of this issue: Barbara's brother James Jr. which I'm not a big fan of. I feel that he almost resembles someone that is from the Matrix and also appears to not really look the part of a villain. There are a lot of flashbacks to when Barbara and James Jr. were kids and how much they loved horror flicks, which of course may have helped turn James Jr. into a psychopath killer.

Sampere's artwork was great in this issue, especially during the dramatic scenes. The story really begins to unfold and get good when James Jr. meets his mother at the bridge and his sister Barbara (Batgirl) shows up and we see a well written series of panels. James takes his mother and holds a knife to her throat which causes Batgirl to throw a batarang at James causing him to fall off the bridge to his death. I was so happy to see this character go (for now - in the DC Universe it seems everyone makes a comeback). I have not been very fond of this character in the New 52 series and, as I said above, he just didn’t seem to fit in and look the part.

The issue ends after James falls off the bridge and we see Barbara and James' father Commissioner Gordon pull a gun on Batgirl after murdering his son. Batgirl of course disappears and realizes that she is now an only child and perhaps an orphan after causing the death of her own flesh and blood.

Again, this is a must read for anyone following this series or in this case for anyone that is a Batman New 52 fan. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series and how Barbara is going to explain her actions against her brother and how Commissioner Gordon will take it. I give this issue a 9/10 simply because the story is terrific and the artwork is excellent!