Batgirl #37 Review Oracle rises and a classic villain gets an upgrade!

Batgirl’s new creative team drops her right into the fight of her life against … Killer Moth?!

Including the Terrible Trio in this issue is a great choice on the part of new series writer Cecil Castellucci. Since they were the main villains of the Mairghread Scott’s final arc on Batgirl, it makes sense to bring them in as a menacing bridge to the next phase of Babs’ life. We even get to see how expendable their members really are, since they’re able to almost immediately hire a new Shark. It’s an almost comedic moment when they remind Shark of the fact that he’s just the muscle, but it’s chilling when we remember just how horrific the original Shark’s final moments were.

The fight between Killer Moth and Batgirl is beautifully drawn by Carmine Di Giandomenico. There’s a lightness to Babs we haven’t seen in a while in not only her poses and facial expressions, but in her general demeanor during the battle. Between the malfunction of her spinal implant and her general aggression in recent issues, it’s been a minute since Barbara has seemed to actually enjoy fighting crime. Her narration is funny and sarcastic, which makes the fact that she’s fighting a villain she’s put down dozens of times (and her surprise as his new capabilities) even more apparent. The illustrations bring home the idea that Barbara has found a new peace with herself.

Batgirl #37 Review Oracle rises and a classic villain gets an upgrade! AIPT, July 24th, 2019