REVIEW: ‘Barbara Gordon: Breakout’ Issue 1

Barbara Gordon: Breakout Issue 1 is published by DC Comics and written by Mariko Tamaki, art by Amancay Nahuelpan, colors by Tamra Bonvillain, and letters by Ariana Maher.

Barbara Gordon has been arrested and sent to prison, and must now try to survive in a supermax run by criminals.

This is a comic that jumps straight from Batman Issue 9. Batgirl was arrested in the final pages of the issue, and Barbara Gordon Breakout Issue 1 explores what happens in the aftermath. The comic actually spans multiple points in time, revealing that Barbara’s plan to go to prison has been all along. The criminality and corruption within the walls needed to be infiltrated, and Oracle is now in. Tamaki brilliantly sets up so much of the story, recognizing the swirling plots that gather in the prison whilst also creating something new on the ground itself.

It makes the comic easy to understand because survival is the only thing that matters. Each scene includes headshots and the names of the people around Barbara, ranging from inmates, guards, and former inmates. Barbara Gordon Breakout Issue 1 rushes through the court proceedings to get to the prison, and when Barbara reaches the courtyard, it isn’t long before the danger becomes apparent.

Gordon is completely alone with threats around every corner. The guards are worse than the inmates, and many of the inmates were sent to prison with her help. The action is brief, but vicious. It has to be, because it’s making a statement.

The setting of Barbara Gordon Breakout Issue 1 feels very unique for the character. She has been Oracle, a woman behind multiple computer screens, guiding the Bat Family in their adventures. She has also been Batgirl, out there on the front lines on the streets of Gotham. But this prison is different. She’s Barbara Gordon, not Batgirl or Oracle. She’s also completely alone, with no help or backup. Anyone from any direction can attack her.

Tamaki’s narration highlights Barbara’s meticulous intelligence and skills as a hacker. She has spent so much time building a dossier on the prison and those within it. But what is key in this series is tenacity and training. Knowing how to fight, instill fear, and establish dominance are all found in Barbara Gordon Breakout Issue 1. This is something Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd, and Dick Grayson may be able to do in such hostile territory. But Barbara is also demonstrating that she can be just ferocious and capable away from her computer.

The art is terrific at trying to make Barbara look like she doesn’t belong – even while in her orange jumpsuit. Her hair is long, and her glasses are on in the first pages. But when she first embroils herself in prison violence, the rougher parts become clear. Her scowl is intimidating and brave, never shrinking or backing away.

Nahuelpan crafts superb action, with fist fighting and grappling the only moves available within the isolated confines. There is a fantastic variety of moves and strikes, though, making the intense action enthralling. Gordon is always outnumbered, with enemies coming at her from all sides and moving at speed. The hair-pulling, kicks, and elbows to the face look savage and painful, again reminding us of what Barbara can do. In a sea of prison overalls, differences in bodies, hair, and faces are crucial in the character designs. Nahuelpan achieves this brilliantly, establishing individualism among the inmates.

The colors aim for atmosphere over naturalism, which is terrific. The orange is abundant, with almost every character wearing it. Barbara’s own ginger hair is a very slight shade lighter, and helps set the newcomer side from the others around her. Much of the lighting uses a yellow-green hue, which makes the place feel uncomfortable and sickly. There are some flashes of red when Barbara makes contact during fights, accentuating the danger and the bloodiness of her moves.

The letters are very easy to read, and the SFX is very minimalistic. There are none around the action scenes, which works well. It makes the fighting more visceral and grizzly rather than typical comic-book violence.

Barbara Gordon Breakout Issue 1 is a reminder of Barbara’s bravery. She is placed in the most brutal of scenarios, truly isolated and devoid of technology, and yet she’s able not only to survive, but thrive. She has spent so much time in the ear of Nightwing and Batman that it’s important to remember Barbara can fight alongside them, too. It’s a ruthless comic that uses the basics to bring out some brilliance. The storytelling is exceptional because, whilst there is a heap of backstory, it isn’t necessary to be instantly invested.

Barbara Gordon: Breakout Issue 1 is available where comics are sold.