REVIEW: ‘Batgirl’ Issue 24

Batgirl Issue 24 is published by DC Comics. Written by Tate Brombal, art by Takeshi Miyazawa, colors by Mike Spicer and letters by Tom Napolitano.

This is Part Two of Week Seven of the Batman: Bad Seeds event. In Batgirl Issue 24, Batgirl has to cross a city filled with armed soldiers and deadly plants, all with a poisoned girl strapped to her back and a deep wound to her side.

The previous chapter of Batgirl already gave Cassandra the setup for what is an extremely difficult mission. Batgirl Issue 24 throws her into it, rapid and intense from the beginning. One of the best and most exciting aspects of the Bad Seeds crossover is the variety of threats on the street. There are the killer plants and Vandal Savage’s specialist unit created to hunt down the Bat Family. It means that every single street and block contains something new.

Batgirl Issue 24 has a wonderful sense of movement, with ticking time bombs that force Batgirl to move. If she stops, the girl could die. Or she could die. So she has to move anything in her way or cut around it. That narrow focus is sensational and engrossing. It also feels satisfying to read because the journey is so arduous.

The characterization within Batgirl Issue 24 is immaculate. She’s not one to talk, and that shows in both her dialogue and her narration. The captions are short sentences that get straight to the point. Because Cassandra has no time for anything else.

There’s a precision to every word. Whilst the dialogue can seem curt, there’s actually heaps of personality. Her resolute drive and determination are integral to the heart of Batgirl Issue 24. She’s trained as an assassin, which comes through when she comes across enemies and has to control every strike of her sword to prevent herself from killing them.

Even when she encounters friendlies, Batgirl has no time to talk or show emotion. This is also a true crossover, literally stepping into characters from another tie-in for a minute before Cassandra goes her own way. The rest of Batgirl Issue 24 is all about community, as Cassandra’s family try to keep the plants out of their safehouse. The fight feels impactful and fits the book’s relentless mantra: don’t stop.

The art helps cement Batgirl as a formidable hero. She moves with terrific bravery, always getting up and standing tall. She’s a very slight figure, but it never affects how she fights. Even with the roughshod patching up of her injury, which gets smacked and aggravated. She’s also got a tiny human strapped to her back.

The point is, Batgirl is hardly at her physical best, and she still fights with a rapid pace and vicious precision. She wields a sword, and swings it with such ferocity that it would make her mother proud. The way that objects, beings and people appear ramps up the intensity, because anything can be thrown at Cassandra.

The colors help denote progression and movement. Spicer does more than simply shroud the Gotham streets in shadows. At the most intense moment, the background color is a bright yellow, which pushes the chaos as far as it will go. Similarly, the flickering of police lights is great for changing the atmosphere, and the alteration of background fills keeps the eyes engaged.

The lettering is fantastic because it highlights how calm Batgirl stays. Her word balloons remain small and curt, whereas others are bold and big, terrified and panicking.

Batgirl Issue 24 is a phenomenal feat of resilience and determination. Cassandra Cain has always been one of the greatest fighters in the Bat Family, but this chapter is something else entirely. It takes extraordinary toughness, as well as a desire to save lives. That’s a sign she’s stepping up and pushing herself to her limit. Because if she doesn’t, people die. And that pressure makes the comic sensational.

Batgirl Issue 24 is available where comics are sold.