Batgirl #41 Review – Relatable And Enjoyable

After Lex Luthor resurrects Barbara Gordon’s defunct A.I. Oracle programme, the A.I. goes on a revenge mission against Gordon. Oracle feels Barbara abandoned her. In her rage, Oracle sets siege to Barbara’s beloved Burnside neighbourhood. The two eventually meet and after a tussle, Barbara a.k.a. Batgirl is knocked out. Will Batgirl survive and can Oracle be stopped before it’s too late?

Year of the Villain can feel overwhelming at times, with some titles feeling more like carriers for Y.O.T.V. Thankfully, Batgirl manages to tell its own unique story and includes elements of Year of the Villain with seamless ease.

What’s great about Batgirl #41 is the relatable and enjoyable way the characters are written. Barbara, for instance, is beginning to realize that perhaps she did abandon Oracle. This insecurity juxtaposed against Barbara’s tenacity and strong will make her compelling and these qualities are present throughout the series as well as this current issue. Castellucci keeps the political and social commentary to a minimum in this issue, something which tended to bog down the story previously.

Carmine Di Giandomenico’s artwork in Batgirl #41 is top-notch. The legion of robots awakening is a great sequence of panels. The colour work here and throughout the book are magnificent as well. The green tones and hues used for panels which include Oracle are a standout.