Batgirl #1 (April, 2000)
Co-Plotter - Scott Peterson
Co-Plotter & Script - Kelley Puckett
Penciller - Damion Scott
Inker - Robert Campanella
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Jason Wright
Separations - Jamison
Associate Editor - Joseph Illidge
Editor - Darren Vincenzo
Cover Price: $2.50
How crazy is it that it took until 2000 for the first volume of a Batgirl comic book to launch... unless of course, I'm mistaken... at which time I'll look quite foolish, however, to my knowledge this is the first ever ongoing Batgirl series.
This one really wasn't on my radar when it was on the shelves. The only issues in my collection were the ones that tied in with Bat-family crossovers like Bruce Wayne: Fugitive/Murderer. In the years since, I did become a bit curious about this book... but, I gotta tell ya, it isn't often I come across this series in the wild. Just today while browsing a local buck-a-book room, I lucked across this first issue. Let's give it a look and a chat.
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We open in flashback mode. A group of blindfolded thugs are led into a dojo where they find themselves faced with the threat of... a young girl. This girl is Cassandra Cain, and her "father" David is there setting up a camera to tape the "performance" to come. One of the thugs notes that they have been assembled atop a sheet of plastic... that's curious, right? Cassandra stabs a knife into the mat, and David invites any thug to pick it up and try to cut his daughter. They refuse... and, well... Cassandra brutally beats them all. I mean, it's bloody... and there's teeth everywhere.
In the present, we join a teenage Cassandra as she spars with Oracle, Barbara Gordon at the Clocktower. It's a escrima stick battle... and it's a tough one. Babs is just barely able to disarm our girl. She tells Cassandra that she needs more practice, and wheels away scoffing at the "unstoppable killing machine" reputation Batman had given her.
We stick with Barbara for awhile as she updates her Oracle computer files. She designates the name "Batgirl" to Cassandra, and updates her own file to read "Original Batgirl" or "Old Batgirl" depending on whatever caption you wanna believe. We learn that Cassandra was born to unknown parents and trained from birth to be an assassin. She ran away at age nine, and drifted from place to place. Here we also get a shot of the terrifying new Batgirl costume.
Back in flashbackland, we watch as a man with a scar swipes a bottle from a transient. This gets a bit sketchy from here... I can't quite follow it myself, but I'll give it a go. A drifting Cassandra shows up, and scarface appears to recognize her... I think. He breaks the bottle and brandishes it in her direction. After standing still for a moment, she flees. The scarred fella starts laughing... but then suddenly drops to his knees and sobs. Wha? I'll include the entire two-page bit, you be the judge. I'm guessing he was probably a guy that David had her fight... and she will likely be responsible for the scarring... but it wasn't terribly clear right off the bat (pun probably intended).
Back in the present, we observe a man attempting to sexually (?) assault a woman. I think it's a sexual thing, as he tells her not to "fight it"... and calls her "baby" a few times. Looks like we found our pitch-perfect first baddie for our new Batgirl, eh?
Or for Batgirl to distract so BatMAN can bust the dude up.
It's now daytime, and Cassandra (who I really want to call "Cassie", but I don't think that'd be right for this gal) is plucking petals off of a flower. Barbara enters and invites her out for a trip to the park. At the park, Babs tries to get into our little protagonist's head. This doesn't go all that well... Cassandra runs away.
At night, Batman comes to the Clocktower to check in on his potential new charge. We get a bit more information on Cassandra's past... or at least more detailed info. David Cain was experimenting with infants... kept them in isolation, and deprived them of human speech... with the thought that the brain would adapt so that it would view physicality as a language onto itself... which it kind of already is for people not raised by psychopaths. Anyhoo... this allows Cassandra the ability to foretell what an opponent may do before even they do. Barbara comments on her talent with the escrima sticks, which causes Batman to smile... he'd only trained her with them for five minutes.
We now join Batman and Batgirl sparring. Bruce feels that Cassandra is taking it easy on him, and encourages her to go all-out... and so she does. Following a barrage, Batman comments on the girl being "out of shape". That is, until he begins coughing up blood. This pleases him... however, there's no time to celebrate because something is about to go down.
It's an armored car robbery! Batgirl swoops in and starts scaring fools into submission... like really... she swats a dude's gun away then just scares him off. Really going for that pacifism trophy, eh? Well... no, because the next fella is one she's gonna have to fight... and wouldn'tcha know it... he's got a scar on his face! She tells him to shut up... which makes him realize who she is...
Later, Batman gives her the "job well done" shtick and they share a relatively touching moment as Batgirl touches the side of Batman's cheek. This really seems to freak our man out.
We wrap up as the film from the beginning of the issue ends. We come to find that David Cain has been taking a stroll down memory lane while his "daughter" matures into a Gotham vigilante.
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Yeah... really liked this one. Right off the bat, I'll get this out of the way... this is one that makes me feel homesick. The Bat-family at the turn of the century was such a great little (?) corner of the DC Universe. Between the main book(s), the sidekick books, and Birds of Prey... there was plenty of good reading to be had. This Batgirl fits into that mold quite well.
If I'm not mistaken Cassandra Cain first surfaced during No Man's Land, and we were not privy to her origins or motivations... though, I might be wrong there. I do know that this is most certainly not her first appearance. Here we get a bit of her backstory, and a very helpful expositional conversation between Batman and Oracle to help fill in some blanks.
Writing and pacing (outside that broken bottle scene) were well done. The fact that Cassandra is more or less mute really speaks to the quality of storytelling... again, discounting the broken bottle bit. The art... is spotty. There are pages that look amazing, and others where Cassandra's head/face looks really blocky and just not right. The Batgirl outfit, on the other hand... looks awesome. It almost has a symbiotic spider-suit kinda look... or like Spawn's cape... it's as though she's wearing liquid, and it looks really quite striking. It's almost something out of a horror book... and I really love it.
I am woefully behind in my Rebirth reading, but I believe Ms. Cain is part of the Detective Comics cast, so this is actually a book that contemporary readers may get something from... outside the great story, that is. Definitely worth seeking out, has been collected, and is available digitally. Worth a look.
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(Not the) Letters Page:
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Bob, the Galactic Bum #1 (February, 1995)
"The Piker, Chapter 1: And the Maggot Cried 'Death'"
Writers - Alan Grant & John Wagner
Artist - Carlos Ezquerra
Letterer - Gaspar
Colorist - Dan Brown
Separation - Digital Chameleon
Assistant Editor - Peter J. Tomasi
Editor - Dan Raspler
Cover Price: $1.95
Some days we'll discuss straightforward no nonsense superhero books... some days we'll discuss some stories from an offbeat corner of the DC Universe... then, there's days like today. Today we're discussing a book about an intergalactic bum. I've had this book kicking around the collection for quite awhile now... and had yet to sit down and read it. Guess we're gonna remedy that today.
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We open with a shot of what appears to be a train car as it floats through endless space. It's occupants are the titular Bob the Intergalactic Bum and his bosom buddie Buck Fifty... and they're hungry. They plot... well, Bob plots... all Buck Fifty seems to be able to say is "What?"... perhaps he is a Stone Cold Steve Austin fan. Anyhoo... Bob plots ways in which to get them fed, finally concluding that they might eat Buck's coat.
After reading a page from the Galactic Handbook, Bob learns that it would take a full week to properly prepare a coat for consumption. Fearing that by then they will have withered away to nothing, he decides to try sweet talking some snacks from the handy on board Vend-O-Matic machine. The machine doesn't like the cut of his jib, and feels (feels?) that Bob may not be all that great at paying off his debts, so he is turned down flat.
Moments later, a video screen illuminates to inform the duo that there is a nearby spacecraft approaching. They are engaged by the craft and soon joined by an alien critter with many tentacles hanging from its face. Bob checks the manual again, and informs Buck Fifty that the best way to greet such a creature is to shake it's tentacles. Well, Buck gets tentacles confused with... well, ya know... and shakes vigorously. This is where there is a bit of a hiccup between the writing and art. The writing makes it preeeetty clear that Buck shook one thing, but the art shows him holding on to a tentacle. Here, you be the judge...
Not long after this encounter do Bob and Buck run into a... sorta-kinda space cruise ship called the S.V. Shimoni. It's a fairly hoi-poloi craft where the elite travel the spaceways in style. They are allowed on board... and are told they'll be fed and cared for, just so long as they stay away from their passengers. So, of course... Bob bee-lines it over to start panhandling from all the wealthies on board... and he's actually quite successful. People fill his hat with cash to make him go away... on a count that he smells... bad... see, the man stinks.
While Buck Fifty inhales a young child's hamburger, Bob continues harassing the passengers. He comes across a blue-skinned fella wearing something sort of like a fez. He seems to take a liking to Bob, however, he doesn't have anything vulgar like money on his person. Bob dismisses him, calling him a "piker" (hey, that's the title of the story!) and walks away.
Bob and Buck are grabbed by the collar by a crew member, and tossed into their quarters for the evening. They fulfill their promise of feeding them, by offering maggot and pickle sandwiches... which is, ya know... kind of vile. What's worse is the maggots are still alive... and have the ability to speak! Oh well.
The cruise craft is approach by some unfriendly travelers... the Khunds... which is a word ya probably don't wanna say out loud in mixed company. Initially the baddies just pass by, however, they soon change their minds and lob a torpedo into the S.V. Shimoni.
It doesn't take the Khunds long to board the vessel, rob its inhabitants blind... and then kill said inhabitants. These guys don't mess around.
Thinking their job done, the baddies leave. Ya see, Bob and Buck hid out in a ventilation shaft. As luck would have it, bad guys never think to check there. All's well... however, our pals soon realize that they are not alone. Why, they are joined by the "piker" from earlier! How fortuitous.
The now-trio wanders through the wreckage and carnage of the Shimoni. They happen across the ships escape pods and prepare to jam out. Bob and Buck enter, and tell the Piker to go his own way. In a moment of mercy... Bob agrees to take him along. Here we learn that the Piker is actually the galactic prince Chazza of Gazza.
We begin our wrap up by checking in with Vril Dox and Stealth of the R.E.B.E.L.S. After hearing what has gone down with the Shimoni, they realize they will have to intervene... on a count of Chazza having been on board. Ya see, Chazza of Gazza is the heir apparent to five whole systems... ay yai yai. Now considering the potential difficulty of this task, Dox decides to enlist the aid of... yup, the Main Man himself.
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I feel like I'm saying this a lot, but... yeah... pretty decent issue.
The story... what there is of it, flows well... and we get a pretty decent indication of just how big a pest our man Bob can be. He's very much, and you can tell this by looking at him, in the mold of a W.C. Fields. Just more annoying... if that's something that's possible to be.
Of course this is... and we can tell by the cover... ultimately a Lobo story. I'll plead ignorance in regard to his affiliation or constitution during this time... and I am utterly clueless as to what the R.E.B.E.L.S. were up to at this point in time.
The art here is really quite nice. Kind of evocative of 2000AD. It has that clean-yet-scratchy look to it, which serves this story and these characters quite well... well, all except Lobo, who really doesn't look all that good in my opinion.
I know when I normally cover a book from the mid-1990's I often rag the muddy coloring. I think the constant, up to this point, has been Digital Chameleon having a part in it. Here, while still being a Digital Chameleon joint... the coloring looks really quite good, lush even! I guess this just tells me that the muddiness is more to do with the horrendous mid-nineties glossy paper and less to do with the colorist(s) nor separator(s).
Overall... you probably don't need to seek this one out. I have only seen this once "in the wild" and that was when I bought it. Not saying this would be difficult to find, but I'm not sure it would be easy either... and honestly, it may not be worth the time nor effort. It's a novelty to be sure, and if you love having weirdo books in your collection (like I do), I suppose you could do far worse.
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Batman and the Outsiders #28 (December, 1985)
"The Truth About Looker, Part 1: Abduction From Below"
Writer/Editor - Mike W. Barr
Artist - Alan Davis
Letterer - John Workman
Colorist - Adrienne Roy
Cover Price: $0.75
It wasn't too long ago that we checked in with the Outsiders to get "The Truth About Halo"... so, I figure why not see if we can't get to the bottom of Looker... Let's do it!
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We open with Halo nervously flipping through a hairstyle magazine while April... also nervously brandishes a pair of scissors. Halo is about to make a drastic change in her appearance as a way to claim at least a piece of her Earthly existence as her own. April is hesitant, but Gaby is steadfast... and so it goes.
We join Katana, Geo-Force and Black Lightning relaxing at an outdoor cafe at the Wayne Foundation. Tatsu shares a story of seeing Halo looking to the stars the evening before, commenting that she can "never go back". With the knowledge of Gaby's true nature, she seems to view her quite differently than she had before.
The trio breaks up and heads back into the building... with Tatsu walking right into her newly-shorn pal. And this haircut... lemme tell ya, it's really quite a sight. Gaby said she asked all the boys at school how she should get her hair cut... I have serious doubts that the overwhelming consensus was "pompadour". Yikes.
Before Gaby and Tatsu can continue their chat they are approached by the bookish-looking Emily Briggs. She has come to apologize to Katana for her behavior at the bank a few days back. She panics, and tries to leave... feeling as though she was wrong to visit. She really is quite squirrely. Outside we see a shadowy trenchcoated man. He is holding two marbles that appear to control a pair of thugs... their target: Mrs. Briggs.
We travel across the Atlantic to Switzerland... where Rex and Sapphire Mason are on their Honeymoon. Before they can get down to it, there is a loud shrieking from outside. Rex knows it's time to make the donuts, and so he Metamorpho's up.
On the slopes, he witnesses Prince William about to be abducted by some goons in green cloaks. Metamorpho quickly takes out all but one... the last one standing is holding a marble similar to the goon squad outside the Wayne Foundation. He uses it to draw Rex's consciousness out of his body.
Back in Gotham, Tatsu and Emily are walking outside. It's weird, right next to the majestic Wayne building... is a seedy alley. The ladies are attacked by the thugs from earlier. Briggs is abducted and Katana is awoken by the police some time later. She claims that she "fell"... she wants these thugs for herself.
After paying a visit to Mr. Briggs, the Outsiders head to the most likely place his wife is being held... Morgan Jones' yacht. On board, Black Lightning and Katana happen across the pair of thugs... and Katana jumps them straightaway. It's a fairly brutal... and one-sided fight. Pierce is content just kayoing his opponent... Katana bloodies hers real good by bashing his face into the deck.
Finally, Batman is face to face with Jones himself. A gangster holds him at gunpoint... which is easily reversed into putting Batman into a most opportune position. A working knowledge of how nerves work serves our man quite well.
The baddies start jumping overboard leaving the Outsiders ample opportunity to question Jones. When presented with a composite sketch, he claims to recognize Emily Briggs. He refers to her as a "mousey bank clerk" and assures Batman that he is out of the kidnapping game.
Batman takes a look at the fallen thugs and suddenly his radiation detector starts going off. This draws his attention to a shattered glass bauble. He uses his bat-science to deduce that the radiation in question could dominate a brain. Man, got it on the first try!
We conclude with Batman and the Outsiders resolving to rescue Mrs. Briggs... and speaking of our Emily, we find that she is still being held by ol' trenchcoat... who removes his hat, revealing himself to be... um... some bald guy!
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Not a bad issue. Not as intriguing as the opening chapter to the Halo-centric story from several months before, but still perfectly solid comic bookery.
It is still taking some getting used seeing Alan Davis on art. The art is great though... well, except there seems to be something a little off about the way he draws Katana. Her head has a definite "Ernie from Sesame Street" shape to it. It's weird.
I think if we were to look for themes in this issue, the one that immediately comes to mind is that of identity. I suppose we can start with Looker herself, Emily Briggs. We see her in her "plain Jane" persona here... most definitely not the costumed bombshell we may come to expect. She appears to be uncomfortable in her skin... and perhaps even a bit intimidated by being in the presence of beautiful women, like during the scene where she meets Gaby.
Speaking of Gaby... here we observe her making a drastic change to her appearance in attempt to take ownership over her new identity. In cutting her long hair she is both appeasing DC editorial who wanted some shorter-haired female superheroes, and proving to herself that there are certain aspects of her identity that she could control and affect. It's a fairly worn trope, however, quite effective in light of Halo's recent wringer-ride. Though I'm not sure I'd have gone with the pompadour...
Overall... another fun issue of Batman and the Outsiders. I'm still surprised at how much I am enjoying this run... and at how long I'd avoided getting around to reading it!
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Letters Page:
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