Batgirls #19 // Review
There’s a sniper. Ninety yards north. Top Window. Street side. Babs sees it and relays the information to Steph and Cass. They’re on it. There’s a big crowd. A lot of targets. Every one of them is marching in support of Babs, Steph, and Cass in Batgirls #19. The writing team of Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad concludes the series in a satisfying finale that is beautifully brought to the page by artist Robbi Rodriguez. It’s sad to see such a well-constructed series come to an end, but Cloonan and Conrad have had more than enough advance warning to build to this finale with style and poise.
The march for the Batgirls is happening in Gotham City on The Hill. The sniper becomes apparent when the march reaches the corner of New Avenue and 52nd. Given the size of the crowd of demonstrators, a few shots from a sniper could be a deadly thing that could turn into a large, panicked mob. Cass and Steph don’t have long to reach the sniper before everything explodes. It’s okay: they’re really good at what they do. If anyone can get to the sniper before the trigger is pulled, it’s going to be Steph or Cass.
Gotham City has been through hell and back countless times over the nearly 100 years that it’s been featured on page and screen. Rarely is the psyche of the city the center of a story. For the final issue of the series, Conrad and Cloonan aim the center of the panel quite squarely on the people that Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl, and so many others have been so intent on protecting. It’s a city of madness. Conrad and Cloonan take a look at the average citizen of the city as seen through the eyes of three women who are willing to risk their lives to keep them safe. It’s a very noble way to tackle the final issue of the series.
Rodriguez ratchets in the tension right away and maintains it from beginning to end. The dramatic intensity of the story is amplified as the story reaches its climax. Steph and Cass remain remarkably expressive even with their masks on. There’s a determination that radiates beautifully from Babs in the command center. There’s just a bit more detail around the edges of the panel than might have made it into prior issues in the series. Photo realistic architectural renderings add an earthbound grittiness to the proceedings that cleverly serves the populist focus of the final issue.
Ideally, a series that’s been as good as Batgirls doesn’t have to end. If it DOES have to end, though, it really SHOULD end with an issue like Batgirls #19. The final chapter in the series pays homage to the characters and their struggles while providing a satisfying conclusion to central conflicts and holding open the possibility of more at some point in the future. It’s all quite meticulously placed on the page while embracing everything that makes the Batgirls such a fun trio to hang out with every month.
