Super Mega Batgirl Review the Bruce Wayne edition
THIS COMIC U GUYS.
IT IS BASICALLY NOT STOP "EEEEEEEEEE" WITH MAYBE TWO :/'S THROWN IN.
EEEEEEEE
Page 1: So we open to a flashback with Steph's first appearance and the first time Bruce was an excluding dick to her (two minutes after they met.) AND IT IS PANEL FOR PANEL EXCEPT THE COLORING IS BETTER AND TIM'S HAIR DOESN'T LOOK QUITE SO TERRIFYING. It's her old 90s-tastic costume than everything. OMG Miller has seriously done his research guys I...I...think he may even have read as many Steph comics as I have. This makes me so happy.
Bruce's narration basically amounts to "I cannot control this girl like a puppet and she doesn't bow down to me, wah." Oh Bruce. You really are back, aren't you. Though the narration goes back to Steph in issue 3 "The only variable you can control is yourself." Basically, Steph is smarter than Bruce. I SAID IT.
Page 2: OMG the banter. Steph is such a dork, and Babs is such a good sport about it. I love them. Also, "wrong place, right time kinda girl" I love that. And Steph refuses to let it get her down.
Page 3: Steph casually dodges heat rays and Bruce is all "assuming she ever stops moving". Haha, Steph is always on the go, she is awesome. <3
Page 4: I wonder if Steph watches A Christmas Story every year like I do. Another thing we have in common.Reminds me of Dick in that regard.
CAPTAIN OBVIOUS BRUCE. She was your Robin, how could you not have noticed they are both cheery snarky punmakers.
And then he's all and ONLY IN THAT REGARD. "For one thing, she refused to wear the panties and dye her hair. :(" Hahah, is that GL Power actually SHOUTING will. Also,Bruce, you are such a jerk.
Page 5/6: More amazing Steph/Babs banter. And then Steph is totally smart and nails Bruce with the fire extinguisher, because as we all know, Steph rolls by using her surroundings (you know, I think she has a thing for fire extinguisher in particular. This is maybe the third time she's used one in combat).
And then Bruce is all "Perhaps not as dissimilar to Dick as I thought."
...The World's Greatest Detective, ladies and gentlemen. Didn't realize Steph and Dick have a LOT in common until JUST NOW.
Page 7/8: OMG THE BANTER. <3 And I love it when Steph refers to them as "Team Batgirl". Steph is totally psyched for a BOP teamup just like me and has already started thinking up names. Babs has an attack of caution, and Steph crosses her finger behind her back. No way Oracle didn't catch that, she probably just decided she didn't care.
Page 9/10: Steph has picked out a PURPLE SKI MASK for this. She is such a dork, I wonder how long it took her to find that? She makes fun of Wendy in her inner and breaks da rules UH-DORE-ABLY because she is determined to finish what she started, as always. And she starts detectiving about the gun. I really, really adore that Miller is acknowledging Steph's intelligence and detective skill. Fans and writers alike write her off as a dumb blonde, but while not Tim or Babs, she's always been very sharp and a super creative thinker. She was doing some classy detective work where in regards to her Dad even on her very first appearance, she's always been resourceful and good at thinking on her feet, and she had to have some brains to survive on her own as a superhero as long as she did.
Page 11: *Robin flashback* Because I'm trying to prove something to the memory of a man I've always been a means to an end for? Bruce never gave me a fair shot.
Fucking THANK YOU. OMG. Someone finally went and said it. Best of all, it was Steph, finally admitting to herself! Best of all, coupled with the Robin flashback panel, it's basically saying Bruce didn't give Steph a chance as Robin, and neither did DC. WHICH IS SO TRUE AND NEEDS TO BE SAID OVER AND OVER. Bruce has been manipulating and excluding Steph since forever, and the Robin thing was just one big exercise in breaking her spirit, not trusting her, and USING her to piss off Tim and then everyone blames her for being the "failure." Well TAKE THIS PANEL CHUMPS.
And then Steph scolds herself for being angsty, because she's cool like that.
Meanwhile, Bruce was OF COURSE thinking the fact Steph actually accepts help from others and works with them means she was having "crutches". LOL BRUCE THE MAN WITH A BILLION SIDEKICKS. But then he decides maybe not, and Steph is just lonely. :( Cass, Steph needs you back.
(Actually, at least one person thinks what Bruce thinks here- someone randomly edited the profile on the wiki one day, for the sole purpose of deleting some strengths I put and adding a ton more "flaws"- one which was "too dependent on others". I was like "...wha? Where on earth did they get that from? Just because she works with people?" I called troll and rolled back most of it, but now I'm wondering- was that person BRUCE WAYNE? *dramatic music*)
Page 13/14: Steph pulls down her purple ski mask. <3 to beat up a roomfull of people. One refers to her as "goldilocks" and she of course uses the oppurtunity for maximum snarkage and punnage as she beats them up. "I may have been wrong about her showboating...in an odd way it suits her style." ONCE AGAIN, WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE JUST REALIZED THIS. Remember, the man who worked with Dick Grayson. God, he is oblivious.
Steph yelling "Don't do drugs" and Invisi-bruce backfisting= adorable.
Page 15/16: Steph does some epic detective work. Seriously, she is so on the ball here, I adore it. She really is living up to her potential. Also epic: The fact that Tim is totally subtle and wears red, yellow and black together, Steph and her little "proxy-proxy" dorkery and Steph's entire badass speech where she analyzes the situation like a pro.
Page 17: And here we have it: The most epic and carthartic panels in all of history. Bruce unmasks, reveals that yes, he was manipulating and testing her again and is about to actually compliment her for once, and Steph responds by slapping him across the face.Yeeeeeeeessssssss he has had that coming for YEARS.
I love how he just clutches his chin and stares at her. He is so delicate.
And then she freaks out adorably, running away and yelling "I'm glad you're not dead!" I love her so.
I am going to enjoy the fact that Batman has been bitchslapped by a nineteen year old girl oh, forever probably. Steph, you are my favorite ever.
Page 18: Vicki tries to get Oracle to talk, unfortunately for her, Babs has sparred with Lois Lane, so the redheaded knockoff ain't no thang. Also, Babs has...data downloaded...something. She is on the case and prepared for a takedown. I don't like that she repeated her student's slut shaming of Vicki, tho.
Page 19: Bruce is so upset he has been slapped, you guys. I LOL at him forever. Also, I love that Steph is officially genre saavy about the coming back from the dead thing. Yeah, she knew it would happen, ain't no thang.
Other best line in recorded history: "But then, when I saw your face, I wasn't afraid anymore, I was angry. Because you don't have the right to take that away from me, batsymbol or not." Fuck yeah. Bruce has no jurisdiction over Batgirl, and Steph knows that.
Page 20: Okay, the panel I have a slight problem with for two reasons.
A) chasing after a boy- I get where this comes from, because Steph did partly stay being Spoiler because she was interested in Tim, though she definitely started because of her Dad- however, the interested in Tim thing lasted maybe two seconds however. She was also in it because she LIKED the thrill, because she felt guilty for what her Dad had done (unnecessarily) and by the earthquake, she was firmly in it to help people. However, I think it's in character for STEPH to dismiss herself and her motivation that way- I just hope the reader isn't supposed to.
b) The War Games line could have been phrased much better- I knew the second she said it the haters would jump all over it. Yes,coming up with a gang war to cleanse Gotham is screwed up, and he should have secured it better, but Steph knew this was a plan she was using without permission. The real problem is that he made her Robin without trusting her, screwed with her head, and dropped her at the first mistake. If he had either: not screwed around with her or told her about Matches Malone , none of that would have happened. That should have been the beef, not that the plans existed. Granted, if you look at the entire rant, you see what she's saying: She starts out my referring to herself as pawn in one of his games, and by using his plan, she was being a sort of pawn: She's not saying the gang war is his fault, just that it was his game, another product of his manipulation. But that's kind of iffy, and still too murky a line. It would have been better if Steph had stuck with the concrete and undeniable issues.
Also, I hate War Games.
I also love how Steph tries to protect Oracle. She is a class act.
Also "MANLY SHOULDER PAT" and Bruce is being so weird calling Steph "Miss Brown." I have to kind of "awww" at the last panel.
Page 20: I'm not sure what the significance of Bruce calling her Stephanie when he's alone. I can only assume this Miss Brown thing is because he's trying to be cool like Alfred. BTW I <3 Alfred sticking up for Steph so much. LOVE YOU ALFRED. Also, he isn't fooled that Bruce is totally off to use Harley and Ivy as an excuse to mack on Selina.
But on a more serious note: "But trust or not, Wendy and Stephanie are the daughters of criminals...the girls need watching."
First of all, let's get this out of the way: FUCK YOU BRUCE.
But in all honesty? I'm glad he's finally admitted it. The criminal thing has always been a factor in how he treats Steph AND Cass. And Jason. Remember when Steph asked him if he was being hard on her because of her Dad and he didn't even bother to deny it? There's always been his massive classism and douchery issues there. And being honest about it is the first step to recovery, etc. I'm sad Alfred didn't respond snarkily though.
Page 21: Alfred cares about Cass! <3 Also, CASS! <3
As for the explanation. Well, mixed feelings.
It makes more sense than Cass flouncing off because she can't liiiiive without Bruce. And it shows people are still in contact with her, and she's got a mission, or something.
On the other hand, I don't like the idea of Bruce being the one to make the decision about who Batgirl is. Batgirl is a legacy unto it's own. It should just be up to Cass and Babs.
On the other other hand, I'm fanwanking this that it was ultimately Cass's decision. Bruce may think it's his, but Cass has shown that she'll go against "orders" she thinks are wrong. She would only do what's best for Steph, and I think she considered Bruces orders as a suggestion and then ultimately decided she wanted to help Steph and that she had moved on. That's my canon and I'm sticking to it. Also, it was ultimately up to Steph to take the role, and Barbara to help her.
My fanfic can still be canon, Cass had no idea Bruce's orders entered into it, she just knew she'd do the same thing anyway and conjectured her own reasons when she was reassuring Steph.
This is more fanwank than I'm comfortable doing, however. :/ I'll just have to wait and see what happens and if we get more information in the future to see how cool I am with this. Wait and see.
Page 22: Everyone deserves a second chance. Aw, Bruce. You're still a manipulative bastard, but at least you're being sweet about it and TRYING to help.
Let us analyze his narration, shall we? (God, is he actually writing this down? WHAT A NERD. I hope the Batfamily finds it some day and lolz over his dramatics)
White casebook (YOU ARE A DORK, BRUCE):
Stephanie Brown, formerly a variable
Oh God anything but that!
A loose end, a liability
Please go die again Bruce. (NO I AM JOKING DON'T WANT ANOTHER CROSSOVER)
As "Spoiler", Brown's skill was perpetually outweighed by her need to please
which you cheerfully exploited
and obsess
Also by your constant SCREWING WITH HER HEAD.
Though I'm tempted to say I misjudged her
Bruce. You misjudged her. Just admit it, okay?
that isn't the case. Who she was just so happens to no longer be who she is.
No, I'm sorry, Bruce, she was always this awesome, you were just too busy screwing her over to realize it.
Reminding me of the original Batgirl in more ways than one...
WORLD'S GREATEST DETECTIVE.
Brown's now a wildcard in the best of ways. As the only low profile member of this family team organization
I love that he can't decide what to call it. Of course, he can't bring himself to cross anything out. BATMAN DOESN'T CROSS STUFF OUT.
Stephanie has an invisibility the rest of us do not have the luxury of possessing.
Bruce, your suit has invisibility powers.
Like the others, Brown has shown growth in my abscence.
Likely because of your absence! It's GREAT to not have condescending assholse screwing with your head!
Unlike the others, my return may have the least impact on her operation
Yeah, because TEAM BATGIRL DON'T NEED YOU, YO.
one not borne of fear but hope of brighter tomorrow.
Oh my God, Bruce is making sense. What is this?
Who knows- perhaps there's room for hope in Gotham after all?
Stop being nice and getting it and making sense, Bruce! You're SCARING ME!
So. This was a great comic. I loved it. Obviously, I had a few problems, so can't give it a perfect score. Hopefully these problems will the rectified in the future- but for now, I will just be happy that Steph was awesome and snarky and smart and kickass and bitchslapped Bruce Wayne and told him he doesn't fuckin' own Batgirl. I love you, Steph, forever
4.7/5