Written by Marguerite Bennett
Art by Mirka Andolfo; Pasquale Qualano; & Wendy Broome
Cover Art by Ant Lucia
SUMMARY:
Entitled “The Batgirls Swing Again,” DC Comics released this issue for July 2016. In an alternate-reality Gotham City of 1941, police officer Maggie Sawyer & three fellow cops help the Batgirl squad (Kathy Duquesne; Harper Row; Felicity Smoak; Alysia Yeoh; Cullen Row; & Bette Kane) while their inspiration – the original Batgirl, Kate Kane, is overseas.
Thwarting the Penguin’s acquisition of illicit merchandise, the girls abruptly recruit an energetic new ally: a Cuban-American Lois Lane. Later manipulated by the Penguin’s sinister forces, the Batgirls find themselves pitted against Gotham City Mayor Harvey Dent. A vengeful Lois and the Batgirls must soon make fateful decisions.
Kate Kane’s Batgirl briefly appears in a flashback.
Notes: Digitally, this would be DC Comics Bombshells Chapters # 37-39. Oddly, there isn’t a credits page.
REVIEW:
Predictably, the storyline is hampered by far too many Batgirls, as, creatively speaking, they cancel each other out. If anything, Bombshells’ debuting Lois Lane surpasses all the Batgirls. as far as making a welcome impression. Also, unlike other issues, writer Marguerite Bennett doesn’t excessively fixate on pushing lesbianism this time, as she resorts to a far subtler approach. This decision works for Issue # 13, as spelling out the characters’ private sexuality would be unnecessary for the story’s plot twists.
Bennett’s script is occasionally jumbled by so many characters jumping from scene to scene, but it is still coherent enough. More so, the art squad’s vibrant visuals add to Issue # 13’s appeal. For fans, DC Comics Bombshells # 13 is a fun ride, as some familiar DC characters enter this series’ wartime continuity with an unpredictable bang.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
For its DC Universe: Rebirth banner, DC’s single-page “All Access” column hypes Green Lanterns: Rebirth # 1 and Green Lanterns # 1. The column’s writer isn’t identified.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
