Barbara Gordon: Breakout #7: Kangaroo Court

The sham trial has begun and Two-Face holds Barbara’s life in the palm of his hand. I need to praise the art again, I am such a big fan of Collar. Panelling Two-Face is always fun, and his unique design is used to great effect to show the two sides of his personality… or each side of his personalities. I especially like the concept of the mind-prison. I’m not sure if this is new here, but either way I think it’s a good addition to the character.

While he undoubtedly adds a breath of fresh air to the series, the pace has ground to a halt yet again. So many of these issues are Barbara being tortured in some way, while a villain vaguely taunts her or speaks in riddles about the grander schemes at play. Two-Face explains to Harvey how all the evidence points, conveniently, towards Babs being guilty, though I would personally argue most of it is circumstantial. I do enjoy seeing the two whole versions of Two-Face’s halves in conversation with each other, the erratic nature of his dark side conveyed through the many poses he takes as he paces around the room, where the good side stands still, upright and centred on the page.

Die inserts herself back into the plot, claiming Two-Face is here to deliver justice for Sparrow. Die will defend him no matter what, even when she’s corrected that Two-Face is here to try Barbara for the guards’ deaths. It seems that the ends justify the means for our favourite lawyer today, as Barbara being punished is the goal, regardless of any doubts Harvey may have. I don’t really understand Die is a character, she’s a Two-Face fangirl with a chip on her shoulder, but aside from that I struggle to find her compelling, not a lot to chew on.

Barbara has a conversation with her friend before she’s effectively sent to the gallows. She has a plan, and needs the others to have faith in her, despite what it looks like. Die approaches Two-Face with a piece of “evidence”, the evidence he needs to assuage his doubts, the note planted on Barbara all those issues ago. Savant and Creote have noticed the spaces between the walls, as blood drips down, surely a metaphor for how much darker things will get once we know the truth.

Barbara’s final gambit- to plead guilty. Harvey is shocked, Two-Face couldn’t care less, Barbara is sentenced to death. What this means for her? I’m not sure. This issue had better pacing, but once again was back-loaded with the main chunk of the plot, while most characters wax poetic about what could really be going on.