Batgirl #14: Messy but Good

Batgirl #14 is a bit of a narrative mess. Brombal makes a lot of quick cuts between characters and locations that get harder to follow as the issue goes on. As such, the issue benefits greatly from a second read. And indeed, rereading the first two parts of “The War of Shadows” before reading this issue is also quite beneficial.

The psychological, Shiva oriented elements are reduced in Batgirl #14 as they have been through this story arc’s first two issues. The extent to which Shiva’s influence is present is as a kind of devil on the shoulder, pushing Cass’s worst instincts to the fore. It’s hard to know from these last two issues whether Brombal intends Shiva’s presence and influence in Cass’s head as purely a manifestation of her own psyche as a result of trauma or an outside influence. That’s something to watch.

Shiva’s presence in Cass’s head creates an interesting dynamic where her brother Tenji, also Shiva’s child, is turning into the angel on her shoulder. This sibling relationship continues to grow issue-by-issue, and with Cass isolated from the Bat-family, Tenji serves an important role appealing to the better angels of her nature.

Nyssa related shenanigans seemed inevitable once Cass encountered her in Batgirl #12, and it’s a good choice to have this happen quickly in Batgirl #14 rather than hold it over the story or even series like a permanent shadow.

Most of the characters’ faces are obscured by masks in Batgirl #14–some for select sequences and others for almost the entire issue. Segovia gets a lot of mileage out of attention to detail when it comes to characters’ eyes. This is especially the case with Cass whose face is obscured in part or in whole for the entire issue. When not wearing her Batgirl mask, Segovia uses heavy shading around the eyes in addition to slight changes in eye shape. And Beredo’s coloring is particularly nuanced in closeups on the mask, adjusting color shades to respond to implied light sources as Cass moves through different series of panels. When half of Cass’s face is visible, Segovia relies on eye shape and pupil placement to convey emotion.

Action sequences remain a key part of Batgirl and this issue is no exception. Many of the panels in these action sequences are wider views full of anywhere from a few to a lot of characters. Segovia’s liberal linework on backgrounds and characters/characters’ apparel keeps everything easy to make out. At no point do these larger, full panels feel cluttered.

Beredo’s coloring supports Segovia’s work in this area. Beredo fades colors out in the distance while staying consistent to light sources and shadows. Up front characters pop off the page with more vivid colors. The result is a very good sense of depth in bigger action sequences.

Batgirl #14 isn’t too heavy on sound effects, but Napolitano does a good job keeping them tied into Beredo’s coloring while also connecting them to Segovia’s art. A good example is the sound produced by long, curved horns. Napolitano positions the sound effect between the two horns and matches their curve. It’s solid work.