Since The New 52 set records three years ago, the DCU has adhered to a rather rigid house style, one primarily based on 90s comics. But things are DEFINITELY loosening up a bit, as a new team is taking over Batgirl, and it’s one based way more in tumblr culture than Wizard magazine.
Starting with issue #35, Cameron Stewart and Brendan Fletcher (Assassin’s Creed, Batman Inc) will writer the book, and Babs Tarr will draw it. Stewart will do covers and layouts. Jordie Bellaire will color the book
Tarr is a newcomer, but her style is way more in line with the YA/”cutecorp” style that has been running rampant everywhere but in the DCU. And just to make it clear where she’s coming from, the tells MTV:
Tarr: I am excited to bring some flirt, fun, and fashion to the title! I don’t think you see a lot of that in mainstream comics and I am excited to bring that to the table. Who doesn’t love a sassy super hero?
Wow, after years of girl-friendly YA proposals getting shot down at DC, first Gotham Academy by Becky Cloonan and Karl Kerschl and now this? Wake-up everyone, it’s 2014!
And oh yeah, Batgirl got yellow Doc Martens to wear instead of high heeled boots. Because girl power. I have to confess it isn’t easy to run in Doc Martens, but that’s okay because IT IS TIME TO MARKET A YOUTHFUL FEMALE SUPERHERO CHARACTER TO TEEN-AGE GIRLS.
This does leave fan favorite writer Gail Simone off the book, but she has a new project yet to be announced, MTV assures us. Last time she left, there was a kerfuffle, but this seems to be more permanent.
More art from Tarr:
BATGIRL #35
Written by CAMERON STEWART and BRENDEN FLETCHER
Art by BABS TARR
Cover by CAMERON STEWART
MONSTERS Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
On sale OCTOBER 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED TBarbara Gordon is no stranger to dusting herself off when disaster strikes… so when a fire destroys everything she owned, she spots the opportunity for a new lease on life — and seizes it! Following the rest of Gotham’s young adults to the hip border district of Burnside, Barbara sets about building an all-new Batgirl… and discovers all-new threats preying on her peers! It’s a re-invention of Batgirl from the boots up, by the incredible creative team of Cameron Stewart (BATMAN INC.), Brenden Fletcher (WEDNESDAY COMICS), and rising star artist Babs Tarr!
This looks really promising: a breath of fresh air.
But an important test of this new approach will be how the series is treated in terms of continuity. Will it exist in its own corner of the DCU, using only the general settings and the occasional guest character; or will it be affected by events in other DCU titles each month, but tell an independent story from issue to issue; or will it take part in week-to-week serialized crossovers where the last page reads “continued in Batman #43”? The closer it hews to the end of that continuum the safer it will be, but the closer to the start of it, the greater potential it could have.
The most important test will be: Will people buy it? I certainly hope they do! If sales are good, then we’ll likely see more experimentation across the DCU line.
No one will be expecting Batman-level sales. Harley Quinn-level would be fantastic. But if it settles into the mid-40Ks, then maybe we’ll see similar approaches to characters like Supergirl…
Juvenile. Not into it, but I’ll try it.
This looks fresh, colourful and well drawn!
Definitely very promising! It’s great to see DC taking this step.
Comic books being juvenile, MWorrell? God forbid.
Rigid house style..? Seriously?
Manipul, Jae Lee, Bernard Chang, Cliff Chiang, Pelletier, Luis, Gleason, Capullo, Nyugen, Janin, Kuder, Sorrentino, Giffen, McKone, etc, etc
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