The Batgirls had a freaky Friday when they swapped bodies in the Batgirls Annual. Part two of the Vice Versa arc picks up with a bit of family bonding as Steph (in Cass’s body) has dinner with Cass’s mother, Lady Shiva, and Cass (in Steph’s body) is abducted by Steph’s father, Cluemaster (who is alive now). Issue #13 is a light and breezy romp through some classic comics shenanigans, which sets up the next arc while also giving some insight into Cass’s relationship with her mother.
SPOILERS AHEAD for Batgirls #13!
After Steph rescued a strange woman’s cat from a tree, she received an even stranger coin the two Batgirls proceeded to make a wish on (COMICS!). The two Batgirls then woke up having swapped bodies at precisely the wrong moment as Lady Shiva and Sportscaster separately came to retrieve their children for some family time.
My favorite thing about Batgirls is its voice and tone. The series knows what it wants to be and executes it well. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it gives readers some enjoyable story arcs with some fun characters, and issue #13 doesn’t change that pattern. Plot-wise, there are a few issues, but I can forgive a lot because the series is full of good old fashion comics fun.
The plot of the arc is a little ridiculous, and it gets more ridiculous when you find out exactly how and why they swapped bodies. The actual story of the swap doesn’t really go anywhere and ends in an unsatisfying fizzle for how much fun can be had with the body-swap tropes. However, reading Steph and Cass and experiencing the story with them is enjoyable.
Writers Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad know the voices of their Batgirls and write the two friends distinctly. They have a great back-and-forth, and seeing the pair working together is always a treat. A huge factor in why the series has worked well so far is because the character dynamics between the two are playing off the classic trope of good cop/bad cop. Even when plot elements don’t quite line up, like who caused the body swap and their motives, the energetic writing of this dynamic duo helps gloss over those shortcomings.
It also helps when you’ve got Jonathan Case bringing elements of his work on Batman ’66 to the page. The artist is bringing an authentic retro style which helps evoke a time in comics when body swaps and one-off magic issues were a little more common. Working triple duty on art, colors, and letters, Case really put his all into the issue. The artist brings some real atmosphere to the story, blending purples and blues into an American Pop-esque style. It matches the tone of the story perfectly, blending old-school and new-school.
One word to describe the Batgirls series so far is one I’ve used a few times already: Fun. The series isn’t always one I am eagerly awaiting, and occasionally I fall a few issues behind. But, every few weeks, I get the urge to find out what fun adventures Cass and Steph are on in The Hills, and I fall right back in.
Batgirls #13 continues my trend of falling in. The story and plot might not be the best in the two-issue arc, but Steph and Cass remain fun and engaging as always. The art is terrific and perfectly sets the tone. Plus, throw in a few fun cameos and a final setup for the next arc, and you’ve got an easy and enjoyable read on your hands.
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