Batgirl Annual #2 Review/Discussion

[Green Ghost]

Let's talk Batgirl Annual #2 here!

[K. Jones]

Poison Ivy gets her own psychological disorder, and it's all thematic. It's pretty novel. Certainly the original BoP line-up was always more interesting than the later ones, and Gail has a pretty good ear for it. I liked that Babs and Dinah felt more like their old selves.

[FHIZ]

...OP got the username "Batman" you clever S.O.B.

Anyways, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. One of the bigger problems with Birds of Prey was the wasted potential in team dynamic. Either no good personal stories between the ladies were told, or the good characters were booted from the book. I really enjoyed seeing the tense dynamic between Babs and Ivy, definitely thought it picked up some of the slack left by the mediocrity that is Birds of Prey.

Poison Ivy gets her own psychological disorder,

Not sure what you mean, but SAD is real.

[Lemurion]

...OP got the username "Batman" you clever S.O.B.

Anyways, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. One of the bigger problems with Birds of Prey was the wasted potential in team dynamic. Either no good personal stories between the ladies were told, or the good characters were booted from the book. I really enjoyed seeing the tense dynamic between Babs and Ivy, definitely thought it picked up some of the slack left by the mediocrity that is Birds of Prey.



Not sure what you mean, but SAD is real.

And SAD makes a lot of sense for Ivy...

[K. Jones]

Not sure what you mean, but SAD is real.

Of course I mean that "All Batman rogues must go to Arkham, and must be diagnosed with a psychological disorder".

I suffer from seasonal affective disorder quite profoundly, as a matter of fact! But I wasn't necessarily clamouring for Ivy to have a psychosis.

[Rakzo]

The true highlight of this issue for me was seeing Simone writing the Birds of Prey once again although short, she simply gets the team dynamics and how them should act. It makes me wonder why DC just doesn't give her the reigns of the title again. I have more thoughts.

[Godlike13]

I very much enjoyed this. Ivy was interesting, and it addressed the mess that was BoP.

[Yellow Lantern 15]

The true highlight of this issue for me was seeing Simone writing the Birds of Prey once again although short, she simply gets the team dynamics and how them should act. It makes me wonder why DC just doesn't give her the reigns of the title again. I have more thoughts.

Maybe if BoP was relaunched, they can give her BoP back. I think if would benefit Batgirl's solo book if ties were established and Babs can have the birds as sometimes guest appearances.

[Aliltron]

I agree, it really showed that she should be writing Birds of Prey as well. It was a fun issue, very glad I picked it up.

[napolid]

I thought it was a much better issue than the the Batgirl one shot, which makes me afraid of Bennett taking over.

[Claude]

Probably the best thing Simone's written for the New 52, actually. Everything was on point, and everything landed.

[batGRRRl4ever]

Poison Ivy gets her own psychological disorder, and it's all thematic. It's pretty novel.

Agreed, I was stating in another thread that as a person diagnosed with the more rare R-SAD (Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder) myself, I really appreciated seeing Pamela's diagnosis of SAD depicted.

Probably the best thing Simone's written for the New 52, actually. Everything was on point, and everything landed.

I agree, this to me at least is her strongest Batgirl issue in the New 52 to date.

[Dylan Davison]

She was good in this! Like she was crazy, but for a reason! This was a great issue for Ivy at least (not counting that Poison Ice moment). I think they could spin Ivy into her own series from this, or spin her back into BoP cause Batgirl likes her and understands her a bit now. I could see Ivy spending winters in Arkham, and then working with BoP and Batgirl other times. (She seems to get more crazy in winter). Or she could get her own series and finally do the good she wants to do. I think this was a powerful issue for Ivy.

According to wiki "There are many different treatments for classic (winter-based) seasonal affective disorder, including light therapy, medication, ionized-air administration, cognitive-behavioral therapy and carefully timed supplementation of the hormone melatonin." So Ivy can just spend her down time doing some of this, light therapy, medication and the air thing and she can be going some great things to help people and this earth! She can be like a anti-hero now.

[Shimarenda]

Probably the best thing Simone's written for the New 52, actually. Everything was on point, and everything landed.

I agree completely. All the elements of this one really clicked into place.

For me, the saddest part was the panel that just shows Poison Ivy's hand reaching out. When Batgirl turned her back on Ivy, I could really feel the opportunity slipping away; Babs couldn't see beyond what she thought Ivy was like ("You don't care about anyone.... You're not even human anymore."), that she couldn't see the truth or allow herself to feel compassion for Ivy's fear and limitation. It's not that Ivy chooses not to care; she can't see "anything sunny or green," especially at that season. Things work out alright in the end as Batgirl helps Ivy find if not the desire to show mercy, at least the ability and will to do so, but it could have worked out so much better for Pamela if Babs had turned and taken her hand.

There was so much more I liked about this issue, but that was the main thing.

[batGRRRl4ever]

I agree completely. All the elements of this one really clicked into place.

For me, the saddest part was the panel that just shows Poison Ivy's hand reaching out. When Batgirl turned her back on Ivy, I could really feel the opportunity slipping away; Babs couldn't see beyond what she thought Ivy was like ("You don't care about anyone.... You're not even human anymore."), that she couldn't see the truth or allow herself to feel compassion for Ivy's fear and limitation. It's not that Ivy chooses not to care; she can't see "anything sunny or green," especially at that season. Things work out alright in the end as Batgirl helps Ivy find if not the desire to show mercy, at least the ability and will to do so, but it could have worked out so much better for Pamela if Babs had turned and taken her hand.

There was so much more I liked about this issue, but that was the main thing.

As long as there is follow-up to this story and it isn't just a one-off, then it will make for good story telling in future issues that Batgirl's empathy failed her in this instance due to her distrust (however well founded from the previous attempt on her life in BoP).