I need to be honest. I have not read too many Batgirl issues. While I love the character, the title did not hold my interest on an ongoing basis. Glancing through this issue because of the Joker War storyline drifting through all the Bat-family titles right now, I stumbled into a must read comic, because this issue packs quite a wallop on so many levels. Batgirl 49 needs to be read.

Batgirl 49 – I Thought Only Cats Had 9 Lives?

A redhead prepares to die
A Deadly Makeover

The opening to this issue starts off creepy as hell! A woman is being made up to look like Batgirl by a man who only appears as a shadow. We shall call him Shadowman for now. One might almost wonder if this woman hired Shadowman to do this, but for those who watch enough horror, the signs scream psycho-murderer. This girl’s future looks short and sure enough, she lasts a page. Of course when the body turns up, everyone thinks the real Batgirl died.

Of course Gordon (no longer a part of the GCPD) and the GCPD know there is a serial killer killing redheads and dressing them to look like Batgirl. Barbara runs unto her her brother as she heads home. I did not know she even had a brother, but they definitely need to work through some issues. Then later after work, daddy Gordon shows up, insisting he protect Barbara since she too is a natural red head. Poor Babs needs some serious family counseling. Perhaps Bruce does live the high life not dealing with family issues.

Shadowman tracks down a bartender, and offs her too. Batgirl desperately tries to put the clues together. She may have something…or does she? From here on out I’m not going to spoil anything, which means I cannot talk about half of what needs to be talked about, but you gotta pick up this issue!

Batgirl 49 – One Last Call…

DC Comics ended many of its titles recently. Sadly, Batgirl ends next issues with #50. Recently, one of my favorite titles also ended, Harley Quinn, but where Harley went out on top with a happy issue (even though her story continues in other titles), Barbara will not be so lucky. The end of this issue seriously messes with everything Batgirl. It feels like Batgirl will close because Barbara needs to walk away not because everything happily concluded.

Barbara really has been crapped on throughout her story. Being shot by Joker, having many women fill the suit, and now with the family issues of Batgirl 49, you really need to feel sorry for Barbara. With everything they do to her in this issue, she needs some well earned time off. I am intrigued how issue #50 will play out to end the series.