Even after a terrible opening–Simone finishes her cliffhanger without a proper recap, I still don’t know what happened or why–Batgirl starts to recover. And it does so against some substantial odds.

Besides the weak open, Syaf can’t draw regular people. He’s a fine superhero artist, but when he’s got to do two people talking, it bombs. It’s like he doesn’t understand actual facial expression, but understands it exists. He ruins an otherwise good scene (between Jim and Barbara).

Then, on the writing high point, Simone brings in Nightwing. Now, I’ve sort of read all the content before–it’s Barbara and Dick flirting and Batgirl wanting her independence from the Bat-family–but Simone writes it well.

Syaf does pretty well too, since they’re in costume, but he can’t do anything with Nightwing’s stupid costume. It just looks terrible.

Another new DC Universe factoid? Dick seems older than Barbara.

B- 

CREDITS

A Breath of Broken Glass; writer, Gail Simone; penciller, Ardian Syaf; inker, Vicente Cifuentes; colorist, Ulises Arreola; letterer, Dave Sharpe; editors, Katie Kubert and Bobbie Chase; publisher, DC Comics.