We then see a panel showing the motorcycles approaching, and then Batgirl knee her opponents in their helmeted faces in a panel-less white space. In another great touch, these panels are tilted for speed effects, but in the OPPOSITE direction which helps cement the emotion of the motorcycles accelerating at one another. The next two panels depict squealing tires as the motorcycles accelerate towards each other. What's extra great about these panels is that Babs' face is portrayed on the far left like in the previous panel, while her opponent is portrayed on the far right. We next see five small montage panels of grimacing faces, and the kind revving preparation for action shots that motorcycle chicken fights are built on. The next panel spans the page and shows the global landscape of the scene and lets the reader know that Batgril and her opponents are about to play motorcycle chicken. The next panel gives us the status quo of her opponents. The following panel is very narrow and tilted, giving it a squinty, concentrative feel that portrays Barabra's determination. The first panel is oriented such that we read along the vector of the motion (left to right) and experience the motion of batgirl wrangling the motorcycle. Every panel on this page is perfectly designed to make the page work. I think, though, that this is my favourite page from a storytelling perspective. There will be *SPOILERS* for Batgirl #36 in this post. The thing is, Batgirl is also a really technically solid comic.Īnd I would like to showcase some of my favourite layouts from the Batgirl #36 to prove this to you. Basically, Batgirl is a comic that is really good and interesting in some exotic and important ways. Personally, I'm really interested in the seamless and authentic way the comic deals with the integration of information technology into the characters's lives. The comic is fun and getting a lot of justifiable praise for its diversity, social justice elements, and attention to the style and fashion of actual young people. In the case of Batgirl we are getting stories about a 20-something Barbara Gordon balancing her life as a trendy young adult with her caped adventures. The title is part of this breath-of-fresh-air movement at DC comics that is introducing fun comics made by fresh creative teams which seem targeted at audiences outside of DC's core readership. Batgirl is a pretty fascinating comic right now.

Batgirl #36 by Cameron Stewart