BARBARA GORDON: BREAKOUT #1 (DC COMICS)
"Operation Peregrine" has claimed its’ first Bat-family victim.
During the city raids by Vandal Savage’s police force, one made a sacrifice to save the rest of the squad. Barbara Gordon allows herself to be captured and arrested.
She’s now been sent to Supermax. Savage’s maximum security is hiding its’ own secrets. Gordon looks to solve them or die trying.
BARBARA GORDON: BREAKOUT #1 by Mariko Tamaki, Amancay Nahuelpan, Tamra Bonvillain & Ariana Maher (DC COMICS) begins an attempt to take Savage out from inside his own castle!
Let’s take a closer look at events.
BARBARA GORDON: BREAKOUT #1 by Mariko Tamaki, Amancay Nahuelpan, Tamra Bonvillain & Ariana Maher (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
Tamaki delivers a very direct crime story within these pages. The opening recaps how Gordon got in this situation. It’s more detailed than the events of Batman #9. The writing shows her uneasiness in going into the prison blindly. It results in a dark turn of events. There is nothing hopeful for this situation. As Gordon recaps some of the innocent people trapped here, the body count starts climbing. This provides a transition from being a sacrifice to save the Bat family into a rescue mission of innocent Gotham residents.
Like any best laid plans, there are hiccups to success. Gordon’s attempt to break up a fight turns into a meeting with a rogue villain. The exchange teases just enough to plant seeds for later. There is a fair exchange of timelines as the story jumps back to the night of the arrest. Tamaki shows Gordon’s strong will as she lays out the reasons for this with Batman. Once back at Supermax, the story falls into familiar territory. Gordon’s next round with her opps moves events into a steady landing space. The final page teases more on this ever-evolving mission.
HOW BARBARA GORDON GOT HERE!
Nahuelpan & Bonvillain open with a stern look at Gordon on the way to prison. A near full shot of the Bat-Family planning leads to a tease of what’s coming next. The full shot of Supermax makes a large impression of what Gordon has gotten into. The art shows other innocent Gotham resident mugshots on a full page splash. Some suffer from a timely fate. Jennifer Peck’s passing gets a full page look before moving back onto Gordon.
Her movements on the yard come with a sense of trepidation. Knowing the corruption holding order over the place, every move has to be perfect. Readers watch her brief fight lead into some steady action. It ends with a full shot of Gordon standing tall. An excellent full page shows the Birds Of Prey in action for a fast flashback. Timelines jump again to a near full shot of Batman and Batgirl going over last minute plans. It’s just enough to cement the stakes at hand. Events move into more fast action as the Opps want another round with Gordon. Panels flow with ease as the brawl breaks out. The reflection in Gordon’s glasses is a nice touch to the scenes. This escorts Gordon into the final pages. The final shot is a full image that teases more surprises. A steady display through and through.
FINAL GRADE: 8.5
Barbara Gordon plays a deadly game of chance as her noble deeds might cost her everything in this debut chapter. Tamaki pens a straight-forward debut with the writing. Nahuelpan & Bonvillain add to the drama with fast action panels. A suspenseful addition into the Bat-Family mythos.
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