All-New All-Different Pull Wisely: Batgirl #45

Hey, Bat-fans! We’re back with another installment of Pull Wisely, and this time our spotlight issue is Batgirl #45.

There’s one major, major thing that happens in this issue that I really wanted to take the time to focus on but felt pressed for time on in the video, so I’m doing it here in the post. No, it’s not Grayson’s reappearance (which is pretty big, but still). I’m going to put this on another line because of how major it is:

Alysia Yeoh got freakin’ MARRIED.

Okay. I want to break this down here because this is pretty gosh darn major. First off, like I said in the video, it’s so freaking awesome to see Alysia return to the spotlight, if even for just an issue. She’s fantastic, and has been someone I’ve sorely missed seeing in Batgirl. Second, it’s actually incredibly, incredibly heartwarming to see that a trans woman is getting a happy development in her story without any strings attached. This issue has a lot of set up for more storylines, but the centerpiece is Alysia’s wedding, and how happy she is right here in this moment. That is such an incredible moment, one that I know I’m going to remember for a long, long time.

This issue marks a pretty groundbreaking moment for trans representation. The creative team behind Batgirl have come a long way since Dagger Type, and it’s clear that they’re doing their level best to bring representation to the forefront of their work.

If I could get personal for a second: I definitely got a little choked up seeing the wedding play out like it did. It really meant a lot to me to see it handled the way it was. For whatever it’s worth, from this reader, I want to extend my sincerest thanks to the team for this issue. It’s so, so important, and I hope that people recognize it for the great, amazing issue that it is.

You can find the transcript for the episode below, plus our top 5 comic recommendations.

*****

Welcome to Pull Wisely, I am Jessica Lachenal, and this week we’re going to be talking about Batgirl #45, written by the amazing, amazing Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher, two great, great comics writers, and illustrated by the illustrious Babs Tarr.

What I really enjoyed about this issue was that it focuses on a couple of major events: Alysia’s wedding, which is, holy crap, beautiful. It really warmed my heart to see Alysia getting a really… good moment out of all of this, and it’s good to see her back.

There’s another major event that happened this issue: good ol’ Dick Grayson comes back. I mean, wow, mind blowing, right? What was interesting about his return is that this comes right after Babs had asked Luke out to Alysia’s wedding–what you youths call “a date.” So having Grayson come back and throw a wrench into this whole romantic entanglement is kind of interesting because oh my gosh, it’s a love triangle, which I know a lot of you love/hate.

When it comes to art, Babs Tarr really brings it as usual in that Babs Tarr radness. It’s all super expressive, super cartoony, it’s super stylish, which I’ve always enjoyed about Babs’ art. To see that all come out in a wedding, to see these characters come together, is just super heartwarming to me. I wanted to give a special shout out to Serge LaPointe, who took care of colors for this issue. You’ll notice that weddings have themed colors, and if you look throughout this entire thing, you’ll notice the same thing, that there’s a lot of pinks, a lot of reds, a lot of purples, a lot of light, warmer colors.

I would strongly, strongly suggest that you pick up this issue if you’ve been even tangentially following Batgirl, or hell, even Black Canary, who makes a great cameo here. You should check this issue out.

This has been Pull Wisely! Respond with your questions, comments, recommendations in the comments section. Or you can tweet at us at #PullWisely. Thanks, everybody!

*****

And last, but not least, here’s your Top 5 Comics Recommendations for the week!

1. ODY-C #8, written by Matt Fraction, with art by Christian Ward, published by Image Comics. ODY-C is a beautiful comic that is definitely worth your time. If you haven’t been keeping up, here’s the premise: Fraction has essentially re-imagined Homer’s The Odyssey in space, but with an additional twist: he’s flipped the genders of all of the characters. It’s got a brilliant sci-fi edge, and the art is absolutely gorgeous.
2. They’re Not Like Us #9, written by Eric Stephenson, with art by Simon Gane, published by Image Comics. This is another series that I’ve tried to keep recommending every time a new issue comes up, and honestly, I’m really enjoying it. It might have something to do with the fact that it’s set in my home stomping grounds of San Francisco, and I’m a sucker for pop culture and media that happens here, but it’s also a gripping story with an art style that I’m finding myself liking more and more each issue.
3. Over the Garden Wall #3, written by Pat McHale, with art by Jim Campbell, published by BOOM! Studios. Unabashed Over the Garden Wall fan over here. No shame in my game. But these comics have been great supplements to the cartoon. If you enjoyed the show, then you should definitely pick up these comics as the writing and story are just as on point here as they are on the screen.
4. Power Up #4, written by Kate Leth, with art by Matt Cummings, published by BOOM! Studios. Power Up is definitely one of those comics that defies stereotypes, tropes, and standards in just the best way possible. Leth’s writing is always spectacular and on point, and Cummings’ art is super freakin’ adorable. If you didn’t know, it’s a comic about some unlikely heroes who find themselves imbued with magical girl powers: a middle aged mother, a disaffected twenty-something, a washed up athlete, and… a goldfish. How are you not already a fan?!
5. The Spire #4, written by Simon Spurrier, with art by Carlos Magno, additional cover art by Jeff Stokely, published by BOOM! Studios. As we said in our preview for The Spire, this comic is a bit of a murder mystery in a surreal, futuristic setting. There’s elements of fantasy, steampunk, and sci-fi throughout. The art has got this fantastic, sketchy style that really lends itself well to the content. Definitely check this one out.

Alright, that does it for us this week, folks. Don’t forget to chat us up in the comments, and please send us your suggestions using #PullWisely on Twitter.

Thanks for reading!

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