Things are getting freaky for the Batgirls. The Oracle, Barbara Gordon, is moving back to the Clock Tower, leaving Cass and Steph with the loft to themselves to do a little reconciliation. But nothing stays calm in Gotham City, and before long, the Batgirls find themselves caught in a quagmire beyond their grasp.
Written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad, with visuals by Robbi Rodriguez, colors by Rico Renzi, and letters by Dave Sharpe, Batgirls Annual 2022 introduces a covered-up murder in Gotham Heights, dredging up dark figures from Cass’s past. A night of girl bonding, capped off with a heartfelt vow and the flip of a mysterious coin, ends with a bang when Cass and Steph swap bodies and inherit each other’s deadly problems.
The body swap plot device — also known as the “Freaky Friday Flip” — is an old standby at this point. It’s most effective when the two characters in question are as different from one another as possible in every aspect, especially in speech pattern, body language, temperament, and overall mannerisms. This makes it a somewhat difficult trope to pull off in comics, as some character mannerisms, such as body language, movement, voice, and intonation, are lost in translation. Unfortunately, this is the case for Batgirls Annual 2022, which despite the strong writing, stumbles in the execution of the body swap. Without the characters literally announcing it, the audience would have a somewhat difficult time telling the switch even happened. This isn’t to say the switch wouldn’t, or doesn’t work, per sé, but this issue is too subtle and seems reluctant to commit to the plot device.
Cloonan and Conrad’s writing feels solid and true to the characters. Even the supporting cast, including Steph’s unassuming boyfriend Kyle, is endearing enough in his brief appearance. Lady Shiva is a nice, intimidating presence, as are her minions and the equally unsettling but welcome surprise villain at the end. Batman’s appearance is also welcome; it’s always a treat to see the Bat Family reunited. Cass and Steph have excellent and often heartfelt rapport. However, the dialogue is heavily expository, often to its detriment. The underlying narration, despite its lighthearted and humorous tone, slows down the plot.
Batgirls Annual 2022 features strong, engaging art, thanks to Robbi Rodriguez’s sleek, elegant line art, with its dignified and mature character designs and refined use of black placement and details. Rico Renzi’s color palette of bold fuchsias, purples, teals, and greens, highlighted by black and warm autumn tones, furthers the otherworldly feel of this particular version of Gotham. While the characters look good, their body language and acting are rather subdued. Steph and Cass’s body language is too similar, as their expressions sometimes rely heavily on written cues to sell their movements.
Although the body-swap plot is too timid in its execution, Batgirls Annual 2022 is a good character study and a good opportunity for Cass and Steph to get to know each other and explore each other’s backgrounds and individual psychologies.
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