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That Time Batgirl And Rom Did The Same Thing To Me

Rom 1

By Abdulkareem Baba Aminu

I love Rom, the character. I always have, from way back when I was a wide-eyed kid, reading and collecting comics and forever seeking to patch up the many gaping holes in my collection of the Galadorian spaceknight's adventures from Marvel. I have also had a soft spot for DC's Batgirl, but that was after Barbara Gordon got shot by the Joker in Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's The Killing Joke, so technically that was Oracle I fell in love with at first.

Batgirl 1

But a little later down the line, after the New 52 relaunch, I became a staunch fan of Batgirl, and anything that benefited from Batgirling (the internal phrase at DC Comics, inspired by the success of the revived character's comic book). It's safe to say I'm a huge fan of both characters, Rom being from a distant past, and Batgirl rather recently.

Fast-forward to today, and I finally got to squeeze time to read my new comics, including Rom #1 (IDW) and Batgirl #1 (DC).

Rom 2

IDW made a sensible decision to include the Free Comic Book Day offering of the spaceknight's return to comics, so there was more meat to the debut. Sure, our hero was there in all his silvery glory, fighting Dire Wraiths with cool weapons. But new characters were also introduced. Here, it's an African American one, who's in the military, and she works very well in the story, helping us see a gentler, human side to the protagonist.

Batgirl 2

Over in Barbara Gordon's book, she remains out of the wheelchair for this Rebirth series, and while I wasn't immediately sure about it, it grew on me quickly. Her own newly-introduced character is Asian-American, from her childhood and with enough foreboding – and mischief – to make me look forward to seeing him again.

Rom 3

While Rom is back in the habit of fighting Dire Wraiths, his enemies of old, the slight differences in creature design ensure it all feels brand-new. Their murderousness also underscores the fact that these aren't the grandparents' wraiths, but real, hard-core threats to humanity.

Batgirl 3

Batgirl's antagonist is a potential hit of a character (let's just call her Clown Sailor for now), and our heroine is assisted by a 104-year-old super vigilante that needs to be seen to be believed. Even with a name like Fruit Bat, she dazzles. So much so that I forgave 'sleight of hand' being written as 'slight of hand' on the second panel of page 20.

Rom 4

But one thing that is crystal clear is the fact that passionate creators most often result in brilliant comics, and it's certainly the case in both cases here. Rom has been championed ad infinitum by co-writer Chris Ryall, while Batgirl artist Rafael Albuquerque's enthusiasm for the character is widely known thanks to his social media activity.

Batgirl 4

As for Rom, the crisp, clean writing by Christos Gage and Ryall has some dark, frayed edges, perfect for a sci-fi/horror comic, while the art by David Messina is pitch-perfect. Over at Batgirl, her world is beautifully brought to life by Albuquerque from deft writing by Hope Larson. Both comics have noteworthy action scenes, as well.

Rom 5

In both offerings, while my nostalgia hovered behind me in the background, the newness of these current incarnations still prevailed. This was made so by characters speaking like they should, and acting like they have before, all in stories and directions new and not experienced before. It is comics like these that remind me why I love the art form, and it is comics like these which will make me spend my hard-earned money and feel satisfied doing so. It feels weird, yes, but in a good way.

Batgirl 5

Batgirl #1 and Rom #1 are on sale now.

Abdulkareem Baba Aminu is a newspaper editor, award-winning journalist and comic book creator based in Nigeria. He has reviewed comics, novels, movies and music for a variety of platforms and is currently the Editor of the Saturday edition of the Daily Trust, one of the most influential newspapers in his country. You can follow him on Twitter: @KareemReal


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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