Creative Team – Mariko Tamaki, Amancay Nahuelpan, Tamra Bonvillain, Ariana Maher, Karl Kerschl
Published by DC Comics
Catch up with the third issue here!
The Story
If there’s one thing this series will do, it’s pull you in even further than it already has. In the last issue, we were left on an alarming note of Barbara being in shock therapy, not knowing who to trust, and realizing she’s in more danger than she realized. In Barbara Gordon: Breakout #4, our lead character is understanding why she was put through the shock therapy, which was to detox her system of all the drugs Sparrow put her on. Thanks to a new ally, Barbara is finally clear in the head and is able to figure out what’s really going on around here. After not knowing who to turn to or who to trust, it seems that Barbara finally has someone on her side and can see that something just isn’t right here at Supermax.
What this story does a great job with is showing that you may think you have the story figured out, but you absolutely don’t. Mariko Tamaki does a marvelous job of keeping you on the edge of your seat, desperately trying to solve the mystery alongside Barbara. This grounded comic series continues to pull you into the story and leaves you wanting the next issue immediately.
The Art
In past issues, there was a lot more vibrancy, especially when dealing with Barbara’s hallucinations, but this issue’s art is much more grounded, which works perfectly. Amancay Nahuelpan, Tamra Bonvillain, and Ariana Maher all come together to really nail down how hard-hitting this issue was going to be. Nahuelpan gives beautifully detailed panels with excellent line work that really highlights the hardness of the setting. What I love about Nahuelpan’s work is how she allows the characters to wear their emotions on their sleeves, practically telling the story themselves through their facial expressions. It adds so much depth to the pages and makes the story hit even harder.
Tamra Bonvillain uses their coloring talents to lean into the groundedness of the story, even capturing the hardness of what Barbara is going through by using vibrant colors to signify action. With the excellent contrast between the cold colored backgrounds and the bright orange jumpsuits, Bonvillain makes each page absolutely stunning.
Ariana Maher handles the lettering and gives so much emotion to the dialogue. In the flashbacks, you can feel the character’s darkness when they’re recounting the events, or in Barbara’s inner dialogue where she speaks in an even tone, even when she’s currently experiencing torment. The artists really deserve so much praise for making this issue nothing short of stunning.
Final Thoughts
I cannot sing enough praises about this comic run. Barbara Gordon: Breakout has been exciting, it’s been mysterious, and it’s been constantly compelling. This issue in particular puts it into perspective just how much danger Barbara is in, which makes me very excited to see the next issue.
Overall Grade – 9/10
Let me know in the comments what you thought of Barbara Gordon: Breakout #4!
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This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast. If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of Barbara Gordon: Breakout #4, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!
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