Warning: contains spoilers for Batgirls #6!
Barbara Gordon, AKA Batgirl, just turned meta awareness into her most awesome weapon. In Batgirls #6, Batgirl finds herself the prisoner of the villainous Spellbinder, who is using Fear Gas-laced art to terrorize Gotham City. As Spellbinder rambles on about his schemes, Batgirl plays on his need, as a villain, to monologue—ultimately turning the tables on him. The issue is on sale now in print and digital.
Batgirls past and present have come together in the wake of the fall of the Magistrate, and the Scarecrow’s failed attempt to bring about the Fear State. The team, including Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, soon found themselves facing the Tutor, a graffiti artist whose creations could mesmerize people. Using these powers, the Tutor railed against Gotham’s power structures—including the Bat-Family. The Batgirls have been on the Tutor’s trail, and in Batgirls #5, they discovered Tutor had a mentor, named Spellbinder. At the end of issue five, Spellbinder took Barbara Gordon prisoner, planning to use her to create his “masterpiece.” Now, in issue six, Batgirl must find a way to escape Spellbinder’s clutches—and her solution plays on a common comic book trope.
The issue opens with Spellbinder pontificating on Gotham’s perceived lack of culture, as well as his days working at Arkham Asylum to Barbara Gordon, tied up to a chair. While employed there, Spellbinder realized he had an ability to connect with inmates through art, and he now plans to use this ability to control the people, and leaders, of Gotham City. Barbara, realizing that all villains like to monologue, keeps Spellbinder talking—long enough to undo the ropes and free herself. Confronting Spellbinder, she overpowers him. The issue is written by Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad, illustrated by Jorge Corona, colored by Sarah Stern and lettered by Becca Carey.
The trope of a comic book villain delivering a monologue outlining their plans is a common one, and here Batgirl turns it to her advantage. Batgirl recognized that Spellbinder, with his garish outfits and decadent lair, would no doubt monologue, a suspicion that paid off. Batgirl has confronted many villains in her lifetime, including some of the worst Gotham has to offer, giving her a deep understanding of their mindset and psychology. Batgirl saw all the tell-tale signs of a classic villain in Spellbinder and she knew this would be the key to his defeat—it was just a matter of playing to his enormous ego. Batgirl once again proved why she is one of the most formidable members of the Bat-Family, using both brains and brawn to overpower Spellbinder.
This is not the first time this trope has been sent up in other comics, most notably in Ozymandias’ infamous monologue in Watchmen. However, Batgirl used meta awareness to turn a villain’s propensity to monologue against him, creating an awesome weapon in the process.
Batgirls #6 is now available from DC Comics.
