Claire Smith's Comic Reviews

Reviewer For: A Comic Book Blog Reviews: 32
9.1Avg. Review Rating

9.5
All-Star Superman #1

Mar 17, 2010

The art, though spectacular in some ways, was not my favorite style. Quitely is extremely talented and each panel is simplistic to give readers the implicit idea of the action involved. However, I feel like Superman's head is always a little off and Lois had a very tiny mouth, shifty eyes. But all in all, the artwork did not detract from the overall story, which is still very enjoyable.

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10
Batgirl (2009) #14

Sep 16, 2010

At first, I wasn't keen on the play off the stereotype that when girls get together they have pillow fights and such but I feel that it was presented in an ironic way. Nothing about being a superhero is ever "normal" or "typical". But that's what makes their relationship special: they both understand that and it bonds them. This issue rocked from beginning to end. A completely satisfying and fun read with awesome art and a masterful story. I'm so hooked on this title.

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9.8
Batgirl (2009) #15

Nov 18, 2010

I love reading this title, especially now, because it doesn't hurt my brain like anything Morrison is churning out and it's not dark and depressing like most everything else I've got on the list. As always, a great read.

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9.3
Batgirl (2009) #16

Dec 15, 2010

As far as art goes, I like seeing Nguyen on this book now along with Fridolfs but some of the characters seem quite sketchy, like Gage. I guess I crave a bit more detail.

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9.9
Batgirl (2009) #17

Jan 19, 2011

The only displeasing aspect was the fact that Dustin Nguyen only did the cover and not the issue. I noticed the difference right away but to Pere Perez's credit, his styling were on par with Miller's amazing story and it was decent overall.

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8.7
Batgirl (2009) #18

Feb 17, 2011

The art, however, felt right in this one. The shading on Limbo Town helped to make it seem a disorienting place and helped to switch up the feel of the story. Though I still enjoyed reading this issue " for nothing other than I really love Stephanie and what I have read of her book until this point " on the whole, this wasn't the strongest story or the best example of what Miller is normally doing so well with Batgirl.

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9
Batgirl (2009) #19

Mar 11, 2011

That said, I still find Batgirl to be one of the " if not the most " solid and consistent books that DC has going these days. I always want to buy and read this, no matter what. It always goes on the top of the pile.

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9.8
Batgirl (2009) #20

Apr 20, 2011

All in all, I was pleased with this issue. Not every single one can be 100 percent amazing but this is consistent in its quality. Art = skillful. Writing = masterful. Overall product = fabulous!

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9.8
Batgirl (2009) #21

May 12, 2011

As usual, I liked Batgirl a lot and appreciate the writing, the art and the entire package. I was happy to see Dustin Nguyen back on this issue; the cover is fantastic! His style on the page is honed and skillful in the grand sense; the pages depict action so well. But there were some facial close-ups that seemed a little unfinished, to me. All in all, two thumbs up as always.

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9.9
Batgirl (2009) #23

Jul 14, 2011

We shall see"

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9.9
Batgirl (2009) #24

Aug 11, 2011

Batgirl #24 Review August 11, 2011 DC Comics Reviews 2 comments Tweet This entire 24 issue run culminates in Stephanie's reunion with her third-rate villain of a father and it did nothing less than dazzle me, in this issue and over the past year.Batgirl #24Stephanie Brown does three things in this issue: has a wee bit of a showdown with her father, wakes up in a hospital room to have a touching moment with her mother, and then " the coup de grace " she and Barbara have their heart to heart to set things on the right path for the reboot.Her father, who "made her Spoiler" uses Black Mercy, a powerful hallucinogen, to knock her out and attempt escape from Blackgate. To what end, I'm not sure, but it leads to Stephanie slipping into a coma and waking in a hospital room where her mother sits, tending to her. I really loved how subtle their moment of understanding was. Her mother never had to say, "I know what you've bee

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9.5
Batgirl (2011) #1

Sep 9, 2011

To Gail Simone's credit, it was not cheesy or dumb and I bought it. I am sure we'll get more details as the series goes on but I am happy to report that I did enjoy this issue. The end opened up a load of possibilities and I am excited to read more. I was not previously familiar with Ardian Syaf's work but I dug it. It's realistic and, at times, gritty, setting the emotional tone. All in all, I cannot wait to see where this title will take us in the next year.

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9.7
Batgirl (2011) #2

Oct 19, 2011

So hats off to Simone and her artistic team who, I feel, did a great job upholding the integrity of Batgirl. The cover wasn't jump-out-at-you exciting but it gave you a sense of the feeling of this issue and in that respect, I appreciated it. I look forward to seeing more of this story unveil itself in issue #3.

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9.9
Batgirl (2011) #3

Nov 16, 2011

I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the best issue so far in this Batgirl reboot. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the tension between those two but it was an amazing dynamic and Simone owned it; her familiarity with these two shine through in the words and, coupled with Syaf's and Cifuentes' art, brought out a stark realness to the world of the Bats.

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9.9
Batgirl (2011) #5

Jan 18, 2012

I really appreciated the storytelling in this issue and Simone continues to impress me with not only her grasp on the characters but their depth. I have to admit: I was confused by a lot of the twists and turns this issue took. And you know what? I love that. Don't make it so transparent; leave me wondering. Leave me guessing so that next month, I can't wait to get my hot little hands on this book.

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9.4
Batgirl (2011) #6

Feb 16, 2012

Overall, I can't say it was my favorite issue yet or anything but I appreciate it for what it's worth and what it accomplished. Plus, the art was as fantastic as ever and Simone – as always – has a really good grip of the Batgirl character and voice in general.

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8.5
Batman #704

Nov 18, 2010

I'm all about a writer also inking but I felt that the art was a little sketchy for my tastes. There were also a whole lot of dramatic poses, which seemed a slight bit over the top. I can forgive them because the story was still intriguing but it felt sightly gratuitous. Overall, this issue was a good read and I don't feel pressured to know the ins and outs of all the other titles crowding the Batman scene right now. This one remains self-contained enough for both hardcore and casual readers alike.

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8
Batman: Streets of Gotham #16

Oct 6, 2010

On the other hand, the third installment in the Two-Face feature was pretty awesome. In the past, I've skipped this part of the book but man, they really had me going here. Two-Face in a coma-like state and a priest watching over him day after day after day. When he awake and recounts his past and every bad deed to the man of the cloth, I was really intrigued. It all came back to the coin and its place in the mythos of Two-Face and his relationship to Gotham. Really cool way for me to finish this read, even when the main feature here failed to excite.

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7
Batman: Streets of Gotham #17

Nov 18, 2010

This issue was slow-moving with little action, a bridge leading us to Much Bigger Things, as we see Tommy revealing himself and getting Pierce on-board in his fight against the Wayne Family legacy, which they both despise. But I'm kind of wavering on this comic. I'm hoping that as things flesh out here and Bruce gets back with Selina in some way, this will start to pick up.

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8
Batman: Streets of Gotham #20

Mar 6, 2011

Nguyen's artistry, as always, is commendable but nothing amazing. That said, I am excited to see this title end not only because I grow weary of it but because I would like some closure on this story.

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7.9
Batman: Streets of Gotham #21

Mar 30, 2011

I did, however, the last two pages. They said some very existential things about the character of Hush and who he really is. It was gratifying to see Dini's writing here; I found it to be very well-done and a great way to end this series which will now no longer cease to be. Goodbye, Streets of Gotham.

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9.5
Red Robin #16

Sep 16, 2010

All in all, a great read that tied a lot of things together. I always come out of Red Robin issues with more respect for Tim. He grew out from under the shadow of both Bruce and Dick and has made quite a name for himself as Red Robin. I also felt the art was amazing in this issue. A lot of good up close face shots to reveal emotion and a few awesome splash pages. I love those big sweeping across the city shots, don't you? As always, I'm a sucker for this title and give it two thumbs way up.

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9.9
Red Robin #17

Nov 18, 2010

Art was great as always, characters are vibrant and true and it is great to have Bruce back. Red Robin continues to rock my world.

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9
Red Robin #18

Dec 15, 2010

New stories are always a little hard to get into at first but I like where this is headed and continue to love Red Robin.

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9.9
Red Robin #19

Jan 19, 2011

This story was complex and skillfully written; not to say slightly difficult to follow at first, which I appreciate. It wasn't all laid out for you but as details came together, it formed into a well-told and powerful story. I feel like I got my money's worth out of this issue with all the dialogue and the amazing artwork. Splashy colors and so many characters on each page, I felt like this was the best three bucks I spent this week.

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8.8
Red Robin #21

Mar 17, 2011

The entire Unternet story hasn't really done it for me as much as Red Robin's previous adventures. Perhaps I felt like not as much was at stake, even though – obviously – if everyone had access to this bad place, humanity as we know it would be in decline for sure. However, it still retained the quality writing I expect from Nicieza and Marcus To continues to impress me with his artistic talents. Overall, not a bad read at all.

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7.6
Red Robin #22

Apr 20, 2011

If DC thinks I am going to pick of Sirens just because this story is continued there, well they're wrong. I am sure some die-harders will but for me, I want to get back to the Red Robin I have enjoyed for the last year. This book has always been so solid and now the crossovers are ruining it.

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6.6
Red Robin #23

May 12, 2011

BUT, Marcus To, props to you my man because at least the art was as good as always and the pretty pictures helped me get through this horribly boring, weak, and disappointing issue. I don't mean to be harsh… well, yes I do. Unfortunately, this issue was an epic fail. For me, anyway.

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8.8
Red Robin #25

Jul 14, 2011

All that said, I cannot honestly tell you that I didn't actually like reading this. Because I did, even if it does dash all my hopes and dreams about Tim being who I originally thought, the issue was entertaining. And in the end, that's what comics are there for.

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9.6
Red Robin #26

Aug 11, 2011

I look forward to seeing what Tim will do as the leader of the Teen Titans in the reboot. As much as I loved seeing him have his own title and work by himself, his Teen Titan days were awesome too and I believe they can be once more.

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8.8
Wonder Woman (2011) #1

Sep 26, 2011

Chiang's art is very stylized and for the most part, his characters were sharp and interesting, as well as his backgrounds, but that one first shot of Diana was jarring to me. I'll give issue 2 a go and see if this story proves more interesting as more details are revealed.

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8.5
Wonder Woman (2011) #2

Oct 26, 2011

I'm still on-board for this title after the final page but I'm not on the edge of my seat, biting my nails to know more.

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