This issue is arguably the strongest of the grief series thus far, and that's perhaps due to Tomasi's expert handling as Barbara Gordon as the voice of bargaining, both with herself and Batman. After the steady, simmering rage of the previous three issues, it'll be interesting to see Tomasi tackle depression in next month's installment. Read Full Review

This issue left you feeling emotional. Your sympathies have to go out to Barbara because of how she is written to handle every situation that Tomasi puts her in. The mix of dark tones and really just the style of this book made it as depressing as it really was. Situations which have made her strong enough to be the one to tell Bruce when enough is enough. It's been an emotional roller coaster and a good balance of action in between. In the end it all comes down to taking back their lives when they seemed to have been crumbling down in front of them. The one thing all members of the Bat Family have in common is their uncanny ability to rise up when their backs are against the wall and that was displayed here. Sure Batman remains a mess, but Batgirl walks out a little bit stronger than she was before. Read Full Review

For the most part the book was pretty standard, but those last few pages with the big confrontation were just amazing. Each character was really raw and emotional and I really hope we get to see more of this duo play out after the book has cycled through the rest of the characters. Read Full Review

Batman and Robin #21 hits all the right notes as it explores the fallout of all the big events that have occurred in Batmans life. The addition of Batgirl to the story elevated what Batmans current state of mind is because she is in a similar situation. The confrontation that these two have inside the batcave is easily one of the most memorable interactions that I have witness them having. Batgirl really got to the heart of the matter and is the first character that challenged Batman to realize that he is out of control. If you are a Batman fan I highly recommend checking this issue out as it is a great character study for both Batman and Batgirl. Read Full Review

Everything culminates with a showdown at the Batcave between Batgirl and Batman. Batgirl seems willing to make amends but Batman ain't having it. After severing his ties with Red Hood last issue, at this rate the comic book might be called Batman and His Own Bad Self in a few short months. 7.5 Solid art by guest penciler Cliff Richards.Needed to see this interaction between Bats and Barbara.Nice “exchange” between Batgirl and her father.Not much happens besides thugs getting shit on.“Bats gone off the deep end” premise needs to lead to something more. Read Full Review

The comic book entertains and drives home the key points well. Batman is in pain and he is using anger to express his feelings. Batgirl is losing her grip on her costume life and is looking for some sort of reconciliation with anyone willing to listen. The book is a good read and I think it brings the two worlds together nicely. Read Full Review

"Batman and Batgirl" #21 is an uneven but not bad comic. It's definitely one that focus more on Batgirl than its co-lead, and the art varies from unimpressive to good. Ultimately the good parts more than outweigh the lesser ones, but I'll be glad when Patrick Gleason presumably returns next month. The next stage is depression, and with Catwoman getting the co-star position, there's a lot of potential ahead. Read Full Review

This issue definitely brings the goods when it comes to visuals and action, but I thought it was far less absorbing than the previous encounters. The proposal Batgirl makes is the best part of the dynamic between the two, but for me, that doesn't overcome all of the exposition and a lack of development from Batman. Even if you're a massive Batgirl fan, I imagine you'll find this read somewhat tedious until the heated conclusion. Unfortunately, it's just not as compelling as the previous issues and it lacks the emotional impact they've delivered. Certainly not a bad issue -- just a bit of a letdown for me. Read Full Review

Also, Batman's ruthless grief is exactly what happened in the wake of Jason Todd's death, and it's exactly what led to Tim Drake becoming Robin. So once again I'd like to re-state my disappointment in the Tim Drake issue. You'd think Tim would be able to recognize the same problem over again and be there to help Batman. But apparently not. Read Full Review

Overall: This is a sub-par issue of a book that is consistently my favorite bat title. The characters and plot were great, but the weak dialogue hit the book hard, and the art was disappointing. Read Full Review

I wouldn't say this issue is a misstep " It seems everything Tomasi puts into this title is important for something later on " but it wasn't my favorite. That could just be my stubbornness, of course, as I've never been the biggest fan of Batgirl to begin with. But at this point, I think I'm more curious about the Nightwing issue of this storyline, and where the title will go from here since one of the title characters continues to no longer be with us. Read Full Review

Cliff Richards's pencils are solid, if unspectacular. Unfortunately, they don't do enough to sell some of the emotional weight that is present in the script, causing the big moments to fall flat.? Read Full Review

Batman and Batgirl #21 was a strange issue to say the least. I have been following the series for a while and yet, with Batgirl being the focus, I somehow felt like I have missed some issues. I am normally a fan of Tomasi's writing, but I feel like there was some pacing issues, and some of the dialogue just seemed off. The action was solid as always, and while the art was fine, Gleason's absence was certainly felt. Hopefully Catwoman's visit to Batman in the next issue can pull him out of hisDepression. Read Full Review

Rather than repair the at best distant (at worst bitter) relationship between Batman and Batgirl, the issue calls attention to the weaknesses and vagaries of their bond, besides suffering from noticeable scripting and artistic defects as well. Read Full Review

Batman is supposed to be in “the bargaining” phase, but it kind of feels like he's still just totally lost in the weeds (woods?) at this point. We're not seeing much of a growth trajectory for our characters here. Bouncing Batman off of the Bat Family could have shown a variety of sides to the character of Batman and his colleagues, but everyone is out of sync in a way that makes the exercise feel fruitless. The fill-in art makes the book feel a little less special, because Gleason has been known to spin emotional gold with these characters. Then again, it might be prudent to just wait it out. Where Batman goes from here will be much more interesting than where he is now, which is in a book that's in something of a holding pattern. Read Full Review

The confrontation between Batgirl and Batman in the cave is interesting, but isn't hardly the tact someone as smart as Barbara would use. I do like her offer of wearing the Robin costume, but its stuck in the middle of an out-of-control argument that has no hope of reaching Batman. Hit-and-Miss. Read Full Review

 With each issue of this arc, I get more and more disappointed. On paper, this is a great concept for post Damian issues, but execution is just so bad. Batman's son has died, a son that I absolutely loved, perhaps more than Bruce himself, and I'd like to feel bad with him, but these issues are making it god damn impossible to. Take the absurd way Batman is acting, and add the equally absurd potential solution Batgirl brings up, and I'm just at a loss... I really am... the score is generous, I'll say that. Read Full Review

Batman and Batgirl #21 is a MASSIVE bump in the road for this series. It's hard to believe, that 3 issues ago, it delivered an Eisner-award worthy issue that could bring grown men to tears. This book is easily a skippable chapter in the current arc. While this isn't the worst Batgirl story I've read (cough Batgirl #20 cough), this is still pretty bad. Read Full Review

I finished it and said “Yikes. That was awful.” There are some really nice Batgirl moments in the first half of the comic but I hated everything else. Read Full Review

Love Batgirl and Batman, but this was kind of a disappointment.

Art couldn't be more bland and Batman couldn't be more out of character than we see him here (batman wouldn't call a crook an "idiot"). This title has lost some of its flair since Damien died, and despite myself being a staunch Tomasi fan, I've gotta admit that this is indubitably his worst issue of the title to date, and that gets a :(