Shadow of the Batgirl (2020)

Not only is this graphic novel my first foray into actual DC comics, it’s also my first encounter with Cassandra Cain proper. I’ve of course seen the excellent Birds of Prey, but even before the movie came out, I was given to understand that its version of Cassandra wildly reinterprets the character. But this book, by Heroine Complex author Sarah Kuhn, is a fantastic introduction into her story.

Cassandra Cain was raised by her father to be an assassin. All she knew was the punishing training regimen he put her through, the moral boundaries he eroded, and the orders he forced her to follow. But one day, the language-deprived Cassandra is upended and perplexed by a certain word on a target’s lips: daughter. The word is enough to bust through her conditioning and make her seek something else for herself. She searches for answers and understanding, and along the way, she discovers a found family, a hero she can believe in, and her own potential to be more than the weapon her father made her.

So much great stuff in this book! In the early sections, as Cassandra is slowly sifting through confusing verbal and written language (very little of which she’s been exposed to,) I like how much the narrative leans on Cassandra’s inner monologue and the sounds of the world around her—the door creaks, puddle splashes, and leaping whooshes that speak to her when words don’t make sense. I love that an auntie with a restaurant is the first person to take Cassandra under her wing; Jackie is a tough woman with fabulously-Chinatown fashion sense and an unflinching reaction to Cassandra’s unspoken trauma. And I adore that the refuge Cassandra makes for herself is in a public library, where she gradually lets her walls down with select individuals and learns, for the first time, how to “become” on her own terms.

Even before you get into the Gotham of it all, this is an interesting story, a strong character piece about a girl who’s carrying guilt from all the things her abuser forced her to do, who’s making friends for the first time in her life but is terrified that they’ll reject her if they learn about the “real” her. Adding in the superhero aspects just make it even better. Learning about Batgirl, who disappeared from the city years earlier, is instrumental to Cassandra’s development and gradual healing/learning to forgive herself. I love watching Cassandra remake herself, and having guidance from Barbara Gordon, who she meets at the library, helps her along that path.

There’s a lot of darkness in this book, but a lot of hope too. It says that we are not our pasts, that we can always choose who we want to be and decide to make a better road for ourselves. That doesn’t mean our pasts can’t still find us, but if we surround ourselves with nonjudgmental people who care about us, we can get through it together. Oh yeah, and there’s also cool action, jokes, and shy romance. What more could you want?

Warnings

Strong thematic elements (including childhood trauma,) violence, and mild sensuality.