Warning: Spoilers for Batgirl #1!DC Comics renames Cassandra Cain, her mother, the Bat-Family and the Batgirl mantle in a new series. Although she was an active member of the Birds of Prey cast more recently, Cass hasn’t led a series of her own in over 18 years. Earlier this year, DC announced that Cassandra would star in a new Batgirl ongoing series as part of the publisher’s new All In initiative.
Batgirl #1 by Tate Brombal, Takeshi Miyazawa, Mike Spicer and Tom Napolitano officially marks the return of Cassandra Cain to comic book store shelves. The issue finds Batgirl officially working with Lady Shiva, her murderous mother, and in doing so, many ongoing themes from her story return to the surface. However, the new story also allows the creative team to recontextualize its complicated dynamics for DC’s current continuity.
As a debut edition, Batgirl No. 1 shows promise in adding new meaning to classic motifs of the Bat-Family stories while adding new layers to a classic Gotham villain.
Batgirl #1 Delivers the Perfect Martial Arts Story for Readers New and Old
What happens to Cassandra Cain and Lady Shiva?
Right off the bat (no pun intended), Batgirl is cornered into a conversation with her villainous mother, Lady Shiva. Shiva, for those unfamiliar, is most recognized as the only fighter Batman has never defeated in a fight. Batman’s companions defeated Lady Shiva, interestingly enough, but never Bruce. As a mother, Shiva was always a thorn in her daughter’s side. This scene is no different, but for the first time, Shiva hasn’t come to fight, but rather with a warning that she and Cass must evacuate, as a lucrative group of ninjas wants them both dead.
Upon realizing that her mother may actually have some twisted love for her, Cass dives into the fight, ready to fight alongside her mother.
In the nick of time, the group in question – the Unburied, a centuries-old sect of warriors – attacks them, forcing the mother-daughter duo to fight and escape together. The Unburied specifically want Shiva dead, but want Batgirl dead by association. Cass and Shiva’s journey takes them to the Shiva temple as it burns to the ground. As they tend to the wounds of a fallen High Priest, Shiva saves Cass’ life. Upon realizing that her mother may actually have some twisted love for her, Cass dives into the fight, ready to fight alongside her mother for the first time. to kick off Batgirl’s latest stylish reboot.
Batgirl #1: Understand who Cassandra Cain really is
Respecting tradition and ongoing themes
Batgirl #1 features many subtle references to Cassandra Cain’s past as a character, as well as the past she shares with her mother. As Batgirl, Cassandra Cain spends much of this debut issue reading her mother’s body language, which has always been a secret superpower of Cassandra Cain’s dating back to the original 2000 film. Batgirl series where she used this ability to discover Batman’s secret identity. In another panel, Shiva references the time she killed and quickly resurrected her daughter to prove her point. Batgirl #25 by Kelley Puckett, Damion Scott and Robert Campanella.
Since much of the referenced story takes place in an 18-year ongoing series that ended in 2006 – at least two continuity reboots ago – many readers may expect callbacks like these. However, the fact that these references appear in this first edition shows how well versed and respectful the creative team is to the material that came before them. Fans who notice these references feel rewarded, while unfamiliar fans learn about what happened before 2024 Batgirlwhile enriching and deepening the lore of Batgirl’s legacy.
Recontextualizing Batgirl’s archenemy creates a fascinating new conflict for Cass Cain
Lady Shiva is placed in a new light
Perhaps what is most impressive Batgirl #1 is how this paints Lady Shiva in a whole new light. She’s been around in DC lore for 49 years, and for most of that time, she’s been written as a pretty straightforward villain. Not to say she’s a layerless villain – after all, she’s the only villain who understands Batman. However, she has always simply been a fighter who deserves competition from all sides of the world to prove that she is the best. Regarding her daughter, she had already talked to and treated Cass as if she were her property.
Shiva always talked to Batgirl as if she always had the right to fight with her, to prove her worth, because Shiva was convinced that their destiny required them to kill each other. This edition adds a new layer to Shiva that has rarely, if ever, been seen: this is a Shiva who truly cares about Batgirl, whether she shows it or not. She certainly has a strange way of showing it and would never admit it out loud, but through Batgirl’s skillful body language, she is able to better understand her mother and the strange love she has for her.
Cass catches Shiva in a lie when she tells the Unburied that she doesn’t care about her daughter in an effort to protect Batgirl from them. This lie – and Cass understood it as a lie – is significant because This moment could define its entire dynamic in the future for this series. Cass not only has to learn to contextualize her typically cold and heartless mother as caring, but she also has to protect her while she’s being chased by a legion of ninjas. A jaded villain and a morally firm hero must become friends so that mother and daughter can survive this obstacle together.
DC Comics is finally giving Batgirl the spotlight she deserves
A perfect marriage of elegant art, gripping action and rich storytelling
Even beyond the rich narrative, there is a lot to enjoy Batgirl #1. Action is sparse in favor of setting the stage for a compelling story, but when it does arrive, the action is compelling at every turn. The action itself tells a story in which Batgirl and Lady Shiva need to stop their own internal struggles – verbal and physical – to face the Unsepultos. Miyazawa’s art also deserves praise, with each panel more striking and sharp than the last.
This series is a must-read for any Batgirl fan.
The first issue sets the stage for what could be a complex “buddy” story about two rivals who need to learn how to be allies for this dynamic to work. In one question, Batgirl manages to enrich the ever-growing lore of Cassandra Cain, the Batgirl mantle, and the Bat-family in general. Cassandra Cain has spent the last few decades as a fan-favorite supporting character, but she’s finally been given a new solo story to shine in a whole new spotlight. This series is a must-read for any Batgirl fan, and future editions will certainly have the same demand.
Batgirl #1 is now available from DC Comics.