Warning: Spoilers for Batgirl #1!The biggest killer ever Batman I already had to face it on Gotham soil, Lady Shiva, could be on the way to redemption. Gotham’s villains have a knack for going through redemption arcs, especially because Batman believes in giving villains a chance to see the error of their ways and change. The only question is whether Lady Shiva is willing to see the light – especially for her daughter, Cassandra Cain.
Gotham’s latest supervillain who could be seeking redemption is none other than the only fighter Batman can never beat: Lady Shivaas provoked in Batgirl #1 by Tate Brombal and Takeshi Miyazawa. Shiva is a recurring villain who, in terms of combat, Batman simply can’t beat. She is also the mother of Cassandra Cain, this generation’s Batgirl, who shares the mantle with Stephanie Brown.
Batgirl must work with her devious mother in her new solo series, but the hero sees an unexpected labor of love that could hint at Shiva’s heroic potential – assuming it’s not too late.
Gotham’s Lady Shiva May Be Getting a True Redemption Arc Despite Her Murderous Roots
Batgirl #1 by Tate Brombal, Takeshi Miyazawa, Mike Spicer and Tom Napolitano
Batgirl #1 sees Lady Shiva summon her estranged daughter to an anonymous building in the middle of Gotham. Shiva tries to convince Cassandra Cain that they need to work together because they’re both in danger, but it’s understandable given her controversial history, Batgirl doesn’t trust her mother. Shiva even encourages Cass to use her ability to read body language to see if she’s lying – something Cass would do throughout the issue – but they are quickly interrupted by Shiva’s real attackers: the Unburied.
Lady Shiva isn’t Gotham’s only femme fatale getting the morally charged redemptive treatment. Check out the winner Poison Ivy directed by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, available now both digitally and in collected editions from DC Comics.
The Unburied are a group of ninjas who are now targeting Lady Shiva and her Order of Shiva. When she and her daughter arrive at the Shiva temple in an attempt to find a safe haven, an Unburied member’s arrow nearly takes Cassandra’s life when she isn’t looking, and it would have – if not for her mother blocking it – there. Once Cass takes cover, Shiva tries to sacrifice herself to save her daughter. She tells the Unsepultos that they want her and only her, because her daughter means nothing to her. Cass uses her body language reading skills to learn that, to her surprise, Shiva is lying about how much she cares about Batgirl.
Is redemption even viable for Gotham’s Lady Shiva?
Has Batman Baddie gone too far?
Of all the Gothamites that Lady Shiva encounters, Cassandra Cain is probably the most recurring. As such, DC comics often delve into Shiva’s stance toward his daughter in interesting ways, but rarely does this stance feature genuine love. There’s so much room for love when Shiva is sure the only way Cass can prove herself is by killing her own mother. However, this little moment in Batgirl #1 adds a new layer to their relationship, while exposing a layer of Shiva’s character that most readers would never expect: Shiva is capable of love. Given her track record, this is shocking.
Shiva can love like any other Gotham character, and in many ways, it humanizes her, perhaps for the first time in Batman lore. It has been shown that she identifies with characters like Batman, but never identifies with readers – mainly because she doesn’t allow herself to be relatable. Humanizing a cold, calculated villain like this seems to open the door for a redemption arc, especially as the series is expected to continue expanding her partnership with Cass. If this is true, it’s worth questioning whether it would be credible to redeem Lady Shiva, given her past evil antics.
Lady Shiva has tormented Gotham City for decades, a key player in Batman’s world
The crimes of Batman’s recurring rival
Lady Shiva’s greatest offense, first and foremost, is being a terrible father to Cassandra Cain. Cass was forced to live a life of murder by Shiva and her father, David Cain. The future Batgirl was completely deprived of a childhood to be trained to be the perfect assassin. She was even deprived of the basics of language, as she was raised to read only body language and speak the language of violence. Her parents even encouraged her to commit her first murder as a child, without Cass understanding what she was doing, convincing her to run away.
Shiva only saw Cass’ potential as a warrior who could surpass her, rather than a child who needed to be a child.
Shiva is a notoriously bad father and is among the worst in Gotham City. Yes, she is even worse than Bruce Wayne, who was considered by fans to be the worst father of all time. Even Bruce has been redeemed as a father in more recent memory, becoming a good father (for now) to Damian. Shiva only saw Cass’ potential as a warrior who could surpass her instead of a child who needed to be a child. While it’s a horrible offense on Shiva’s part, it’s his only egregious offense, which Batgirl as a series could address head-on.
Could Batgirl bring her mother, Lady Shiva, into the light?
Can Batman’s enemy become a friend?
Batgirl it is likely based on Cassandra Cain’s rapprochement with Lady Shiva, understanding her better as a mother and as a person beyond her credentials as an assassin. The opposite could also be the case, and Shiva, understanding her daughter better, could be the gateway for her to make up for lost time as a “good mother”. Redemption may not necessarily look like Shiva will become a full-fledged herobut it could manifest itself in an apology or accountability for cruelly raising Cass. That possibility alone could progress their relationship in important ways, and perhaps even frame Shiva as yet another antihero.
It’s not like Lady Shiva is above seeing the error of her ways. In “Death Wish”, a story of Batman: Urban Legends #3 by Che Grayson, Alberto Jimenez Alburquerque, David Baron and Tom Napolitano, Lady Shiva comes to Batman with a literal death wish. Bruce then takes Shiva to show that she still has at least one thing to live for: her daughter. Despite their past, Shiva is thrilled to see Cass play mini golf with her friends. Perhaps for the first time, Shiva is relieved to see Cass happy, something she says she deserves. If nothing else, Shiva cares about now giving Cassandra the life she couldn’t give her then.
Batgirl #1 continues a quiet trend over the last decade of DC slowly stripping Lady Shiva of her villainy. In fact, DC has replaced her as Gotham’s deadliest assassin. Since she is civilized enough to be cordial to the likes of Batman and even her daughter, it can be said that most of Shiva’s villainy comes from never atoning for the childhood she gave Cass. Once Madam Shiva atones for this by building a bridge with Cass, she could be on her way to becoming a Gotham hero in the same vein as Batman.
Batgirl #1 is now available from DC Comics.