Warning: Contains spoilers for Birds of Prey #14!!
Since inheriting the Batgirl Title, Cassandra Cain has gone on a long journey of self-discovery. As she evolved from a young woman trained to speak only in body language and violence into one of Gotham’s most steadfast heroes, her look evolved with her. Now, as Cass takes on an undercover mission for the Birds of preyI’m excited to see a new chapter brought by her fresh persona.
Birds of prey #14 – written by Kelly Thompson, with art by Sam Basri – teases a new undercover mission for Cassandra Cain. This alone is a sign that Cass is trying something new. Her original Batgirl Series was an epic journey for her to find herself and discover who she wanted to be as a person, outside of her training.
As a long-time Cass fan, When I see the clean-cut, modern look crafted for Bop’s undercover “Shen” persona, I also see Batgirl finally getting to branch out and be creative.
Birds of Prey reveals the creative side of Batgirl with an exciting new persona
Birds of prey #14 – Written by Kelly Thompson; Art by Sami Basri & Adriano Lucas
Although these Birds of prey Preview images don’t reveal too many specifics about the upcoming mission, they do reveal Cassie’s full alternate look and name: “Shen” sports an expertly tailored all-white vest and pants with sleek hair and gold accents. Other characters probably had a heavy hand in pulling the ensemble together, but I can’t help but notice a few nods to the real Batgirl in it as well. The outfit is stylish without being revealing, which is very much in line with her preferences, and the gold earrings could just as easily be two interlinked C’s instead of the “S” for Shen.
I appreciate Birds of prey Continue to stick to the preferences even when she starts to step outside her comfort zone, which pretends to be “Shen” certain accomplishments.
Although clothing is not a typical focus for her, it has played an important role in Cassandra’s life at different points. He originally paid it little mind, with Alfred Pennyworth providing many items in her closet after Batman took her under his wing. One of my strongest memories of Cassandra was her insistence on wearing the bikini Barbara Gordon convinced her to put on during a cruise, and I appreciate Birds of prey Continue to stick to the preferences even when she starts to step outside her comfort zone, which pretends to be “Shen” certain accomplishments.
Batgirl’s different looks over the years represent different chapters in her life
“Shen” is a major departure for Cassandra Kane
Shen is radically different from Cassandra Cain’s typical looks. Ever since Barbara Gordon offered her the Batgirl moniker, Cass has very much embraced the darker aesthetic of the Bat family. Arguably, her original Batgirl suit with its sharp, pointy ears and sewn-up mouth is one of the more intimidating looks in Gotham, which is a feat in itself. It was also clearly designed by and for Cassandra Cain, as she had no spoken language when she first took up the Batgirl mantle. The suit still holds great significance, and it was a relief to see her return to it recently.
Batgirl is far from her only title, however, and Black Bat was the next step after she handed Batgirl off to Stephanie Brown. Cass still kept her costume dark, but adopted more yellow in the bat symbol and only hid part of her face with a mask. Her Orphan suit, which was another black design with yellow-gold accents and a hood, represented an identity carved in Batman and Robin forever After the death of her father, David Cain (the original “orphan”). Batgirl, Black Bat and Orphan all share many common elements, Easily showcasing how much of you look like Shen Contrasts.
DC’s Birds of Prey ongoing allows Cassandra Kane to explore her personality
Birds of prey #14 РVariant covers by Serg Acu̱a, Sozomaika, & more; Available October 2
Apart from aesthetics, Adopting an undercover persona is indicative of much more than Cassandra’s willingness to trade black for white and don some bracelets. While the entire Bat-Family is dedicated to their respective heroic duties, Cas has always been one of the most steadfast, unwavering heroes in Gotham. She is deeply empathetic yet, at the same time, never minces words or lets people question where she stands. The combination of her upbringing and the life she built didn’t always leave room for creativity. She worked so hard to find herself and build an identity that she rarely plays with it.
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Birds of prey Is giving Cassandra any chance to do something else. She built new friendships and became an invaluable member of the team. Even if “Shen” is short-lived, I’m still more excited to see what she does with him. It could be a chance to come up with her own “Bruce Wayne” style persona to adapt as needed or just prove to herself (and anyone else) that she is capable of much more than fighting. I take Batgirl’s New look for you Birds of prey mission as a sign of exciting things to come for a character who deserves to be let loose.
Birds of prey #14 Will be available on October 2, 2024 from DC Comics.