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A review by rakoerose
Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn
4.0
What a gorgeous graphic novel this is! I was so excited to see this new version of Cass.
“But this observational power you have, it’s — well. A power.”
“It’s just... the way I am.”
I, before reading this, only knew of Cassandra Cain in passing. I hadn’t read any other DC comics featuring her but she’s always intrigued me as a standout figure in the batfam. (Honestly, I haven’t read much of the DC batfam outside of Dick, so, my apologies!) She brings a lot of diversity and intrigue into the mix, with great Chinese representation!
This reimagining is less batfam (aka less Batman) and more focused on her. Watching her explore newfound revelations and the difficulty of transitioning to “normal” aspects of life. She’s not infantilized by those around her at all which I really enjoyed. They could have easily been accidentally portrayed as talking down to her and I’m glad that wasn’t the case.
Barbara is there to be the shadow Cass wants to follow, and she also provides great messages about not being stuck in who you were. She helped echo a lot of the main themes Cass’s story was telling, hammering it all home just that extra mile.
Add in the fantastic, textured style this is drawn in? Stunning. This was one of those situations where I was glad to be reading a digital copy so I could zoom, especially with all the details in the library. A lot of love and work went into this, wowza. Imagining the time it took makes my brain want to combust.
I highly recommend this for Batgirl fans, and especially to younger potential-fans who aren’t ready for the gritty main DC lines. It was a really wonderful, heartwarming experience!
“But this observational power you have, it’s — well. A power.”
“It’s just... the way I am.”
I, before reading this, only knew of Cassandra Cain in passing. I hadn’t read any other DC comics featuring her but she’s always intrigued me as a standout figure in the batfam. (Honestly, I haven’t read much of the DC batfam outside of Dick, so, my apologies!) She brings a lot of diversity and intrigue into the mix, with great Chinese representation!
This reimagining is less batfam (aka less Batman) and more focused on her. Watching her explore newfound revelations and the difficulty of transitioning to “normal” aspects of life. She’s not infantilized by those around her at all which I really enjoyed. They could have easily been accidentally portrayed as talking down to her and I’m glad that wasn’t the case.
Barbara is there to be the shadow Cass wants to follow, and she also provides great messages about not being stuck in who you were. She helped echo a lot of the main themes Cass’s story was telling, hammering it all home just that extra mile.
Add in the fantastic, textured style this is drawn in? Stunning. This was one of those situations where I was glad to be reading a digital copy so I could zoom, especially with all the details in the library. A lot of love and work went into this, wowza. Imagining the time it took makes my brain want to combust.
I highly recommend this for Batgirl fans, and especially to younger potential-fans who aren’t ready for the gritty main DC lines. It was a really wonderful, heartwarming experience!