Shadow of the Batgirl (2020)

Cassandra's limited speech and reliance on body language make her narrative equally awkward and unique. Although Erik is a cutie-pie, their initial attraction felt very quick. Overall, I thought this was nice with a few highlights. ( )

Really enjoyable graphic novel. I don't know anything about Cassandra Cain beyond what I read here, but I wasn't lost at all when reading the story. The art and the story pair perfectly together. Highly recommended.

I wasn't a fan of the Cassandra Cain Batgirl when I was reading her first appearances twenty years ago, and this reboot doesn't do anything to win me over now. I think it has to do with the fact that in both iterations she is an assassin. She kills people. Many people. Many, many people. And all the characters in the book just roll with that once she says she sort of kind of feels bad about the last attempted murder of the many, many, many people she has killed. Because wearing a costume and fighting bad people as a hero cancels out what should be years of incarceration, rehabilitation, and mental health therapy.

If you can set aside all the above, this is a decent enough modern superhero adventure for young adults. ( )

That was awesome.

It's an origin story for the younger generation for Cassandra Cain (aka Orphan for some people, and Batgirl for others).

The reason I picked it up was because I have loved Sarah Kuhn's novels, and this comic book was just as great.

There's Jackie, a restaurant owner, who helps out the mostly mute at the beginning of the book Cass. Erik, a guy who works at the library where Cass stays and who definitely grew on me. And most excitingly, it had Barbara Gordon in it too. And the 'complicated and in a wheelchair but still kicking butt' Gordon, not the 'modern medicine begone, we're gonna cure a spinal cord injury with magic' Gordon.

Ooh, ooh, and she's a librarian, and doing projects, and now I think I may need an entire series on just that. Barbara Gordon and the Library Grants!

The comic is mostly Cass trying to find where she fits and a bit with her father too, and, that story was interesting and I thought it was done very well.

Ooh, ooh, and I really wanted to see more of Irma too. She was a very cool character.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of DC Entertainment. ( )

Find out how Cassandra Cain got her wings.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through NetGalley.)

-- 3.5 stars --

Let me preface this review by saying that, although I love comic books, I mostly stick to one-offs, new series, or adaptations of stories I love in other mediums. DC and Marvel, with their long-running series, can be rather intimidating - where's the best place to jump in? But I simply could not resist DC's new line of YA graphic novels, penned by some of my YA favorites.

Anyway, that's just a roundabout way of saying that I come into this with little background about the characters, save for what I've picked up from tv and movie and pop culture in general.

http://www.easyvegan.info/img/shadow-of-the-batgirl-01.jpg

Shadow of the Batgirl focuses on Cassandra Cain, daughter of notorious crime kingpin and all-around baddie, David Cain. Raised by dad and trained to be an assassin, Cassandra goes rogue when she tries - and fails - to kill a man. With his (would be) dying breath, her mark whispers a single word that plucks a long-buried chord of empathy in Cassandra: "daughter." Terrified of what punishment surely awaits, Cassandra seeks refuge in the stacks of the Gotham Public Library.

There, Cassandra learns to speak, read, and write - by spying on the kids' storytime lessons held by librarian Barbara Gordon and, later, volunteering as her intern. Barbara has developed an app called Oracle to help her track the recent crime wave in Gotham, while Cassandra helps her investigate Batgirl's exploits...and mysterious disappearance. She cultivates a found family there in the stacks: delightfully nerdy and welcoming Barbara; Jacqueline "Jackie" Fujikawa Yoneyama, she of impeccable style and delicious noodles; and Erik, a romantic at heart who wants to be seen as more than just a jock.

http://www.easyvegan.info/img/shadow-of-the-batgirl-04.jpg

Cassandra wants desperately to be something other her father's weapon, to forge her own path in life and, perhaps, fight for the people and city she loves, just as Batgirl did. But how can she keep everyone safe when her father is wreaking havoc across the city?

http://www.easyvegan.info/img/shadow-of-the-batgirl-05.jpg

Shadow of the Batgirl is an enjoyable and heartwarming origin story for Cassandra Cain/ Batgirl/ Kasumi/ Black Bat/ Orphan. Written by Sarah Kuhn - who also pens the popular Heroine Complex series - the Asian rep in this story is great. In addition to Cassandra, there's also the awesomely flamboyant Jackie, as well as Blasian jock with a heart of gold Erik, with whom Cassandra strikes up a tentative friendship - and romance (which is no less sweet for its inevitability). I really love these two together - and Cassandra with anyone, really - since she has an endearing, socially awkward Bones thing going on.

I mostly liked the artwork, too; my only complaint is that Cassandra looks awfully young in some panels - others, not - giving it a bit of an uneven feeling. Barbara is adorable, with her oversized glasses, and Jackie is a legit badass who I'd love to have as an adopted grandmother. Erik is swoon-worthy, natch, and the scenes where he and Cassandra geek out over books are the best.

http://www.easyvegan.info/img/shadow-of-the-batgirl-02.jpg

http://www.easyvegan.info/2020/02/06/shadow-of-the-batgirl-by-sarah-kuhn-and-nic... ( )