Today, I have the great honor of bringing you what is already one of the best books of the year and one that is completely back on track: Batgirl #1 by Tate Brombal and Takeshi Miyazawa. It’s no secret that I’m a very avid Cassandra Cain fan. A while back I published an article about the personal impact this character had on me, and it was widely and very well received. I would like to once again thank everyone who read this article and supported me. You are amazing. If you’re familiar with this, you know that I’ve received a lot of criticism for the direction this character has taken in recent years since the New 52, and folks…this is it. Let’s get started.
Tate Brombal came to my mind when I was thinking of Batgirl articles and took out all the frustration I’ve ever felt as a Cass fan, and how I feel about the modern era of Batgirl. He made it his personal mission to fix everything he didn’t like. The characters…at least that’s what I think, because it definitely feels that way. I was honestly surprised. I went into this book expecting something similar. The same lazy people didn’t try to write her dialogue faithfully, and the same key jingle was meant to keep people happy while the other characters did all the important stuff. None of that is here.
This isn’t just a good Cass, this is Cass. This is the Cassandra Cain I read in high school, and I’m rereading back issues of her films from the 90s and 2000s. It was always easy, and Brombal spared no expense in having her read exactly as he had done in the later years of his solo career. The phonetic patterns, the very important phonetic patterns, are mostly accurate. This is a pure, honest-to-God effort to get it right, not a spin or a “take.” This is someone trying to do it right. And it works, it works, it melts my fucking stone cold heart that the effort was made. This means the world to me and I can’t express it enough, but it truly feels like my daughter has finally found herself again.
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However, Cass is only half of this equation. The important second part of the book is about her mother, Lord Shiva. Shiva and Cass have always had a rocky relationship, which is portrayed perfectly here. Over the past decade, there have been some attempts to bridge the gap between the two, but while they’re noble efforts, they’re not completely faithful replicas of how either approaches. This was the right way and forced them together thanks to Shiva’s arrogance and Kath’s noble heart. I’m glad that the two of you can feel so much individuality here.
Just as I praised Williamson’s Green Arrow for feeling like a spiritual continuation of Volume 3, this new series does the same for the original Batgirl Volumes 1 and 2. We’re taking everything that felt left on the table at the time. The way Shiva justifies that he’s here to protect the murders he thinks are his own (just like “I brought you into this world, so I’ll take you out”). I’ll leave it open to interpretation whether she actually has a true love for the act or not… Great thing, it’s perfect. I also like how she points out the similarities between Cass and her “father.” It’s up to the reader to decide whether she means her biological father, David Kane, or her chosen father, Bruce Wayne.
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Miyazawa brings a lot of talent to this work as well, drawing wonderful comics where not only the faces but also the bodies are properly represented, an essential element in the Cas Caine books. The characters have large movements and are richly expressive in each part of their body, and these parts are fully demonstrated. The action scenes also work well, making good use of these characters’ fighting abilities to deliver authentic, dynamic sequences with unique fight choreography. These are all wonderful works, befitting an artist who has touched upon this character’s story in the past.
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Batgirl #1 is my favorite comic book of the year. This is real scum, real scum. This is the Cass that made me fall in love with her character and changed my life forever. It made me feel more comfortable being different and less ashamed of it. Choices matter in this book. Cass talks about how her life has been defined by the choices she has made and the choices she has made herself. She may not have chosen her birth or birth parents, but she did choose the father she wanted and the life she deserved. The life of a hero. That’s my girl. I’m so glad you’re back.
“Batgirl” #1 is the ultimate return to true form.
Batgirl #1
Never in my life have I been so impressed by how much I have returned to my original form. This is everything I wanted from a Cass Kane book and I couldn’t be happier.
Cass is perfectly written, as if he has jumped from a pre-’52 era into the present.
Shiva is also quite incredibly personable and as smart as ever.
Thematically moving
depicted in a fantastical manner
Honestly, I cried a little
