Cassandra Cain is a teenage assassin, so she is certain she can never be a hero. She does have mentors in noodle shop owner Jackie Fujikawa Yoneyama and a librarian named Barbara Gordon, and both are just as certain that she can be more than she thinks. When Cassie's father is determined to destroy the world she's come to love, it's time to figure out if she can take on the mantle of Batgirl.

When we first meet Cassie, she is so immersed in killing and action, she barely even has language and flashes back to her violent past as she wanders around the city. She understands that she will be punished for not completing an assassination, and that it's her father who was in charge of her prior training. None of that training involved spoken or written language, so it's a happy coincidence that she meets Jackie and Barbara, and learns from them language, what is important, and how to determine what her passions might be, other than being the opposite of her father.

Cassie isn't a normal teenager, but she has to go through a lot of the same issues that "ordinary" teens go through. She tries to figure out her own identity, her relationship with people around her, her first romantic interest, feelings and becoming an individual separate from her father. Of course in a comic book about heroes, it's hero vs villain and not the same level of football player vs writer as it is for another teen we meet. Even without the over the top nature of comic heroes, it's easy to feel for Cassie in her journey to discover herself and keep her newly found family safe. She has definitely made her intentions for her future clear, and it's going to be a great one for her.

Sarah Kuhn did a wonderful job of portraying Cassie. Her attitude, her presence, her empathy, her beautiful character while giving her a variant origin story. The illustrator did such a great job of giving the feel of an old comic book, the plot was very different.

I loved this! Loved the character, her journey from the start to the end, and the circle she develops with Barbara and Jackie. The art is good, but not my favorite style, which made it harder for me to get right into the story at the start. But once Cassandra is on her own trying to figure out her life, I was hooked. Lots of identity issues explored here, with lots of characters, not just Cassandra. Another reviewer raised some great questions about Barbara's mobility in the wheelchair around some of the story settings (some key settings are above ground level) - I didn't catch that at all but the reviewer is absolutely right. I hope DC will address those questions in future books.

I wasn't familiar with the history of the character Cassandra Cain so I looked it up after reading. I was happy with some of the changes made in the development of this character, but I'm sure some readers will be frustrated that her story here doesn't stick close regarding some key story elements.

I've been reading every middle grade and YA graphic novel DC Entertainment has been putting out lately that I can get my hands on, and this is my favorite so far!

Most of the graphic novels I read are in the Juvenile section. So, my knowledge of DC backstories is limited. At first, I did not know what was going on and the story was quite slow. I did like the colors used in the graphics and the variety in graphics to dialogue ratios. Some of my favorite panels had little or know words. What I really liked was the central role the library played in Cassandra Cain's story arc -- not so sure about her using stacks of books for her kicking workouts. This is a great new graphic for kids who love the Batman story.

Thank you to DC Comics and NetGalley for digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a wonderful time reading this graphic novel. We meet someone new, and slowly see them change into a better person. Yet defeating a bad guy like this won’t be easy, and they can’t do it alone. With some new mentors by their side though, anything could be possible. If you are a fan of Batgirl then you will want to check this graphic novel out.

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.

I really like the art style. It's the type of art style I tend to like in graphic novels. I thought the story was really interesting. I really liked the characters and learning about them.
Once I picked it up, I had to keep reading. Its definitely one you won't want to put down.

This was a solid "meh" for me, with a bit of "isn't that a tad too violent for the demographic this is being aimed at?" thrown in for good measure. The artwork was inconsistent and it was DARK. I understand that this is the origin story of a character who had a very difficult upbringing, to put it mildly. There is really no good way to intro this character and stay true to her story without being dark. As such, this should probably have been geared for the YA and not younger crowd. Not bad, but not what I was expecting. I'm glad the the female comic book characters are getting their due and are being introduced to the younger crowd to show that women can be strong and fight evil in their own way too, so not complaining.

Though I do find it difficult to believe that a slightly built teenage girl could fight and kill grown men the way that she does. If she doesn't have any special magical super powers, I find it difficult to suspend disbelief for that concept. If she got a man by surprise? Yes, she can do it. A grown man, fighting face to face and he is trained to fight too? Maybe. An entire group of trained men? That's where it loses me.

Due to the violence/killing and the child abuse, I would say this is best for YA on up. Maybe advanced middle grade reader. 3, not bad but didn't blow me away, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and DC Entertainment/DC Comics for an eARC copy of this to read and review.

Overview: In this DC young adult graphic novel starring the Batgirl of the 21st century, Cassandra Cain abandons the life of a deadly assassin and searches for a new identity. Written by seasoned novelist Sarah Kuhn with artwork by Nicole Goux, Shadow of the Batgirl introduces new audiences to the world of the popular Bat-Family character.

Synopsis (spoilers ahead): Assassin Cassandra Cain, daughter of super-assassin David Cain, abandons her life as a killer upon hearing the word "daughter" uttered from her latest victim. Wandering around the streets of Gotham, Cassandra finds shelter at the local library and immerses herself into the world of language and information, a new experience free from the violence she'd come to know growing up.

She also meets Jackie, owner of a noodle shop, Erik, a young athlete whose interests lean more towards writing, and Barbara, tutor and data analyst at the Gotham Library. It's from the latter that she's introduced to the hero Batgirl, Gotham's defender against evil who had mysteriously vanished some time ago. Inspired by the legend of Batgirl, Cass fashions herself a costume and seeks to redeem herself by becoming a hero. The road to redemption and self-understanding can be a difficult one, especially when you don't know how to read, write, or speak. Cass has to navigate these obstacles if she wants to rediscover herself, not to mention settle the score with her deadly father.

Analysis: To say that I'm a fan of Cassandra Cain would be putting it mildly. More than that, "being a fan" denotes something closer to a loyal appreciation that hits closer to my feelings of characters like Superman or Green Arrow. It's not wholly accurate. I'm not a fan of Cassandra Cain.

I love Cassandra Cain.

I'm not the only one who does. With the development of the internet in the twenty years since the character's ongoing first debuted in January 2000, Cass Cain has enjoyed a somewhat cult-like following that has made itself more visible online with each new cornerstone of the Bat-Family. Appearing at a time where the concept of the Bat-Family had really begun to solidify after a decade of slow formation with other characters such as Spoiler, Azrael, and the Huntress joining Batman, Robin, Nightwing, and Oracle, Cass' journey of self-discovery, identity, and exorcising of past demons gave fans a fresh take on a Batman-related hero who was every bit as different than the other favorites, yet worked well with them all the same. Books like her own Batgirl series (initially written by Kelley Puckett and illustrated by Damion Scott), Gotham Knights by Devin Grayson, Scott Peterson and Roger Robinson and others gave fans a foundation of how she operated as a new, yet accepted part of Batman's world. It was the kind of character success that most long-running franchises always pine after.

Then she was gone.

Okay, that's not quite the sequence of events. Fans know that Cassandra's character went through a tornado of bad mandates from editorial and shuffling around from book to book, never finding a permanent place to exist until he New 52, where she vanished altogether. There can be conflicting reasons found online, but the agreed-upon summation is that the Batgirl iteration that Cassandra embodied wasn't what DC Comics preferred audiences to understand the character as, with Barbara Gordon being perceived as the reliable favorite. (Indications of this are plainly evident going as far back as the advertisements for the 2009 Batgirl series, which by all accounts was originally intended to have Barbara back in the cape and boots.) This isn't the only instance of DC taking back a modern version of a character in favor of an older version, but the point remains that in the fourteen years since her series ended, Cassandra has rarely found a story that features her as the lead protagonist.

That is until now, with Shadow of the Batgirl. In the introduction by Sarah Kuhn, the author writes how the connection she felt with the character came from the idea that Cass couldn't see herself as a hero, when in fact she was. This helped validate Kuhn and many other Asian-American readers who often felt othered as sidekicks, cautionary tales or one-off bit characters in various forms of media. But that's always what Cassandra's story tends to lean towards since the end of her ongoing series, isn't it? The first non-white character in the Batcave, she's often relegated in history as the "Asian Batgirl," not the first Batgirl to lead her own ongoing title. With such a history of downsizing, a book like this is akin to a gasp of fresh air after years of enjoying clouds of soot.

The plot is the Cassandra Cain essentials. Fleeing after an assassination ordered by her father David Cain, Cass goes off in search of... for what, she doesn't even know. There's the text of her being raised functionally illiterate and mute (which occurs here but isn't as large of an obstacle as it was rendered in the comics, which is forgivable given the much smaller space of the story), but the real confusion is how she can define herself on her own terms and how often that ends up being compared to other characters. One of Cass' leading character traits is guilt, an emotion that finds itself in every Bat-Family member at one point or another (hell, every superhero ever), but is rarely made justifiable beyond basic survivor's guilt. It's generally a toxic emotion, grafted onto stoic badasses who don't let themselves get attached to smiling characters because they can't risk letting anyone get too close or else they might LOSE THEM TOO.

Cassandra's guilt is more childlike and more believable. She withdraws herself from people not out of self-righteousness but out of fear and self-loathing that's expressed through confusion, not posturing. The scenes of withdrawal aren't made for the sake of impressing audiences, they're for achieving a sense of true isolation. Running away from characters in the middle of a scene or awkward conversation would be made a repeated joke in a lesser work, but it's always depicted as a dead-end in this story. The inference is that, sooner or later, Cassandra will find herself alone because she can't relate to anyone (or so she thinks) because she's different (or so she thinks). The discovery that there are others like her who feel things similar to what she feels is the discovery that she's not just not as alone as she thought, that' she's okay. It's a wonderful message for young readers and one totally in concert with the character.

In comparison to the original comics, this story adapts the most centrally integral elements about Cassandra faithfully enough. David Cain isn't in this much at all and is a minor, one-dimensional criminal for Cassandra to aim her hatred at, but that's about expected. Cain's character from the Puckett and Scott run was vastly more complex and interesting, but like Cass' illiteracy fading away throughout the book, the needs of the book necessitates some shorthand. Cain and Cass' relationship would also warrant a psychologically stronger story than what this intends, and once again there's not enough room for that. The focus on Cassandra takes center stage, and that also pushes other elements to the margins with some surprises. Despite being a key figure, Barbara Gordon's inclusion is thoroughly a supporting role and less of the surrogate mother figure which was the space she occupied in the comics. Batman is never mentioned or referenced, and only Commissioner Gordon (and Shiva, momentarily) is obliquely hinted at a couple of times. In this way, the book reminds me of the Miles Morales Spider-Man novel by Jason Reynolds, which had zero references to anything having to do with the outer Marvel world, including Peter Parker, and just stuck on Miles' life at the moment.

I'll admit, part of me missed seeing a burgeoning family development with Bruce Wayne and the other members of the Bat-Family, and it's something I think I'll label as integral to Cass' whole story. But the decision to omit is sound. Getting bogged down in the weeds of where Cassandra fits in other worlds isn't the point of this book, and its achievement lands at something greater than sticking her pin in a larger Bat-Continuity. Cassandra Cain is a wonderful, multi-dimensional character who stands on her own with ease, and having readers connect to her makes good on a more immediate concern.

If I have any criticisms, they're about as inoffensive as I can think of. Nicole Groux's artwork is delightful with wonderful colors by Cris Peter, evoking Bryan Lee O'Malley's style at times, other times like Paul Pope. There are specific panels and scenes (such as Cass against the library's window pane during a rainstorm) that evoked the sense of atmosphere evinced by Damion Scott in the old days. However, her style doesn't lend easily to an action book, so often you'll see Cassandra rely on the same full-nelson headlock throughout the book with little variation. While that may have been intentional as a finishing move, other times it can be hard to realize what's going on in the action. The fighting generally reads as very stiff and not as intense as it is going for.

There's also some language that completely goes against the art style and overall feel of the book. Understanding that YA novels are subject to all kinds of relatable content understood by teenagers, the singular use of the word "bullshit" landed like a missed note. It's not so much that the word itself was objectionable, but up to that point the swearing had been spare and barely noticeable and the violence had been mostly referred to and off-screen. This reads like it can be given to any double-digits young reader, so that word is going to hurt more than augmenting readers if parents find it offensive.

Final Thoughts: Overall I'm quite happy with how this story ended up, and it rounds back to the fact that despite a decade of publishing hardship, there is a lot to Cassandra Cain that can and does still appeal to readers and audiences alike. Anticipation for this book had been warming up for a long time, and the wait was worth it. Whether or not this is granted a sequel potentially involving Lady Shiva is yet to be seen, but as it stands, this is easily the best Cassandra Cain Batgirl content since she was Batgirl. A must-read for Cass fans everywhere.

Editor’s Note: DC Comics provided TBU with a review copy of this title. You can purchase your own copy by heading over to Amazon.

Thank you to DC Ink & NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Shadow of the Batgirl in exchange for an honest review!

In December, I participated in the Bookish Advent Calendar. a little activity where I read the first chapter of a different book each day. The entire point was to see what books I wanted to place higher on my TBR! One book that really grasped my attention was Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn & ever since then the author has found her place on my radar. I was excited to see her take on DC’s Cassandra Cain.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the Batman universe but always felt that Cassandra didn’t have enough content. Most people know of Barbara Gordon — but not as many know of my favorite Batgirls, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain. As much as I’m hoping that a YA author will come & give me a new Stephanie Brown story, I am very content with Shadow of the Batgirl.

In Shadow of the Batgirl, we start off hearing Cassandra Cain hearing the word ‘daughter’ uttered by her opponent. Our protagonist was never taught reading or words, yet she knew that word meant something. In this entire tale, Cassandra is learning who she is and that she has a choice to be who she wants.

Throughout Cassandra’s adventure, she finds herself making new friends and creating a new family. This is my personal favorite aspect of Shadow of the Batgirl. Our hero went from having a manipulative villainous father who used her as a weapon to having two supportive friends, Barbara Gordon and Jackie. Plus! She meets her romantic interest in the library, and he teaches her about passion through his romance book club! Seriously, how cute!

At times, Cassandra fears that it’d be impossible for her to change and that she’ll always be her father’s daughter. Shadow of the Batgirl teaches Cassandra, along with us, that we have a choice and that we don’t have to take the path that’s expected of us. We are the ones in control of ourselves.

Of course, there’s no graphic novel without graphics. I loved Nicole Goux’s artwork throughout this read; from the color scheme to the character’s expressions. Her art style pairs perfectly with the Batman universe.

All-in-all, The Shadow of the Batgirl is a book that I’d recommend to those who love graphic novels, superheroes, and stories on being true to yourself.

The book Shadow of the Batgirl tells the story of Cassandra Cain, a teen assassin who runs away from that life. She finds refuge living in a library, where she meets and is inspired by people like Barbara Gordon. Cassandra learns the story of Batgirl and decides to attempt to take up the mantle for herself. I enjoyed this short graphic novel. I thought that the character development was excellent, and I liked the artwork as well.

This was a very lovely graphic novel! Cassandra Cain is one of my favorite Batgirls and it was so fun to dive into this version of the character. I have really enjoyed every graphic novel I’ve read under this imprint but this one has to be my favorite one.

The beginning of this book started off slow and took awhile to really get rolling. Once we really got into Cassandra wanting to be a hero it got more enjoyable. Her being the savior of the library was enjoyable to see, I really liked that part.

I don't know anything about her character outside of this book but it wasn't too difficult to understand her backstory. I would have maybe liked to know a bit more than we got as someone who doesn't know her origins but that could always come into play. I really enjoyed the found family she ended up getting herself and would love to see more of them.

The main issue I had with this grapic novel was that it seemed to end right when things were getting really good. I would have loved to see the new Batgirl team in action.

Hello!


For some reason, it's been a little while since I have gotten to read a graphic novel. I love reading them, I have just been preoccupied with so many other items and usually, when I would be reading a graphic novel recently I have been reading a manga. Anyhow, I recently got this graphic novel on my Kindle as an ARC and I really wanted to read it! So this weekend I spent a bit of time reading it and I loved it! I can not wait to see where they are going to go next with this series (fingers crossed for another book).


SPOILERS AHEAD


Cassandra is the daughter of super villains and knows nothing outside the super villain life she has been trained for. That is until the day, she almost kills someone, this someone causes her to experience an identity crisis of epic proportions. Cassandra has nowhere to run and she knows no one. She eventually ends up at the public library where she begins to hear other words and meet kind people including Barabara. Barabara does a lot of different projects at the library but one of them is teaching kids to read and Cassandra has been sitting in the back of her classes for a little while now. Slowly, learning how to read and learning about Batgirl (also learning about her parents at the same time). One day, Cassandra speaks up in Barabara's class and from there her and Barabara become fast friends, helping one another out with their own projects. As the two work together Cassandra begins to prepare for her biggest challenge yet, facing her dad., will she be ready? Can she find or learn from Batgirl who has been missing for a long time? 

If I am honest, at first I was super confused by some of the things going on in this graphic novel. I do not know much about the DC universe but what I did know was not really lining up in the start of the graphic novel. However, as I read further I began to understand a little more and by the end, I was like woah! I definitely did not see some things coming in this graphic novel which I think made it more enjoyable for me and exciting. I am really enjoying learning about the DC universe in these graphic novels and I think they are beautifully done (artwise and storywise). I am giving this five stars on Goodreads and I look forward to a second book in this series! 

***Thank you to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn, Nicole Goux, Cris Peter, Janice Chiang, and Saida Temofonte is quite a treat for anyone in middle school or a young adolescent. The story of Batgirl may be as lore as most are aware of, but middle schoolers don't always have the ability to know about these heroes because of the topics they bring up.

The original Batman series isn't suitable for someone at the age of 10, so all of these books under DC are classicly written for the middle school demographic. What this graphic novel does incredibly well is showcasing the story of Batgirl while also using incredible art, lettering, and colors. The colors are incredible and suitable for the younger audience. If you want to get your niece, son/daughter, any young person in your life a graphic novel to start their collection, this is the one. Alongside the other releases from last year: Batman and Catwoman. This fits in perfectly.

Find out how Cassandra Cain got her wings.

— 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.

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.

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?

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.

I really enjoyed this origin story of Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. The art was very well done. It conveyed the confusion, uncertainty, and determined resolution that Cass experiences throughout the arc of the story. I enjoyed the tie in with Barbara and the trials that Cass goes through to become the hero she wants to be in the future to overcome her past. The story is not too dark for the intended age group, and while there was some language, it really isn't something the kids are not already hearing at school (unfortunate, but some things never change). I can't wait to read the PB edition and see how the artwork will be finished on the final pages.
This is a nice addition to the DC teen line of graphic novels, and my young teenage son is already excited to read it when it is published just from hearing me talk about a little bit about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the ebook ARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.
I will add a review to the my personal blog on the day of publication and will update this review with the link.

Thank you DC Entertainment for the ARC
I loved this! I didn't know anything about Cassandra Cain before reading this. I'm glad this book didn't skip how she became batgirl, showed how it happened and her backstory. This was so diverse! The MC is Chinese, there's a Japanese old lady, a disabled character and the love interest is black Asian! The art is absolutely amazing! I was blown away by every panel. The majority of this book takes place in a library and the art of the library is so beautiful. All in all, this was an amazing graphic novel! I can't wait to read more of Cassandra Cain.

She doesn’t remember who she is. She knows she’s an assassin. She knows that she may have done something wrong. It will take her hunger and noodle shop owner Jackie Fujikawa Yoneyama to start giving her a voice back. After finding a way to secretly live in the library, our nameless girl begins to find herself. Cassandra Cain, or Cass, teams up with librarian Barbara Gordon and takes on the mantle of a superhero to find her father and bring him to justice for his crimes.

I adored Shadow of the Batgirl. Not only is Cassandra Cain one of the coolest Batman characters and capable of finding her way in extreme odds, she’s fun to read about. Barbara Gordon is a wonderful addition to this, and writer Sarah Kuhn does an incredible job of bringing all of her characters to life. With gorgeous art by Nicole Goux, the combo leads to a fantastic read about a hero finding herself, despite the difficult circumstances. 

Shadow of the Batgirl is available today from DC Entertainment.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It's the story of Cassandra Cain who is the daughter of super-villians who tries to learn everything she can about Batgirl. The artwork is really well done for this story.