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Batgirl (2000) - New TPBs
Batgirl, Vol. 1: Silent Knight
Cassandra Cain is a fighter like no other. At only 17, the teenage assassin takes down enemies three times her size without batting an eye. But her incredible skills come at a cost: unable to speak or write, Cassandra instead reads body language as naturally as breathing-an ability that makes her even deadlier.
After Batman witnesses her save the life of Commissioner Gordon during the events of No Man’s Land, the Dark Knight sees in Cassandra the successor to the Batgirl name. Now, under the tutelage of Barbara Gordon-the original Batgirl herself-Cassandra Cain must find a new purpose and make amends for her violent past.
But can someone who was born to kill ever be worthy to take up the cowl of a fallen legend?
Collects BATGIRL #1-12 and BATGIRL ANNUAL #1.
After Batman witnesses her save the life of Commissioner Gordon during the events of No Man’s Land, the Dark Knight sees in Cassandra the successor to the Batgirl name. Now, under the tutelage of Barbara Gordon-the original Batgirl herself-Cassandra Cain must find a new purpose and make amends for her violent past.
But can someone who was born to kill ever be worthy to take up the cowl of a fallen legend?
Collects BATGIRL #1-12 and BATGIRL ANNUAL #1.
328 pages, Paperback
First published January 3, 2001
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About the author
Kelley Puckett
249 books38 followersKelley Puckett is a comic book writer. He is the creator of the character Cassandra Cain, the Batgirl who succeeded Barbara Gordon and who was succeeded herself by Stephanie Brown, as well as the second Green Arrow, Connor Hawke.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 133 reviews
May 27, 2020
This is the spoiler free review for the entire run of Batgirl as written by Kelley Puckett and starring Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. If you would like to read the spoiler full review please visit https://amanjareads.com/2020/05/27/ba...
I am disappointed in this run as a whole. As is far too often the case an interesting character gets diluted to be just like every other character you see over and over again. It's frustrating.
This run of Batgirl started out with a lot of promise. Cassandra Cain is being trained by Batman and Oracle to be the new Batgirl. She was raised to be an assassin by super bad guy Cain. He raised her without language or any other distractions from fighting and killing.
Since she was raised with zero human communication she is mute and has a very difficult time getting along with fellow humans. That's interesting! I haven't seen this character before! Give me more!
Well, you'll get that character for 3 whole issues before everyone wussed out and found a super lame way to give her the power of communication. It's so lame. Just all of a sudden she comes across some random guy who happens to be able to to re-wire her brain to give her language but is unable to turn it back. He does this all without her permission and of course giving her language wrecks her fighting skills.
Who the heck is this guy who thinks it's his place to go around changing people's brain patterns like he knows what's best? Doesn't matter apparently because he only shows up to ruin the only thing that made Cassandra Cain stand out in overcrowded Gotham City.
The rest of volume 1 still had some promise so I remained hopeful that it could turn around by the end. Short story, it doesn't. It gets worse and worse as it goes along and by the end I didn't even know what was happening anymore.
As with many comic books this one assumes that you have a lot of previous knowledge. Good luck with deciphering several issues if you're unfamiliar with Stephanie Brown. I barely know who she is and those issues got very confusing for me. As well as several weird mystery plots that came out of nowhere and then got solved just as quickly.
Also for some reason ancient Rome gets into the mix.
I honestly don't know why this bothers me so much but it does. Why does Rome need to be involved in anything in Gotham? This book certainly doesn't explain it very well so I still don't have an answer for that question.
I would love to see this run finished in a totally different way. Keep the initial 3 issues, keep the premise, but change the rest.
Keep Cassandra Cain interesting!
By the end of this one she's just another mask in the Bat Clan.
I am disappointed in this run as a whole. As is far too often the case an interesting character gets diluted to be just like every other character you see over and over again. It's frustrating.
This run of Batgirl started out with a lot of promise. Cassandra Cain is being trained by Batman and Oracle to be the new Batgirl. She was raised to be an assassin by super bad guy Cain. He raised her without language or any other distractions from fighting and killing.
Since she was raised with zero human communication she is mute and has a very difficult time getting along with fellow humans. That's interesting! I haven't seen this character before! Give me more!
Well, you'll get that character for 3 whole issues before everyone wussed out and found a super lame way to give her the power of communication. It's so lame. Just all of a sudden she comes across some random guy who happens to be able to to re-wire her brain to give her language but is unable to turn it back. He does this all without her permission and of course giving her language wrecks her fighting skills.
Who the heck is this guy who thinks it's his place to go around changing people's brain patterns like he knows what's best? Doesn't matter apparently because he only shows up to ruin the only thing that made Cassandra Cain stand out in overcrowded Gotham City.
The rest of volume 1 still had some promise so I remained hopeful that it could turn around by the end. Short story, it doesn't. It gets worse and worse as it goes along and by the end I didn't even know what was happening anymore.
As with many comic books this one assumes that you have a lot of previous knowledge. Good luck with deciphering several issues if you're unfamiliar with Stephanie Brown. I barely know who she is and those issues got very confusing for me. As well as several weird mystery plots that came out of nowhere and then got solved just as quickly.
Also for some reason ancient Rome gets into the mix.
I honestly don't know why this bothers me so much but it does. Why does Rome need to be involved in anything in Gotham? This book certainly doesn't explain it very well so I still don't have an answer for that question.
I would love to see this run finished in a totally different way. Keep the initial 3 issues, keep the premise, but change the rest.
Keep Cassandra Cain interesting!
By the end of this one she's just another mask in the Bat Clan.
April 14, 2025
2025 Review - 5/5 - Still absolutely love the opening of this run, even years later. Honestly, I’d argue it hits even harder on a re-read—especially with more comic history and context under my belt. Cassandra Cain is such a strong, fresh take on Batgirl, and everything I felt the first time around still holds up. If you haven’t checked this one out yet, do yourself a favor and dive in!
2016 Review - 4/5 - I love 90's art. Fuck you if you don't.
Kidding. I know most dislike 90's stuff in general in the comic world. Especially the art, which is just big muscled guys and ass shots on the women. Still, something about the more cartoony feel makes me just love it soooo much more.
So this volume is 300+ pages of Batgirl. Not Barb but Cassandra Cain. Right off the bat (no pun intended) I really dug this character. She barely speaks, she's a trained assassin, and fights like a motherfucking badass. Think Damien Wayne, but not as much back talk. Also her costume is on f'ing point, I love it so much.
So through the issues we see her begin her days as Batgirl. Batman follows her around, trying to harness her skills, and throughout you see the mentor situation which is always a highlight for me with Batman and his underlings.
Another great part about this volume is she doesn't always win the situations. She loses fights, she loses people, and it makes this character grow in unexpected ways througout the first volume. I was surprised how much I grew to really love her as Batgirl.
Should you check this out? Well it's 10 bucks for 300+ pages of awesome 90's funness. I'd say YES very much so. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
2016 Review - 4/5 - I love 90's art. Fuck you if you don't.
Kidding. I know most dislike 90's stuff in general in the comic world. Especially the art, which is just big muscled guys and ass shots on the women. Still, something about the more cartoony feel makes me just love it soooo much more.
So this volume is 300+ pages of Batgirl. Not Barb but Cassandra Cain. Right off the bat (no pun intended) I really dug this character. She barely speaks, she's a trained assassin, and fights like a motherfucking badass. Think Damien Wayne, but not as much back talk. Also her costume is on f'ing point, I love it so much.
So through the issues we see her begin her days as Batgirl. Batman follows her around, trying to harness her skills, and throughout you see the mentor situation which is always a highlight for me with Batman and his underlings.
Another great part about this volume is she doesn't always win the situations. She loses fights, she loses people, and it makes this character grow in unexpected ways througout the first volume. I was surprised how much I grew to really love her as Batgirl.
Should you check this out? Well it's 10 bucks for 300+ pages of awesome 90's funness. I'd say YES very much so. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
January 29, 2020
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
I’m not sure if I consider this book bad-ass or ridiculous.
So this ain’t Barbara Gordon Batgirl, she’s still in a wheelchair here. This is Cassandra Cain who was trained to be a super killer, so much so that the language part of her brain was replaced with fighting skills (see what I mean by not sure if ridiculous or bad-ass) but she doesn’t kill, she’s just a slightly grittier (though not super over the top) Bat-family member.
So this book has some very high quality art and fast paced action scenes throughout. The story itself though is really nothing great, it’s very standard DC (which isn’t bad but don’t expect anything particularly extraordinary). I honestly didn’t care about the characters as much as I probably should have. There are a few kinda lame parts including the end of this book.
Overall, it’s not bad but don’t expect greatness. It’s really in the “eh, it’s fun I guess” category. I’ll add book 2 to my reading list but ain’t really recommending it to anybody.
3/5
I’m not sure if I consider this book bad-ass or ridiculous.
So this ain’t Barbara Gordon Batgirl, she’s still in a wheelchair here. This is Cassandra Cain who was trained to be a super killer, so much so that the language part of her brain was replaced with fighting skills (see what I mean by not sure if ridiculous or bad-ass) but she doesn’t kill, she’s just a slightly grittier (though not super over the top) Bat-family member.
So this book has some very high quality art and fast paced action scenes throughout. The story itself though is really nothing great, it’s very standard DC (which isn’t bad but don’t expect anything particularly extraordinary). I honestly didn’t care about the characters as much as I probably should have. There are a few kinda lame parts including the end of this book.
Overall, it’s not bad but don’t expect greatness. It’s really in the “eh, it’s fun I guess” category. I’ll add book 2 to my reading list but ain’t really recommending it to anybody.
3/5
June 17, 2017
You can definitely tell comics have change a good bit since this was originally published. It's not bad by any means, just different to what I'm used to.
I like Cassandra a lot, so I had fun reading this, but the plot was a little scattered. I didn't care much for the annual included in this trade.
I don't have much else to say really. The art could be weird sometimes, but I think that's just because the art style is different now for DC. I like Cassandra's costume a lot tho.
I like Cassandra a lot, so I had fun reading this, but the plot was a little scattered. I didn't care much for the annual included in this trade.
I don't have much else to say really. The art could be weird sometimes, but I think that's just because the art style is different now for DC. I like Cassandra's costume a lot tho.
October 25, 2025
Cas leads her own run in an origin-esque adventure that introduces readers to her iteration of Batgirl. It jumps straight into her life as the titular vigilante, with snippets of her past being woven in as the rest of the Batfamily learn more about the mysterious fighter. Much of her past is still left shrouded in mystery by the end of the volume, but readers who are familiar with the character can still feel rewarded by how nicely the seeds are planted. Puckett does a good job highlighting the challenges that Cas faces, balancing out the almost superhuman qualities with human flaws and challenges. A wonderful start to the run and a must read for fans.
actual rating 3.5 stars
actual rating 3.5 stars
February 12, 2025
Original Review, 08/2016
I like the story in this, with Barbara coming to terms with being a mentor and Cassandra trying to atone for past bloodshed. It was hard to connect to Cass though, with her being such a weird mix of adult assassin and innocent child. I'll be reading the next volume, but I think I like Stephanie Brown better.
Reread, 02/2025
I stand by my original review, I'm still not into assassins or spies at all. And that weird side story about Untouchables and the Indian caste system just felt cringey and out of place to me. Overall, not my favorite volume but now that they're done publishing all the issues in collected volumes I'll continue at least with the second - just to see what happens.
I like the story in this, with Barbara coming to terms with being a mentor and Cassandra trying to atone for past bloodshed. It was hard to connect to Cass though, with her being such a weird mix of adult assassin and innocent child. I'll be reading the next volume, but I think I like Stephanie Brown better.
Reread, 02/2025
I stand by my original review, I'm still not into assassins or spies at all. And that weird side story about Untouchables and the Indian caste system just felt cringey and out of place to me. Overall, not my favorite volume but now that they're done publishing all the issues in collected volumes I'll continue at least with the second - just to see what happens.
June 1, 2016
Ever since I started reading Batfam comics, I've been hearing all about Cassandra Cain, but I've never actually read anything starring her before. So I made a special effort to find a copy of her first trade, and I'm very glad I did. I quite enjoyed Silent Knight and there are only a couple things I can really complain about in it. Most of it was a really great, tightly told story with great characters and themes throughout, which is really the #1 thing I want from a trade.
When the book begins, Batman has already brought the new Batgirl into the fold. Despite the fact that she can't speak and Batman doesn't even know her real name yet, she's already shown both her dedication and her prowess at fighting, so she gets her turn to don the cowl. Throughout the book both Batman and Oracle are working to train her not only in the fighting arts, but also in the realms of interpersonal interaction. Cass was raised without ever being exposed to language, and as a result she can't speak, read, or understand most words, but she has a high-level understanding of body language and communicates and understands others through actions.
Cass bears a strong resemblance to Bruce himself, and it's even pointed out a few times in the book.
But what's most interesting to me is how although both of them are very direct and action-oriented, both of them also don't tend to show much emotion, despite having very deep emotions under the surface. But because of Cass's unusual way of communicating, there are a few very interesting moments when these emotional barriers very suddenly come down through non-verbal communication. It's an interesting side of Cass, but it's also a really interesting side of Batman that I really enjoyed seeing:
It was kind of great to see Batman so relatively expressive, even if it was reluctant, accidental, and brief.
The main highlight is Cass's growth as a character, especially her struggles with her speech and her past, which are tangled together in so many ways that they're really inseparable. We also have a storyline where Batman himself has to come to terms with Cass's past and learn to accept who she wants to be rather than who she was. What's especially interesting to me is how the writing reflects the content. It's an emotional journey for all involved, but the writing isn't overly emotive; rather, everything is perfectly understated, letting events and actions speak for themselves. Puckett strikes exactly the right chord, allowing the book to express itself in a way that perfectly reflects its main character.
The plot isn't very complicated--the book is more about Cass's personal journey than any large overarching plot or villain. We do have the figure of David Cain as a villain, but all his crimes are in the past, and as such it's really just the memory of him and the repercussions of his past actions that both Batgirl and Batman need to overcome. Lady Shiva also makes an appearance, but very similarly she doesn't really act as a villain, but stands in as a physical representation of a personal obstacle Batgirl needs to overcome. But what the plot lacks in detail it more than makes up for in character growth.
But despite how much I enjoyed this book, I did have a few criticisms. First of all, I think the book includes too many issues. It collects issues #1-12 and the first annual, but I think the book would have been better served if it ended after #11. Number twelve, written by Chuck Dixon, was actually one of my favorites in the book, but it ends without a resolution. It begins a new plotline where Batgirl is investigating the shooting of Commissioner Gordon. (Sidebar--how many times has this guy been shot now anyways?) I loved that Batgirl has to learn how to be a detective rather than just a fighter, It was really interesting to see, but the story just stops before we get any sort of conclusion. I'm not sure if it will be picked up again in #13 in the second volume or if this ties into some crossover event, but either way, it felt strange to have the last regular issue be this one.
But even if #12 didn't end satisfyingly, at least it was a good issue. The book ends on what's possibly the weakest note ever with Batgirl Annual #1. Batgirl and Batman fly to India to investigate the disappearance of a missing Bollywood actor. Why? We don't know. Apparently they were investigating something else that's never divulged and just decided to drop it and head to India when they heard about the missing actor. Once there, the plot gets more and more ridiculous and vaguely racist, taking on the tone of an after school special about the plight of untouchables in India, but it never examines the issue on a deep level and never even offers any suggestions or conclusions; all it does is condemn unequivocally. We also meet a new character, Aruna Shende, whose name magically changes to Aruna Ramanan two pages later. Ramanan is actually the last name of the missing actor. What's worse than the implication than the Goddamned Batman can't even remember a suspect's last name for five minutes, worse than whoever copyedited this clearly dropped the ball, is the fact that the writer (Scott Peterson) clearly couldn't even keep his own character's names straight. Then halfway through the investigation Batman randomly disappears--yeah, that's right, he just peaces out--leaving Aruna and Batgirl in charge. Aruna continually says things are Batgirl's idea when they were really Aruna's--it's actually unclear why Batgirl is even sticking around at this point. We never hear anything from her or get any development of her--she just kinda tags along until Aruna needs her to beat somebody up. The way Aruna is drawn is also really sexualized, which is really annoying because up until now, none of the women in this book had been overly-sexualized. Aruna is a potentially interesting character, (a shapeshifter who's also gender fluid) but I found the writing in this issue to be too sloppy. Aruna could have been a lot more interesting, but I know DC also hasn't done anything with them outside this oneshot, so that's unfortunate as well.
Anyways--the annual is entirely skippable, has nothing to do with Batgirl as a character, and tonally doesn't fit the rest of the book.
But ignorning the annual, I really enjoyed Batgirl: Silent Knight. Cass is a great character, the writing and character development are on point, and I can't wait to read more of this series.
When the book begins, Batman has already brought the new Batgirl into the fold. Despite the fact that she can't speak and Batman doesn't even know her real name yet, she's already shown both her dedication and her prowess at fighting, so she gets her turn to don the cowl. Throughout the book both Batman and Oracle are working to train her not only in the fighting arts, but also in the realms of interpersonal interaction. Cass was raised without ever being exposed to language, and as a result she can't speak, read, or understand most words, but she has a high-level understanding of body language and communicates and understands others through actions.
Cass bears a strong resemblance to Bruce himself, and it's even pointed out a few times in the book.
But what's most interesting to me is how although both of them are very direct and action-oriented, both of them also don't tend to show much emotion, despite having very deep emotions under the surface. But because of Cass's unusual way of communicating, there are a few very interesting moments when these emotional barriers very suddenly come down through non-verbal communication. It's an interesting side of Cass, but it's also a really interesting side of Batman that I really enjoyed seeing:
It was kind of great to see Batman so relatively expressive, even if it was reluctant, accidental, and brief.
The main highlight is Cass's growth as a character, especially her struggles with her speech and her past, which are tangled together in so many ways that they're really inseparable. We also have a storyline where Batman himself has to come to terms with Cass's past and learn to accept who she wants to be rather than who she was. What's especially interesting to me is how the writing reflects the content. It's an emotional journey for all involved, but the writing isn't overly emotive; rather, everything is perfectly understated, letting events and actions speak for themselves. Puckett strikes exactly the right chord, allowing the book to express itself in a way that perfectly reflects its main character.
The plot isn't very complicated--the book is more about Cass's personal journey than any large overarching plot or villain. We do have the figure of David Cain as a villain, but all his crimes are in the past, and as such it's really just the memory of him and the repercussions of his past actions that both Batgirl and Batman need to overcome. Lady Shiva also makes an appearance, but very similarly she doesn't really act as a villain, but stands in as a physical representation of a personal obstacle Batgirl needs to overcome. But what the plot lacks in detail it more than makes up for in character growth.
But despite how much I enjoyed this book, I did have a few criticisms. First of all, I think the book includes too many issues. It collects issues #1-12 and the first annual, but I think the book would have been better served if it ended after #11. Number twelve, written by Chuck Dixon, was actually one of my favorites in the book, but it ends without a resolution. It begins a new plotline where Batgirl is investigating the shooting of Commissioner Gordon. (Sidebar--how many times has this guy been shot now anyways?) I loved that Batgirl has to learn how to be a detective rather than just a fighter, It was really interesting to see, but the story just stops before we get any sort of conclusion. I'm not sure if it will be picked up again in #13 in the second volume or if this ties into some crossover event, but either way, it felt strange to have the last regular issue be this one.
But even if #12 didn't end satisfyingly, at least it was a good issue. The book ends on what's possibly the weakest note ever with Batgirl Annual #1. Batgirl and Batman fly to India to investigate the disappearance of a missing Bollywood actor. Why? We don't know. Apparently they were investigating something else that's never divulged and just decided to drop it and head to India when they heard about the missing actor. Once there, the plot gets more and more ridiculous and vaguely racist, taking on the tone of an after school special about the plight of untouchables in India, but it never examines the issue on a deep level and never even offers any suggestions or conclusions; all it does is condemn unequivocally. We also meet a new character, Aruna Shende, whose name magically changes to Aruna Ramanan two pages later. Ramanan is actually the last name of the missing actor. What's worse than the implication than the Goddamned Batman can't even remember a suspect's last name for five minutes, worse than whoever copyedited this clearly dropped the ball, is the fact that the writer (Scott Peterson) clearly couldn't even keep his own character's names straight. Then halfway through the investigation Batman randomly disappears--yeah, that's right, he just peaces out--leaving Aruna and Batgirl in charge. Aruna continually says things are Batgirl's idea when they were really Aruna's--it's actually unclear why Batgirl is even sticking around at this point. We never hear anything from her or get any development of her--she just kinda tags along until Aruna needs her to beat somebody up. The way Aruna is drawn is also really sexualized, which is really annoying because up until now, none of the women in this book had been overly-sexualized. Aruna is a potentially interesting character, (a shapeshifter who's also gender fluid) but I found the writing in this issue to be too sloppy. Aruna could have been a lot more interesting, but I know DC also hasn't done anything with them outside this oneshot, so that's unfortunate as well.
Anyways--the annual is entirely skippable, has nothing to do with Batgirl as a character, and tonally doesn't fit the rest of the book.
But ignorning the annual, I really enjoyed Batgirl: Silent Knight. Cass is a great character, the writing and character development are on point, and I can't wait to read more of this series.
October 23, 2025
"I can be mediocre for a lifetime or perfect for a year" CRYING SCREAMING I LOVE CASS SM
This first volume is a great start to Cassandra's origins. She's written as a selfless character who would do anything to save innocents, a desire to help people born from the guilt she feels for being raised by a trained assassin. She's ready to put her life on the line, she's done so many times, in fact, because she feels like others lives are more worth than hers.
I also loved the growing relationships between Cass and Bruce and Cass and Babs, they both already care sm about her and want to protect her from harm and help her in her journey to become a hero. I believe both Bruce and Babs see her as a daughter already, though they don't realise that yet. Very heartwarming. (I'm not shipping Bruce and Babs ofc)
This first volume is a great start to Cassandra's origins. She's written as a selfless character who would do anything to save innocents, a desire to help people born from the guilt she feels for being raised by a trained assassin. She's ready to put her life on the line, she's done so many times, in fact, because she feels like others lives are more worth than hers.
I also loved the growing relationships between Cass and Bruce and Cass and Babs, they both already care sm about her and want to protect her from harm and help her in her journey to become a hero. I believe both Bruce and Babs see her as a daughter already, though they don't realise that yet. Very heartwarming. (I'm not shipping Bruce and Babs ofc)
March 29, 2017
This is written and drawn in a way that makes it super easy to see how this would look on screen. The action sequences and each panel made this one of the most entertaining and interesting books I've ever read.
And Cassandra! I am adopting her. It'd be easier to name which members of the Batfam I don't want to adopt than which ones I do because they're all special in their own way. In a way, her origin reminded me of Elektra's in Daredevil season 2. I felt sorry for her because what kind of monster trains someone from infancy to be a killer.
The most important aspect of her character to me is that she chose to not kill people. She chose to stop and that makes her a hero. Regardless of what Cain tried to make her into, she chose to save people instead.
Watching Bruce train her was a little painful. Not just when she's losing but when he's blaming her for not being "good enough" or starting to look into her past. I got a huge kick out of him kicking David Cain's ass, though. Well deserved beatdown, that was.
Cassandra and Babs' relationship was great to see. She seems to be the only one desiring to see Cassandra's humanity and treats her like a person, first. I wish we'd gotten more on how she felt about Alfred and David Cain.
The scenes between her and Shiva were probably my favorites. There's such an interesting dynamic there and I hope we get more of that later.
The art was okay. Not my favorite but you get a feel for the motions in each action scene.
For a book where the main character rarely speaks, we still got to know quite a lot about who Cassandra is. I really enjoyed this and I can't wait for the next book.
And Cassandra! I am adopting her. It'd be easier to name which members of the Batfam I don't want to adopt than which ones I do because they're all special in their own way. In a way, her origin reminded me of Elektra's in Daredevil season 2. I felt sorry for her because what kind of monster trains someone from infancy to be a killer.
The most important aspect of her character to me is that she chose to not kill people. She chose to stop and that makes her a hero. Regardless of what Cain tried to make her into, she chose to save people instead.
Watching Bruce train her was a little painful. Not just when she's losing but when he's blaming her for not being "good enough" or starting to look into her past. I got a huge kick out of him kicking David Cain's ass, though. Well deserved beatdown, that was.
Cassandra and Babs' relationship was great to see. She seems to be the only one desiring to see Cassandra's humanity and treats her like a person, first. I wish we'd gotten more on how she felt about Alfred and David Cain.
The scenes between her and Shiva were probably my favorites. There's such an interesting dynamic there and I hope we get more of that later.
The art was okay. Not my favorite but you get a feel for the motions in each action scene.
For a book where the main character rarely speaks, we still got to know quite a lot about who Cassandra is. I really enjoyed this and I can't wait for the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2016
Contains the first year of Cassandra Cain as Batgirl stories. This incarnation of Batgirl was raised from birth to be an assassin. She was not taught language so that she could read body language to anticipate an opponent's moves. As a young girl, she was sent on her first assassination and couldn't do it. She's been on the run ever since, until she met Batman and become the new Batgirl with Barbara Gordon as her mentor. It's an interesting take on the character and I really enjoyed this book. Damian Scott's are is hit and miss. He has a dynamic art style but his facial features drive me nuts at times.
January 17, 2016
It was a good book. I will not pretend that it was not. That being said, I despise the very concept of Cassandra Cain being the "new" Batgirl, and I feel that this was one of the low points in DC Comics history.
October 28, 2019
Loved everything about this (except for the very first issue, #1, which was choppy and jumpy and all over the place...but we can ignore that, with an overall great book)!
I love Batman's "adoption" of Batgirl. He pushes her and monitors her, and he knows she has a lot to work through...and a lot of work to do. Out of all of Batman's proteges, he thinks she needs it as much as he does, and I kind of love that he's trying to help her in the only way he knows how (by being Batman, of course).
I loved the story of the good samaritan, John Robinson. Cass's loss is so acute.
She wins some as Batgirl and she loses a lot. I've never seen a Batkid so bruised and beaten in one book!!
I love the language concept (her inability to speak & understand spoken language) and I thought it was so interesting to see her be gifted with it by a Meta.
Once that happens I loved reading her inner monologue. She's even a little funny!
But mostly, she has so much goddam heart! <3
Lady Shiva was an awesome baddy here. (Plus I'm sure we all loved the pearls in the pool of blood panels...)
And David Cain was also a great recurring character!
I loved the issue where he tracks down his tapes... + Every interaction with him and Batman was A+. I kind of love Batman the most when he's fallible. And also when he kicks ass. lol
I really didn't mind the 90's art at all; it has its place. (Except for the recurring closeup of a dead, slack-jawed and wide-eyes corpse in every issue... It was a little much, stylistically.)
I also did not like the Annual at the end. The story was fine and interesting (about India and the casts), but the art was rough and the writing was less than awesome. The story switches perspectives mid-way, from a general Batman story to (all of a sudden) Aruna Ramanan's story with her narrating/monologing.
So, 4.5 for an awesome Batgirl book!
I love Batman's "adoption" of Batgirl. He pushes her and monitors her, and he knows she has a lot to work through...and a lot of work to do. Out of all of Batman's proteges, he thinks she needs it as much as he does, and I kind of love that he's trying to help her in the only way he knows how (by being Batman, of course).
I loved the story of the good samaritan, John Robinson. Cass's loss is so acute.
She wins some as Batgirl and she loses a lot. I've never seen a Batkid so bruised and beaten in one book!!
I love the language concept (her inability to speak & understand spoken language) and I thought it was so interesting to see her be gifted with it by a Meta.
Once that happens I loved reading her inner monologue. She's even a little funny!
But mostly, she has so much goddam heart! <3
Lady Shiva was an awesome baddy here. (Plus I'm sure we all loved the pearls in the pool of blood panels...)
And David Cain was also a great recurring character!
I loved the issue where he tracks down his tapes... + Every interaction with him and Batman was A+. I kind of love Batman the most when he's fallible. And also when he kicks ass. lol
I really didn't mind the 90's art at all; it has its place. (Except for the recurring closeup of a dead, slack-jawed and wide-eyes corpse in every issue... It was a little much, stylistically.)
I also did not like the Annual at the end. The story was fine and interesting (about India and the casts), but the art was rough and the writing was less than awesome. The story switches perspectives mid-way, from a general Batman story to (all of a sudden) Aruna Ramanan's story with her narrating/monologing.
So, 4.5 for an awesome Batgirl book!
January 3, 2022
ok a little clown of me to think that Cass' Batgirl run didn't have a first volume but it's fine!! We're fine!!!
i have always loved Cass and i have been curious how her abilities were handled (i knew of them but not necessarily like the origin story of how she lost and regained the ability to read body language). anyways i will always enjoy anything she's in!!
i have always loved Cass and i have been curious how her abilities were handled (i knew of them but not necessarily like the origin story of how she lost and regained the ability to read body language). anyways i will always enjoy anything she's in!!
November 8, 2025
my first cass / batgirl comic and i am in awe. i love this characterization of her and honestly i really love the art in this. her and babs little dynamic is so cute too. i really hope my library has the second one because i loved this so much and really want to continue reading
January 28, 2017
5 stars
Good comic book. First comic book that I read that has Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. She was very entertaining. Glad that she is able to understand what people are saying now. Thought it was cool that she was able to understand people's moves though. Awesome!!! Looking forward to seeing her as Batgirl again.
Can't wait to read more Batgirl comics!!!
Who is your favorite Batgirl?
Good comic book. First comic book that I read that has Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. She was very entertaining. Glad that she is able to understand what people are saying now. Thought it was cool that she was able to understand people's moves though. Awesome!!! Looking forward to seeing her as Batgirl again.
Can't wait to read more Batgirl comics!!!
Who is your favorite Batgirl?
January 6, 2021
Full review/discussion HERE.
This book is super early 2000s, but it was still really good for most of it! I don’t like a couple plot decisions, but overall the character work is really solid. The last three or so issues are just tagged on, but everything else was pretty good, for the most part. 4/5 stars.
This book is super early 2000s, but it was still really good for most of it! I don’t like a couple plot decisions, but overall the character work is really solid. The last three or so issues are just tagged on, but everything else was pretty good, for the most part. 4/5 stars.
February 15, 2016
I would read more comics if they made more like this.
November 15, 2021
3.5*
cassandra cain i love you
cass has always been a character that’s interested me, so i was super excited to read this! the issues went by in short, somewhat standalone but still connected stories. the thing that made it hard for me to follow the story was the art. i personally do not like the style and had trouble understanding what was happening in some panels at times, but that may just be a me thing!
i’m looking forward to reading more cass comics <3
also, i haven’t read any cass comics before this / ones that lead up to this because i suck at following chronological order, but i do plan on reading the comics that lead up to her becoming batgirl soon :)
cassandra cain i love you
cass has always been a character that’s interested me, so i was super excited to read this! the issues went by in short, somewhat standalone but still connected stories. the thing that made it hard for me to follow the story was the art. i personally do not like the style and had trouble understanding what was happening in some panels at times, but that may just be a me thing!
i’m looking forward to reading more cass comics <3
also, i haven’t read any cass comics before this / ones that lead up to this because i suck at following chronological order, but i do plan on reading the comics that lead up to her becoming batgirl soon :)
December 31, 2021
'Remember. On those streets, you... are me.'
Definite Laura Kinney vibes but make it DC. I would have loved it if so much focus wasn't on Batman and Oracle since the series is supposed to be about Batgirl. Probably the only reason why I didn't love love it and that is what Cass Cain deserves.
Fave Cass Cain dynamic is easily with Lady Shiva like !!!
Also, I actually really enjoyed the last issue despite it being about another arc entirely
The art does the work of translating Cass's body language well since she doesn't really speak, but I do wish there was less of a focus on the somewhat anti-gravity boobs
Definite Laura Kinney vibes but make it DC. I would have loved it if so much focus wasn't on Batman and Oracle since the series is supposed to be about Batgirl. Probably the only reason why I didn't love love it and that is what Cass Cain deserves.
Fave Cass Cain dynamic is easily with Lady Shiva like !!!
Also, I actually really enjoyed the last issue despite it being about another arc entirely
The art does the work of translating Cass's body language well since she doesn't really speak, but I do wish there was less of a focus on the somewhat anti-gravity boobs
March 27, 2017
Le dessin n'était pas toujours exceptionnel mais sinon j'ai beaucoup aimé ! Cette Batgirl est vraiment touchante, très différente de Barbara (enfin de ce que j'en connais), mais tout aussi intéressante. L'histoire est bien, il y a juste le annual qui était très très bof.
May 14, 2023
3.5
selinas home intrusion video is so funny
selinas home intrusion video is so funny
Read
April 16, 2025the issues before cassandra learns to understand speech are a bit rough but after that this settles into a really great story and a very fascinating character journey to follow
May 16, 2020
I love Cass but the art makes me want to cry. Plus she also looks waaay too old. I suspect it's because sexualizing a teenager is fine if they don't look like a teenager? Except it's wrong at all times, stop it.
Batman really sucks in this story. The way he treats Cass is terrible and his whinging about Cass possibly killing people in the past is insufferable. He gets too much page-time considering is not his book. So does Babs but she's a good person and tries her best to help Cassandra , so she's allowed.
Batman really sucks in this story. The way he treats Cass is terrible and his whinging about Cass possibly killing people in the past is insufferable. He gets too much page-time considering is not his book. So does Babs but she's a good person and tries her best to help Cassandra , so she's allowed.
October 8, 2017
This version of Batgirl is an interesting character. However, I’m not a fan of the artist for this series. There are some weirdly distorted images, and action scenes are choppy and a bit difficult to follow.
January 26, 2016
This book actually collects Batgirl #1-12, and Annual #1, which is essentially Cassandra's first year as Batgirl. Stupid DC and their incorrect solicitation material.
Now, to business. Cassandra Cain took over as Batgirl after being introduced in No Man's Land, and this trade collects the first of her solo ongoing adventures. You can tell that there were teething problems with the character, because the first three issues are quite a difficult read - Cassandra doesn't talk very much at all, and as such she also doesn't have an inner monologue. This leads to characters like Batman and Oracle doing all the talking, and it feels less of a Batgirl book than an ensemble piece.
Then along comes a very convenient psychic who rewrites Cass's brain so that she can think and speak, but loses some of her fighting ability. Right, okay. It's like DC realised it'd be really hard to write a disabled character and so they had to 'fix' her to make it easier. Squickiness of that aside, it's a really hamfisted plot line.
At least from there the title focuses more on Batgirl, with Batman in the background training her and tracking down David Cain, Cass's "father". Batgirl comes up against mostly straight forward villains, since Batman forbids her from taking on any of his more colourful characters - the only named foe she actually fights is Lady Shiva, which makes sense considering their background together. These are the best two issues of the volume too.
Damion Scott pencils all 12 issues of the series, and his art is very exaggerated and rough at times, but his fluid lines suit Cass's fighting style; like the writing in the first three issues, his storytelling isn't on point with some odd panel transitions and a few panels that you have to stop and stare at to work out what's going on, but once the writing gets more streamlined, the art falls into place too.
There's also an annual included here which was part of the Planet DC initiative - the idea being to introduce heroes and villains from different areas of the world, so Batman and Batgirl go to India and are introduced to the shapeshifting Aruna who is never seen again after this annual, which is a shame since she sounded really interesting.
Cass's first outings as Batgirl aren't the most impressive, unfortunately. Having read later issues of the title as part of crossovers however, I know things improve later on. This isn't all bad, but there are some strange decisions and dodgy artwork that can detract from complete enjoyment here. Your mileage may vary.
Now, to business. Cassandra Cain took over as Batgirl after being introduced in No Man's Land, and this trade collects the first of her solo ongoing adventures. You can tell that there were teething problems with the character, because the first three issues are quite a difficult read - Cassandra doesn't talk very much at all, and as such she also doesn't have an inner monologue. This leads to characters like Batman and Oracle doing all the talking, and it feels less of a Batgirl book than an ensemble piece.
Then along comes a very convenient psychic who rewrites Cass's brain so that she can think and speak, but loses some of her fighting ability. Right, okay. It's like DC realised it'd be really hard to write a disabled character and so they had to 'fix' her to make it easier. Squickiness of that aside, it's a really hamfisted plot line.
At least from there the title focuses more on Batgirl, with Batman in the background training her and tracking down David Cain, Cass's "father". Batgirl comes up against mostly straight forward villains, since Batman forbids her from taking on any of his more colourful characters - the only named foe she actually fights is Lady Shiva, which makes sense considering their background together. These are the best two issues of the volume too.
Damion Scott pencils all 12 issues of the series, and his art is very exaggerated and rough at times, but his fluid lines suit Cass's fighting style; like the writing in the first three issues, his storytelling isn't on point with some odd panel transitions and a few panels that you have to stop and stare at to work out what's going on, but once the writing gets more streamlined, the art falls into place too.
There's also an annual included here which was part of the Planet DC initiative - the idea being to introduce heroes and villains from different areas of the world, so Batman and Batgirl go to India and are introduced to the shapeshifting Aruna who is never seen again after this annual, which is a shame since she sounded really interesting.
Cass's first outings as Batgirl aren't the most impressive, unfortunately. Having read later issues of the title as part of crossovers however, I know things improve later on. This isn't all bad, but there are some strange decisions and dodgy artwork that can detract from complete enjoyment here. Your mileage may vary.
September 19, 2018
It pains me to give this volume such a low score since Cassandra Cain is my favorite Batgirl. And, that's saying something, since the position tends to be filled by all-stars. And, there's a lot to like in this volume. Cassandra is a compelling character with a lot to atone for. It makes her reckless and interesting to watch. Further, her unique communicative situation forces the reader to observe the nuances of her position themselves; to study her actions and even posture to glean hints of the person behind them. In other words, the reader must develop the same skills that have served Cassandra throughout her life. Her costume, with its down shut mouth and obscured eye lenses underscore this fact and her own outlook. It also gives us, in my opinion, the beat Batgirl costume of all time. Its unique - it's relevant - it underscores the similarities between her and Batman by more closely mimicking his color and costume design than any other Batgirl does.
And now the bad, and there's more of it. First off, the art is hideous. Equidistant between a rushed classic comics style and amateurish manga, it is wholly ugly. Moreover, the facial expressions are so badly drawn, the action so sloppy and the background requirement being satisfied by solid bright colors, the art adds nothing at all to the story. Also, in a more trivial sense, the bands are horrifically drawn - either as giant sausage fingers the size of a(n also overly large) head or a half-hearted little squiggle in a background panel. Up to this point, I was prepared to give it a 3. However, the last story is so abysmal I had to deduct a whole star. Set in Jndia, it aggressively criticizes Indian culture. Okay, fine. Unfortunately it does this with very little representation of anything 'Indian'. The women are slightly dark version of the northern Asian / caucasian women seen elsewhere in the comic. Indian and African-descended women very seldomly look representative of their phenotypes 90s (and sometimes later) comics. This further adds insult to injury however, as men do sometimes look representative - the implication being, of course, that Indian women can only be beautiful if they don't look Indian, since, of course all comic book women must be beautiful regardless Further, there is very little, if any, traditional dress visible, which I thought was very tonedeaf given the theme of the story. moving on from that, the narration and arrangement for the final story was so bad it was genuinely difficult to follow and even harder to care about.
And now the bad, and there's more of it. First off, the art is hideous. Equidistant between a rushed classic comics style and amateurish manga, it is wholly ugly. Moreover, the facial expressions are so badly drawn, the action so sloppy and the background requirement being satisfied by solid bright colors, the art adds nothing at all to the story. Also, in a more trivial sense, the bands are horrifically drawn - either as giant sausage fingers the size of a(n also overly large) head or a half-hearted little squiggle in a background panel. Up to this point, I was prepared to give it a 3. However, the last story is so abysmal I had to deduct a whole star. Set in Jndia, it aggressively criticizes Indian culture. Okay, fine. Unfortunately it does this with very little representation of anything 'Indian'. The women are slightly dark version of the northern Asian / caucasian women seen elsewhere in the comic. Indian and African-descended women very seldomly look representative of their phenotypes 90s (and sometimes later) comics. This further adds insult to injury however, as men do sometimes look representative - the implication being, of course, that Indian women can only be beautiful if they don't look Indian, since, of course all comic book women must be beautiful regardless Further, there is very little, if any, traditional dress visible, which I thought was very tonedeaf given the theme of the story. moving on from that, the narration and arrangement for the final story was so bad it was genuinely difficult to follow and even harder to care about.
January 11, 2023
This was interesting, and oddly addictive. I read it because I'd heard so many people mention how much they love Cassandra Cain and I wanted to see what it was all about. After reading this, I *kinda* get it, I think. There's an intriguing quality to observing a Bat-character who's extremely capable, youthful but still given a convincing reason for being so capable, but who's learning how to be human (as we all are).
At the same time, it gets me thinking about what makes an interesting Bat-character these days, if this is one.
• Put her in all black, with a subtle version of the necessary Bat-emblem and the yellow utility belt to break up what is otherwise just a bat silhouette (clever really), nearly featureless but able to be more expressive because of the lack of distinct facial features that must be drawn with realistic proportions.
• Make her (nearly) mute. That way the stories move along quickly and dynamically because it's not even possible to drag things down with the main character's detailed narration, and we just get used to going along for this streamlined ride with someone who sees the world in movement and flow and action. It's not as minimal as, say, some sections of the elegant Ellis run on Moon Knight, but it does keep this story more anchored in show-don't-tell mode than the average comic. It also forces Batman, when he shows up, to be a source of exposition rather than the silent one, so it makes him more interesting than he tends to be in recent decades.
There are downsides though. Forcing the burden of explanation and dialogue onto the other characters means talky and overly reactive versions of characters we're used to a quieter demeanor from. It still basically works though. Except, perhaps, in the sections Batgirl isn't present for, which can feel a little like rambly explosions of dialogue by writers who had been holding their breath to write a mostly mute character.
And, maybe more significantly, it creates the urge for the writers to undermine the limitations that make this fresh and clever, which might be what they're trying to do for some of this volume. I'll withhold judgment on whether they know what they're doing until after I've read the next one.
My biggest complaint is with the art, and maybe more so with the interaction between writer and artist. This isn't really a spoiler but I'm going to mark it as one just to keep my complaining out of the way for those who aren't interest:
But more generally the art is fine. A few panels are really excellent, a few are rather bad, but most of it is serviceable, and the slightly cartoony proportions seem to work as a reminder of the youthful nature of our protagonist, and as a way of utilizing the cartoonish expressiveness made possible by the loosely defined quality of the costume.
One other complaint: The annual that ends this volume is very uh... what is it? Batman and Batgirl are in India because... we don't know, Batman refuses to tell the thugs he's interrogating what he's after, he just thinks they know what he wants to know. But that leads to an unrelated tangent to pursue, and we forget about why they're on the other side of the world in the first place. That leads, more or less coincidentally, to a separate storyline, which introduces a point of view that can tell us information that seems to be taking us somewhere important to the now-main story... but it turns out it is the story, the end goal here was the exposition we got along the way (the real treasure was the friends we made along the way™), and the point where we realize this reads a lot like those little PSA comics pages in the 90s where superheroes discuss real life issues, not quite addressing the audience but clearly delivering a morality play for their benefit. And the result is that... now I have a very vague basic awareness of an issue with the class system in Indian culture, but no idea at all how it came to be or how the broader culture sees it and why they maintain it. That accomplished, the story ends, having taken us nowhere that means anything to us, and we still don't even know why Bruce and Cassandra are chasing street thugs in India in the first place.
I kind of feel like deducting a star just for how much the final story in the annual felt like a frustrating waste of time, and a letdown after the enjoyable regular issues, but I'll choose to ignore it and give four stars to the rest of it for being an enjoyable read that pulled me along and kept me wanting to pick it up every day. I don't even know entirely why I enjoyed it as much as I did, but an above average job of maintaining my interest gets an above average rating, though certainly not a perfect one.
At the same time, it gets me thinking about what makes an interesting Bat-character these days, if this is one.
• Put her in all black, with a subtle version of the necessary Bat-emblem and the yellow utility belt to break up what is otherwise just a bat silhouette (clever really), nearly featureless but able to be more expressive because of the lack of distinct facial features that must be drawn with realistic proportions.
• Make her (nearly) mute. That way the stories move along quickly and dynamically because it's not even possible to drag things down with the main character's detailed narration, and we just get used to going along for this streamlined ride with someone who sees the world in movement and flow and action. It's not as minimal as, say, some sections of the elegant Ellis run on Moon Knight, but it does keep this story more anchored in show-don't-tell mode than the average comic. It also forces Batman, when he shows up, to be a source of exposition rather than the silent one, so it makes him more interesting than he tends to be in recent decades.
There are downsides though. Forcing the burden of explanation and dialogue onto the other characters means talky and overly reactive versions of characters we're used to a quieter demeanor from. It still basically works though. Except, perhaps, in the sections Batgirl isn't present for, which can feel a little like rambly explosions of dialogue by writers who had been holding their breath to write a mostly mute character.
And, maybe more significantly, it creates the urge for the writers to undermine the limitations that make this fresh and clever, which might be what they're trying to do for some of this volume. I'll withhold judgment on whether they know what they're doing until after I've read the next one.
My biggest complaint is with the art, and maybe more so with the interaction between writer and artist. This isn't really a spoiler but I'm going to mark it as one just to keep my complaining out of the way for those who aren't interest:
But more generally the art is fine. A few panels are really excellent, a few are rather bad, but most of it is serviceable, and the slightly cartoony proportions seem to work as a reminder of the youthful nature of our protagonist, and as a way of utilizing the cartoonish expressiveness made possible by the loosely defined quality of the costume.
One other complaint: The annual that ends this volume is very uh... what is it? Batman and Batgirl are in India because... we don't know, Batman refuses to tell the thugs he's interrogating what he's after, he just thinks they know what he wants to know. But that leads to an unrelated tangent to pursue, and we forget about why they're on the other side of the world in the first place. That leads, more or less coincidentally, to a separate storyline, which introduces a point of view that can tell us information that seems to be taking us somewhere important to the now-main story... but it turns out it is the story, the end goal here was the exposition we got along the way (the real treasure was the friends we made along the way™), and the point where we realize this reads a lot like those little PSA comics pages in the 90s where superheroes discuss real life issues, not quite addressing the audience but clearly delivering a morality play for their benefit. And the result is that... now I have a very vague basic awareness of an issue with the class system in Indian culture, but no idea at all how it came to be or how the broader culture sees it and why they maintain it. That accomplished, the story ends, having taken us nowhere that means anything to us, and we still don't even know why Bruce and Cassandra are chasing street thugs in India in the first place.
I kind of feel like deducting a star just for how much the final story in the annual felt like a frustrating waste of time, and a letdown after the enjoyable regular issues, but I'll choose to ignore it and give four stars to the rest of it for being an enjoyable read that pulled me along and kept me wanting to pick it up every day. I don't even know entirely why I enjoyed it as much as I did, but an above average job of maintaining my interest gets an above average rating, though certainly not a perfect one.
June 9, 2017
Cass is my baby. I want to love and protect her and teach her what it's like to be part of a family who cares for her. She's sweet and so controlled and just a work of art in her physicality. Her lack of speaking abilities gives her a LOT of potential for impactful dialogue when it does happen.
Unfortunately, it seems like that potential isn't used as fully as it could be. In this book, Cass doesn't say much. When she does, it's okay but nothing stellar. The book would have benefited from a more nuanced writer. All I keep thinking is how great it could be and how it falls short. That's not to say it's a bad book. It's fine! Just doesn't achieve the impact it could.
Unfortunately, it seems like that potential isn't used as fully as it could be. In this book, Cass doesn't say much. When she does, it's okay but nothing stellar. The book would have benefited from a more nuanced writer. All I keep thinking is how great it could be and how it falls short. That's not to say it's a bad book. It's fine! Just doesn't achieve the impact it could.
October 5, 2016
I enjoyed this, though I must admit, I struggled with the artwork at times. There's a good story being built here, but Cassie isn't as fun as Babs in my opinion. However, I am totally going to read the second volume and see if she grows on me more as Batgirl. We shall see!
May 15, 2023
This was mostly awful, and there's no real reason for anybody to read it. 2/5 stars only because Cassie Cain is an interesting concept for a character - one which I really like - which is mostly ruined by awful art and terrible writing. A general rule for reading the Bat Family is "if Kelly Puckett is the author, it will surely be dreadful, and you should skip it." This is no exception to that rule. Puckett gets credit for coming up with Cassie Cain as a character, who is a very interesting character, but this does not change that the writing is dreadful.
Cassie Cain is an interesting character in that she was raised to be the most efficient combat machine and assassin there is. Her father, David Cain, deprived her of language, treating combat as her language. This is how she enters the world. This sets the stage for a very interesting approach to the superhero character, an approach that is squandered by Puckett's unimaginative and derivative writing. The writing in the Bat Family has shown that you can make these stories character pieces, and dig deep into the psyche of the characters. Puckett chooses, instead, to write for the audience of emotionally stunted children, as the first few issues are mostly "OMG look at how awesome she is at fighting!" which becomes repetitive and boring after literally the first fight.
The character of Cassie is then functionally ruined, in around issue five or so she is given the ability to speak through Comic Book Nonsense!(tm). The most interesting thing about the character is thus ripped away. The trade off is that although she can speak and understand English, her combat skills are decreased. This would, in the hands of a skilled writer, open the door for a character piece on how Cassie deals with this, and how those around her help her. Kelley Puckett, however, is a hack, and not a skilled writer. So, we get one issue that approaches the rest of the Bat Family helping her, but then it's back to boring fighting. Since it would take time and effort for Cassie to re-learn these skills, we have, in the next issue or two, Lady Shiva showing up and teaching her everything she lost. Comic! Book! Nonsense! This is truly where we get to see Puckett's lack of skill on display, as the restoration of Cassie's skills happens off screen and we are given no explanation of what Shiva did! Bam! She's all better now!
The story is made worse, not better, by the art of Damion Scott, who is dreadful. The art approaches cartoon levels, to the point where some characters are unrecognizable. "Is that Tim Drake? I think that's Tim Drake. Oh, he's using a computer, it must be Tim Drake" is a conversation I had with myself at one point. Scott's work on Bruce / Batman is the worst I've seen Batman drawn, as he gives him cartoonish images of surprise and shock which are completely and totally out of character.
This is truly dreadful and I do regret reading it. The volume itself is 0/5, with the two stars being a gracious "Cassie is at least an interesting concept." There is no reason for anybody who enjoys the Bat Family to read this trainwreck.
Cassie Cain is an interesting character in that she was raised to be the most efficient combat machine and assassin there is. Her father, David Cain, deprived her of language, treating combat as her language. This is how she enters the world. This sets the stage for a very interesting approach to the superhero character, an approach that is squandered by Puckett's unimaginative and derivative writing. The writing in the Bat Family has shown that you can make these stories character pieces, and dig deep into the psyche of the characters. Puckett chooses, instead, to write for the audience of emotionally stunted children, as the first few issues are mostly "OMG look at how awesome she is at fighting!" which becomes repetitive and boring after literally the first fight.
The character of Cassie is then functionally ruined, in around issue five or so she is given the ability to speak through Comic Book Nonsense!(tm). The most interesting thing about the character is thus ripped away. The trade off is that although she can speak and understand English, her combat skills are decreased. This would, in the hands of a skilled writer, open the door for a character piece on how Cassie deals with this, and how those around her help her. Kelley Puckett, however, is a hack, and not a skilled writer. So, we get one issue that approaches the rest of the Bat Family helping her, but then it's back to boring fighting. Since it would take time and effort for Cassie to re-learn these skills, we have, in the next issue or two, Lady Shiva showing up and teaching her everything she lost. Comic! Book! Nonsense! This is truly where we get to see Puckett's lack of skill on display, as the restoration of Cassie's skills happens off screen and we are given no explanation of what Shiva did! Bam! She's all better now!
The story is made worse, not better, by the art of Damion Scott, who is dreadful. The art approaches cartoon levels, to the point where some characters are unrecognizable. "Is that Tim Drake? I think that's Tim Drake. Oh, he's using a computer, it must be Tim Drake" is a conversation I had with myself at one point. Scott's work on Bruce / Batman is the worst I've seen Batman drawn, as he gives him cartoonish images of surprise and shock which are completely and totally out of character.
This is truly dreadful and I do regret reading it. The volume itself is 0/5, with the two stars being a gracious "Cassie is at least an interesting concept." There is no reason for anybody who enjoys the Bat Family to read this trainwreck.
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