Batgirl, Vol. 2: To the Death

Batgirl (2000) - New TPBs

by Kelley Puckett, Chuck Dixon, John Lowe (Illustrator)

Cassandra Cain is Batgirl: vigilante crime-fighter, protégé to both Batman and Barbara Gordon, and the ultimate martial arts master. Her near-superhuman fighting abilities are so much a part of her identity that when they failed her, she was willing to make an unthinkable bargain to get them back.

Impressed by their first encounter, the unbeatable assassin Lady Shiva agreed to help restore Cassandra’s incredible skills. In return, exactly one year later, Lady Shiva would return to challenge Cassandra to a rematch.

Only this time, it’s to the death.

Collects BATGIRL #13-25.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Dc Comics, Batman, Comic Book, Superheroes, Graphic Novels Comics

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 6, 2002

About the author

Kelley 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.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mainly a bunch of one and done issues as Batgirl prepares for her fight to the death with Lady Shiva. The stories are well told, letting the action speak for itself. I'm not a huge fan of Damian Scott's art but it works well here. My only issue is that sometimes you have to go back and reread a page because the action isn't very clear about what is occurring.

[Amanja · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Molly™☺ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume two is mainly comprised of a series of snippet, one and done events / stories leading up to Cas' confrontation with Shiva. Whilst I personally enjoy this way of storytelling in comics, Puckett unfortunately doesn't have much to offer when contained to fewer pages. There are no themes explored for the most part, and nothing happens a lot of the time. Scott's art also struggles when it comes to storytelling, especially in relation to action sequences that are often hard to follow. However, when a good moment hits, it lands well and serves as a reminder of how this series can shine given the right care and attention. Worth continuing at this point, but a somewhat disappointing follow up nonetheless.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 Review: Batgirl Vol. 2 (collecting issues #13–25) shifts gears after the intense arc with Lady Shiva, moving into more one-shot territory, and honestly, I’m glad it does. These stories give Cassandra room to grow, reflect, and come into her own in a deeply meaningful way.

The heart of this volume is Cassandra’s internal struggle. She’s trying to become stronger, not just physically, but emotionally. The guilt of killing someone as a child weighs heavily on her. And because she can read body language so fluently, she felt that person's fear and terror in their final moments. It’s something that haunts her, and it adds a heavy emotional layer to her journey as a hero.

A lot of the one-shots focus on her trying to right her wrongs, and there are some standout moments, like stopping a drug dealer while a young boy hopes Batgirl can save his dad... only to realize his dad is the bad guy. Her words to him, “He’s bad, but you’re not,” hit home not just for the boy, but for Cass herself.

There’s also a fun team-up with Robin (Tim Drake), which is a nice breather, and the slow build back up to Lady Shiva is so well done. The eventual fight to the death? Absolutely lives up to the hype. It’s brutal, emotional, and executed perfectly, with a conclusion that makes it one of my favorite superhero battles ever.

The character work here is top-tier. While the pacing is a bit slower than the previous volume due to the shift in format, it never feels like filler. If anything, it gives the story more emotional resonance. Only minor downside is a couple of tie-in issues, classic Batman-universe event bleed, but nothing that drags the volume down too much.

All in all, a strong continuation of Cass’s journey. A solid 4 out of 5.


2016 Review: It's a 3.5 out of 5, but I did have a few more issues with this one than the last.

First the things I loved. Batgirl. She's awesome. Cassandra Cain is by far my favorite Batgirl. She's just magical with her timid appearance but kickass approach. The way she fights, helps people, everything about her I love. I also really enjoy the overall art of this book. And some of the storylines hit hard, and make you think, and the ending showdown was excellent.

The negatives stem down to some filler. The Robin story was cute, but felt like a huge waste of time. I also dislike how some of the pacing is, or panels, where things jump too far ahead way to quick. It's hard to keep up at times and gives you quite a few headaches as you have to re-read things.

However Batgirl is well worth checking out. If you enjoyed the first volume you'll enjoy the 2nd! On to the third!

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cassandra Cain's second year as Batgirl is collected in its entirety here, and it could be her last, since she promised to fight Lady Shiva to the death in a year at the end of the first volume.

Cassandra has missed out on so much in life thanks to her assassin upbringing (thanks David Cain, Dad of the Year Award), and it definitely shows here. Unfortunately Oracle seems to want to give her a short leash, whilst Batman wants to let Cass do whatever she wants, so there's a clash there.

All Cass wants to do is beat people up though, and she gets plenty of opportunity here. There's a vast array of one-shot stories in this volume in which Cass gets to beat up basically everyone she meets. There are a few stand-out issues like the team-ups with Robin and Spoiler, and the Murderer? tie-in issue is a massive turning point for Cass with regard to her relationship to Batman.

Unfortunately a lot of the other issues all blend into one. Cass beats someone up, tries to recover a little of her humanity, and then is back to square one by next issue. It feels like the series is in a holding pattern until the rematch with Shiva in the final issue here, which is admittedly very good, but not worth postponing story progression for an entire year.

Damion Scott pencils all 13 issues collected here, and whilst he has an affectation for round faces and insane leg/arm positions in fight scenes, his art is extremely well suited to Batgirl's fighting style, and is very consistent throughout the entire volume. In fact, he doesn't take a month off, but writer Kelley Puckett steps away for one issue, causing Chuck Dixon to step in for a quick one-off too.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Another good comic featuring Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. Glad she won the second fight against Shiva. Wonder what happened with Cain. Liked that she was able to talk with Barbara/Oracle more. Also wonder what will happen to Bruce.

Can't wait to read more Batgirl and Bat family comics!!!!!

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Cass. She's a fantastic Batgirl, and character.

This volume felt a little jumpier than the last for some reason. The art looked kinda inconsistent and in some issues, the paneling was hard to follow and see clearly because of it.
Batgirl Vol. 1: Silent Knight ended with Catwoman suspected of critically injuring /attacking Jim Gordon... but then nothing was mentioned here, so I guess that plotline was taken care of somewhere else?

I adored the first story of the book Batgirl #13 and its continuation. I find all of Batgirl's stories to be so human, and I love her dedication and efforts & mourn her losses...
(LOL to Batman at first being so excited that Cass gave up her secret identity to be Batgirl and then having to send her in to fix it. It's sometimes all about the job for him.)

The bank robber story with Tim (the kid) was rough, and so was hypnosis guy on the roof... it took Cass only one heartbeat and thinking Batman was dead to justify killing. Heavy stuff.
Same with the story about the convict who got the death sentence. Heavy.

The Robin story was surprisingly sweet. The story itself was a nothing... but Tim is the best. His apology at the end was perfectly written to make you first think that he was being a judgmental ass, but then he says he was intimidated by her... and Batgirl's eyes widen and she smiles as they shake hands. Very sweet.

Oracle is great & has been great so far. She's a huge Cass supporter and keeps pushing Batman on trying to get Batgirl to be a normal girl and give up her upcoming fight with Shiva. Which is hard for Bats, since he finally has another Batmember who's identity is 100% about fighting crime and being a Bat-whatever, just like him... (And because she's just like him, he doesn't know how to reconcile the idea that Cass may have killed before she became Batgirl...)
I did love the one scene in issue #22 where Batman and Batgirl are out patrolling together, and Batman talks a kid down from firing his gun at him/fighting with them, and we forget sometimes how kind/understanding Batman can be. Sure, he's still going to see justice done, but he wants to help all people too, even the criminals.

I really liked the ending with Cass in the Wayne Manor & her reading Bruce Wayne's body language and connecting it with his loss as a child & Batman. Well did, Cass.
The ending with Shiva was also really good too.

Overall, the stories were great! The art and pacing were a bit choppy, but Cass is definitely my favorite Batgirl!

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am rather enjoying Cassandra as Batgirl. She really gets a chance to stand out here.

[Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Cassandra Cain. Granted, I've adopted every member of the Batfam but Cassandra is my baby.

Honestly, I had my reservations because series revolving around characters that were trained/forced into the life of an assassin usually revolve around everyone treating them like children. This series hasn't done that at all. You feel for Cassandra and want to take care of her because of who she is as a person, not because everyone else says you should.

Batman is defensive and protective over her but still respects what she went through. Babs is protective enough to even go toe to toe with Bruce when she feels he's ignoring Cassandra's problems. She runs into Tim (? I think it's Tim as Robin) and he respects and envies her so much that he was too intimidated to introduce himself. She is such an interesting, strong and morally upstanding character.

In this book, the theme is Cassandra seems to be pushing herself past her limits and Babs and Batman can't figure out why. They eventually realize that it's because she blames herself for Cain making her kill someone and intends to sacrifice herself to death by Shiva. In any other series, I might have found that ridiculous but here, considering her history and the fact that her new life revolves around her protecting life, it makes sense. She takes it to heart when she can't save innocent people and she punishes herself for her past. I get that and it's really moving.

Her relationship with Bruce is still so wonderful to see. He seems himself in her and protects her accordingly. The bit where he defended her and her moral view from Babs was amazing to see. It was interesting that it took so long for Cassandra to find out he's Batman.

Her relationship with Babs continues to be amazing and perfect. She sees Babs as a mother figure because, unlike Bruce, Babs always puts her mental health and well being ahead of her fighting technique. She wants Cassandra to have dreams, protects her chance at a future and she just wants her to be healthy. It's such an interesting dynamic considering where Babs started as Batgirl and I love them together.

The opening with her trying to save the sharpshooter is such a great example of who she is and what she values. If your instinct is to save people, you are worth saving. It's as simple as that.

The issue with Cain returning was interesting and left me conflicted. He was an abusive, shitty, all around terrible person and it makes me sick to refer to him as her father. She does and that makes sense but it makes me so sad. Seeing her upset when she thought he died and the casual way she explained to Robin that he SHOT AT HER as a training exercise when she was a child was painful. I wanted to join Bruce in hunting him down. Then Cain kills someone for trying to kill Cassandra. I want to protect her from him but I'm glad he got rid of the people trying to kill her.

The fight with Shiva was amazing. I love seeing Shiva in things and she took on an interesting role here. She helps Cassandra work through some pretty intense shit and Cassandra does the same for Shiva. Ina. way, I think they were the only ones that could help each other because they understand each other in a way no one else does. The fact that they've been building to it since the last volume and I actually think it paid off says a lot. The art works so well for fight scenes like this one.


This was such a great series and I really, really, really wish there was some adaptation of it because it's made for the big screen and Cassandra is such a phenomenal character.

[Shuhrat · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

THIS! This was Such a good read. Knocking off .5 because of the crossover issues, really. I can't say much regarding the plot, because at this point I'm never here for plot, but the character development was amazing. This also really expanded on Cass' interpersonal relationships, beyond Batman and Barbara, and the introduction to her relationships with Tim and Steph were done very differently to one another but in a way that makes me very excited to see them later on.

I need a whole separate paragraph to talk about issue #25. It's the least I can do - it deserves a whole individual review. That one comic is the best thing I've read in this whole run. The breadcrumbs for #25 had been laid out throughout this story, and it delivered a conclusion in the most satisfying way. Fight scenes rarely have me on the edge of my seat, especially in a comic, but this one delivered so much more than I expected. It, and this whole arc, treated Lady Shiva as a multifaceted individual. My only experience with her before has been in Tim Drake's Robin comics, where she didn't really leave a lasting impression on me; I had very low expectations of Shiva going into this. But her characterisation, motives, and actions in this comic were done extremely well, and now I have both higher respect and understanding of her and Cass.

I could go on about #25 for hours. It gave a satisfying conclusion (partial conclusion, though, I hope) to certain aspects of Cass' past. It showcased how much Barbara has come to mean to Cass, and vice versa (not that that wasn't evident before - it's just very clearly affirmed in this comic). Both Bruce and Barbara were shown to be right to some extent about Cass, which I appreciated - not only that, but their reasonings are an interesting commentary on both their characters, which I found very in character with both of them, particularly how they've been characterised this far into the whole Batgirl run. We had some very cool fight scenes. The fight-to-the-death thing had a Very fun plot twist. Cass also broke Shiva's sword with her a swipe of her hand, which was definitely a highlight for me. (#25 gets two paragraphs now apparently.)

In conclusion, I can't recommend this enough. At this point in my reading, this comic feels like a very solid pillar in Cass' characterisation.

[Liz.Loki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babs and Cass best mother-daughter duo!! I love how Babs was caring and protective and tried to make her experience good things about life (stuff that Cass didn't get to do before because of her childhood).

The fact Cass was 8 years old when she killed that man and she has felt so much guilt ever since SHE WAS LITERALLY A BABY SHE DIDNT KNOW WHAT SHE WAS DOING David Cain needs to die for the abuse and trauma he made her go through.

Cass and Shiva's dynamic is so interesting to me. I loved how Cass didn't let Shiva manipulate her, showing she's the strongest between them.

[Sana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finally meet Spoiler! (Fun fact about Spoiler: every single time Ellis mentioned Spoiler I thought the name's is a spoiler instead of actually Spoiler. It went on like that for years LOL). More Lady Shiva stuff!

More thoughts to come once I reread since I read the volume pretty fast and haven't fully absorbed the story yet

[Elinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'adore Cassandra Cain.

[Aidan]

Batgirl’s top enemies:
- Her dad
- Reading comprehension
- The CIA

She just like me fr

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

While still an outstanding read, not quite the creme of the crop I found in Volume One. But, make no mistake, this was still an engaging tale.

It may be that me being new to the Bat Family of this era makes this an exceptionally fitting book for me. Cassandra is introduced to a few characters while I'm also being introduced to them. One might say that the "lesson of the issue" format is a bit too "After School Special" but I found those to be interesting not in the lesson, but how Cassandra took in each experience.

The art is still my style, though I'll admit some of the panels used some extreme perspective shots that felt a little silly at times. I enjoyed it, but I can easily see others complain.

I'd love to read the third installment, but it is my understanding that it isn't available on Kindle for a while so I'll have to wait.

[Melia Glubka · Rating 4 out of 5]

not huge on this art style but he is a great comic book artist if that makes sense.

[Heather Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super refreshing rendition of Batgirl. Total badass chick with skills beyond measure. The artwork is beautifully done. the complexity of the relationships between batgirl and her fellow characters, especially Lady Shiva, are fascinating and contribute a lot to her development as a character. I love her costuming and her overall presence throughout the work. This also made me want to go more in depth with Lady Shiva and read more things with her. I definitely recommend this series for anyone batsman fans or anyone looking for a strong, non-romance filled lead female.

[Matt Walby · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of the same from volume 1.
Picks up straight off from the end of volume 1 and covers the 12 months from that point up to the much anticipated rematch.
Looking forward to volume 3 and increased interaction with the wider Bat family. Enjoyed it, Cassandra Cain remains my favourite Batgirl.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reprints Batgirl (1) #13-25 (April 2001-April 2002). Cassandra Cain continues to hone her skills as Batgirl, but a mission could prove to expose her identity to the world. With the Joker releasing criminals all over Gotham and Bruce Wayne being accused of murder, Batgirl finds that being a superhero isn’t always easy…and the fight to the death with Lady Shiva grows closer!

Written by Kelley Puckett, Chuck Dixon, and Scott Peterson, Batgirl Volume 2: To the Death is a DC Comics collection. Following Batgirl Volume 1: Silent Knight, the comic books feature art by Damion Scott Alitha Martinez, and Marco Martin. The volume contains crossover event series issues Batgirl (1) #21 (December 2001—Joker: Last Laugh) and Batgirl (1) #24 (March 2002—Bruce Wayne: Murderer?) which was previously collected in Batman: Bruce Wayne—Murderer.

I enjoyed this iteration of Batgirl. It wasn’t simply a Batman spin-off with a character like Barbara Gordon doing the same thing as Batman but with a different personality. The Cassandra Cain Batgirl was truly different and the writing and the storytelling is also different than Batman stories. With a compelling lead and a decent overarching story, Batgirl continues to win.

Batgirl actually evolves in these issues. Unlike some stories where the characters simply do their thing over and over again, Batgirl is learning and growing as the comic book progresses. She started out a mute, (potentially) deadly assassin, and now she is talking, honing her skills, and gaining friendships. With a set “end” in this volume (aka the showdown wish Shiva), the collection is a solid rounded story with individual stories making it up.

As with any series involving bigger event series, there are some problems in that you might not always know what events led up to the crossover issue. The Last Laugh issue feels like a stand-alone and doesn’t need too much context and the Batman: Bruce Wayne—Murderer? issue is early enough in that storyline to also stand by itself.

Batgirl is a nice break from the typical Nightwing-Batman-Robin circle. It is a character that doesn’t have deep ties to anyone and is forming ties herself at an age that is important for a young woman. She is a strong character that I feel did not get enough recognition or use (especially after Flashpoint). Sometimes the stories are wrapped up a little too nicely, but overall Batgirl moves. The character feels independent and strong but also has a softness to her that makes it easier to connect with than some other characters who have had paths to enlightenment. Batgirl 2: To the Death is followed by Batgirl 3: Point Blank.

[Iain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable volume with Cassandra Cain, but more mixed feelings on the rating. 4 stars because I don't want to give it 3, I enjoyed it more than average. And yet...

The opening story feels like a random and out of nowhere change of direction that makes no sense and immediately gets mostly scrapped and undone, but the feel of this series is hurt by it. It results in worse character dynamics because... there just are less dynamics, fewer character interaction opportunities. For the most part it's a collection of some rather random, disconnected, and sometimes kinda senseless stories, mostly pretty unmemorable, all filling out the One Year to the showdown set up in the first volume, but some good art and it remains enjoyable to follow this character.

Which is a strange review isn't it: This is kind of unremarkable and unmemorable, but I enjoyed it and look forward to the next.

I don't know if this was new this volume or if I just missed it in the first year or issues, but there are some Animated Series art deco era touches here that felt very welcome! The police uniforms and some of the cars have a B:TAS look.

The first volume ended up with a story that felt like an insulting waste of time, which was not appreciated.
This volume ends with a few pages of character stats and bio pages reminiscent of the old Who's Who books, which was appreciated.

Spoilers:

What the heck is up with the execution interruption story. What, why, how... why!
Glad to see Spoiler show up.
Uh are we going to come back to Bruce being arrested for a random unexplained murder? I assume so, but it feels like we toss that aside quickly and move on to tying up the other loose ends.

[Rachel Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one of my more favorite graphic novels about superheroes. It's been harder to get my hands on Cassandra Cain as Batgirl, since it's been a bit since her series, but I am very pleased to have found this one.

Cassandra is a well-developed character, and the nature of her upbringing and her conflict with herself leads to a lot of interesting places. What I especially love is the questioning of when, if ever, it's right to kill, and also the notion of what that means. And what guilt or responsibility for your actions means.

What I also love about her and her series is that it is about second chances and being redeemable. It's something she seeks, and also often offers to others, even in cases where Batman and co. wouldn't.

Her series also examines the complex nature of the relationship a child has with an abusive parent. It's one of the few works I've ever seen that seems to get it right, so to speak. This is partly due to abuse as a serious topic not often surfacing in many works, but this lacks the after school special flavor that so many have.

Also, I very much enjoyed her interactions with both Stephanie (Spoiler) and Tim (Robin). I feel like they were very human. Barbara's interactions with her often made me sad, because you can see that Barbara is doing her best and wants more for Cassandra than being a vigilante, but she can't change a lot of the things tied up in Cassandra's past and present.

All in all, this was a good volume and I'd definitely recommend it to comics fans, even if I didn't prefer some of the artwork.

[Amna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounding up from a 3.5. This feels like a stronger collection than the first volume. Cassandra Cain is such a complex character, and we get to see that on display here.

These issues focus on Cassandra's struggles with her past and upbringing, and her journey toward the redemption she's convinced that she needs. This all culminates in the final issue of this collection, #25, in which we get that promised Cass vs. Lady Shiva showdown, and the buildup really pays off. Shiva's always been such a fascinating character in the DC universe and particularly in relation to the Batman/Batfam lore.

There's a lot that happens in this collection that I really love:
- I liked seeing Barbara and Batman share their worries over Cassandra's recklessness. They both have very opposing ways of dealing with it. You can tell Batman sees a lot of himself in Cassandra, for better or worse, so he treats her accordingly. I loved the discussion between him and Barbara, it gives you a lot of insight into who they are, and how much they both love Cass.
- We also get the beginnings of the Batgirl/Spoiler team up, Steph and Cass's friendship, and their mentorship with Barbara. Steph and Cass are one of my all-time favorite duos, so it's cool to finally read their first real team up.
- We get a Batgirl and Robin team up with Tim being lovely as usual

In general, the art for this series isn't my style, but the action sequences are always really well done, especially in the Cass vs. Shiva fight.

[Jacob Kimmey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Batgirl Vol. 2: To the Death is a great graphic Novel. The action panels are well done and easy to follow. The art style is fantastic and mesmerizing. There are new characters that are detailed and intriguing to learn about whilst also bringing back recognizable characters like Robin or Batman. This incarnation of Batgirl is more interesting because she works with Oracle who was the original Batgirl. Cassandra Cain is unique because of her background and relations with the characters. She was raised by an assassin, but turned her training into something more by instead protecting Gotham from criminals. While investigating a machine that forces people to kill Bargirl falls under its spell and her brain makes a scenario to justify the violence. The creator of the invention says, “The vet was in that state for ten minutes before he started killing. For the priest, it was an hour. But for you it was a heartbeat”. This quote shows the composition of Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. This composition of assassin and superhero is what I really enjoy about the character as a whole. She may have been taken in by Batman, but she still has the instincts of a killer from when David Cain trained her. Despite this she still chooses to continue her role as Batgirl and strives to improve.

[Anna Mick · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 but I rounded up because I really really love Cassandra Cain. Long and lengthy ode to comics below.

Anyone who knows me I ride or die for Cass, Barbara Gordon and Stephanie Brown and lucky for me this volume had all three characters in it!! #TeamBatgirl all the way.

Honestly I feel so lucky to have found this volume especially in a post-DC Rebirth universe because I think this one and its following issues have the backbone of her character's identity and that's very important to me.

As the daughter of the DC Universe's Deadliest Woman Alive and another assassin named David Cain, Cass has a lot of emotional and physical trauma she's working through at just 17 years old. I have always said that Cass is the character most like Bruce and frankly the character best suited to taking his role as Batman one day, and this volume really highlights their respective similarities and differences. I love her first interactions with both Tim as Robin and Steph as Spoiler.

Personally, Cass' determination to relieve her guilt and constantly reassure herself that she is not the assassin/child weapon she was born to be was a great arc and I look forward to seeing it continue!!!

[Adam Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less a well-written comic book story, and more a collection of cliches with lines of action movie dialogue cut and pasted over occasional panels, this is a frustrating read.

There are some interesting ideas and trope aversion in this volume. For example, a child approaches Batgirl to protect his dad who's "not a bad guy" but who is involved in a bank robbery. After Batgirl protects a bank robber who's clearly over-his-head and not a bad guy, the guy she protects asks to be turned in to pay for his crimes and reveals that he's not the kid's father, that the kid's father is the most violent and corrupt of the bank robbers. It's a nice twist but it could benefit from a better panel-to-panel writer.

I really wanted to enjoy the Cassandra Cain run of Batgirl but it's a bit too clunky for me.

[Freya Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started on volume 2 bc I didn’t have 1. I AM SO CONFUSED. WHAT RHE HECK IS GOING ON?! Ususally you understand more or less when u read more but NO this whole book no idea what’s happening apart from like mini stories but WHAT. but allsooo TIM!!!! Robin made a tiny TINY appearance!! I’m like so sure that was Tim, and later on oracle ALMOST sends him in for a mission and says “sorry Tim”, it made way more sense for Tim to go so I’m just annoyed at that but AHHHH Tim!!! And SPOILER!!! She made a smalls appearance too. The art is very bubbly? And at the start I was a bit confused on what was going on bc her costume is just black and bubbly highlights so it was very confusing. A volume is like a bunch of issues in one tho? So I get the mini stories but doesn’t it Ususally have one main plot? Like??? I really like batgirl tho she’s so cool.

[Seren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was better than the first one. It felt a lot more cohesive and had a satisfying ending. There were a couple of things however that prevent me from giving it five stars.
Firstly, I’m not the biggest fan of the art style. It’s not bad by any means, just not my favourite. It’s very cartoon-y and sometimes the fight scenes are quite hard to follow.
Second, the plot point in which Cass leaves a man to be executed. This seems really out of character to me given her background and how upset she gets when she accidentally almost kills someone herself later on.
Lastly, they made Renee white. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that.

[olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

better than the first vol. I’m too lazy to check if artists changed but I liked the art so it was either that or just improvement lol. I like the one shot format, and I really liked how the shiva arc ended up. I was glad to see my goat Tim Drake and also meet Steph (i need to read more about her). The only thing I’m confused about is someone dying at Wayne manor??? Was this explained in a Batman issue or something lmfao idek. Maybe it’ll be elaborated on next vol but idk. Anyways I loved this!! Cass is so freaking cool and I love her and babs’ relationship

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

These days it's very weird to read a TPB collection that's almost entirely one-shots. That's not bad in itself, but it doesn't work here, as the stories collective lead like an endless string of fight scenes with minimal plot. For example in one story Babs tells Batman he needs to let Cass have more of a life away from her personal Batcave; it's a nice bit but nothing comes of it. Still readable, but a drop from the previous collection.

[Jeremy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot help but love Cassandra Cain as Batgirl. A woman who is just so talented as a crime fighter. Books starring Cassandra are far more visual being that she almost never talks and if she does it’s rarely more than 2 or 3 words at a time. She is a bit of a tortured soul in that way she fits really well with Batman. She was trained as an assassin before she feel in with Batman and has to wrestle with the her conviction of being a hero and her darker past.