My foray back into the DC ‘verse continues with the latest DC graphic novel, Shadow of the Batgirl. These non-continuity novels allow our favs to explore new stories with long-standing (and new, too!) characters without taking their (sometimes complicated) history into account. Cassandra Cain is known for being the first Batgirl to star in her own series and she’s part of DCEU with Birds of Prey!

Sarah Kuhn is a beloved writer around these parts so this was an auto-buy for me. Couple that that with the gorgeous art by Nicole Goux and this book is a win-win for me. Oh, and it’s also fucking amazing so there’s that.

Sarah left her orphan backstory intact, setting the story in the library where Cassandra learns to speak, read, rest, trust, and become the hero of her story. Trained as an assassin from birth, you can imagine this girl is bringing some heavy issues into her hero training. Sarah and Nicole explore this trauma and the supports Cassandra receive in (infamous) Batgirl/Oracle, Babs Gordon, and the sweetest caretaker who feeds her and knows when to press forward and when to give Cassandra space. She also dresses Cassandra in an outfit plucked right out of Sarah’s Instagram.