A Few Good Batgirls

I’ve been a fan of Batgirl for a while. Loved the version on Harley Quinn been waiting with baited breath (and admittedly less and less hope) for a good live-action version.

And recently did some comic readings one Cassandra Cain (and Barbara) and one Barbara and they were all worth it!

Shadow of the Batgirl

By: Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux

This is one of the best graphic novels I’ve read in a while. An origin story for Cassandra Cain (whose name was stolen for Birds of Pray but that’s a whole other rant) Cassandra disappears from her violent past as an assassin whose never even been taught to speak, takes shelter at a library, runs into Barbara Gordon wheelchair bound now but teaching a class on Batgirl and begins to wonder if she can put her skills to better use.

The rep was really good in this one with a lot of diversity as well as Barbara still being able to kick ass in the wheelchair physically. I also liked Cassandra’s needing to face the on-going trauma that past violence has put on her and how that can skew her mind in some regards.

Plus female friendships 🙂

The art was really good here as well I admit I was a little worried about that because I’m not overly big on the cover of this one but it’s well worth it. Like I said one of my favorite’s in a while.

Recommend: Definitely yes.

Batgirl Year One

By: Scott Beatty, Chuck Dixon, Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez

This was a little iffier.

I really enjoyed Barbara’s beginning as Batgirl in this telling. She wanted to make a difference had a point to prove and the skills in which to do it. It felt very old school in a way.

Probably because the main male’s in this comic where kind of asses. Gordon is a throwback of sorts who doesn’t want her to even consider applying for the police force. She’s too short. Batman is a dick and Robin well only slightly better. He’s kinder to her and actually believes she can do it he also lays a kiss on her without permission so there’s that.

Also the villains in this one the Moth and Firefly were a strange duo. You get the feeling one is no more than a joke and the other a rather scary psychopath and that they don’t really work together. Yet at the same time it could work but doesn’t really by the end they just sort of… well the villain story is not nearly as important as Batgirl naturally but it’s still a bit off.

Worth a read if you’re a Batgirl fan or just want an interesting origin story for a female superhero.

Recommend: Yes.