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dailycass-cain · 1 year

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Batgirls #13 Review

Batgirls #13 closes out the quick two-issue parental arc as we also pass the one-year anniversary of the comic. Did it continue the highs of the prior arc or did we have another clunker two-parter? Well, here are my thoughts on the issue and arc as a whole.

I'll start with the negative. Because I know many are probably waiting for me to tear into the parts that I didn't enjoy and yeah... there's a big one in this issue.

Lady Shiva in this issue barely felt like Lady Shiva. She felt way too aggressive toward Stephanie and I get that the issue "has to have" a big fight. But..

.. I think it would've been nice subversion if that didn't even occur this issue between Shiva and Steph. Once the cat was out of the bag. It just felt so... off seeing Shiva defend Cass this much.

I mean it's better than being evil and careless but... to this extreme?! I would've enjoyed it more just to see Stephanie just laid it all out when Shiva figured it out.

But... Shiva in all of this and the history with Cass-- just felt wrong. Shiva has never tried to mold Cass into being something she wasn't.

She didn't have anything to "mold" at all. It feels really odd in a way because it feels like negating this bastard, David Cain, the one who truly was trying to "mold" Cass into being a killer.

I think that's always lost in the Pre-Flashpoint origins of Shiva where she was just about manipulated and used by David Cain, the true monster of this whole origin.

This bit always seems lost in how truly a monster David Cain was in this all. How the unexpected side-effect is that he actually did care for Cassandra in the end and didn't treat her as coldly as he did Shiva.

Which is why that bit of dialogue felt so off-putting. The thing Cass is so standoffish about Shiva is (prior to the revelation of being her mom) is Cass sees Shiva as a path she could've gone on if she stayed on the path of being a murderer.

That brings me to the OTHER problem I had with the Shiva/Cass stuff in this issue. The entire crux feels so much a retread of stuff we just had TWO YEARS AGO in Batman & the Outsiders.

And here we are this issue with a completely opposite variant:

That's the WHOLE thing we're waiting for. The next PROGRESSIVE STEP. More an understanding a common ground the two can have between one another but mutually respect the other's lives.

Heck, we're not a year from Shiva trying out actively having a team and doing hero stuff (even if the story was pretty EEEEEH). That should be the new ground for Shiva. This life outside the League of Assassins. But still being Shiva. The line blurred between good/evil.

I get that Shiva is a hard character to write, but when the stories of prior writers literally have set that up. All it takes for the next is to carry that on (or at worst spectacularly ruin it).

Thankfully, writers, Michael Conrad and Becky Cloonan didn't ruin it and we don't have an Emi/Shado situation on our hands. BUT...

This wasn't the dialogue to have between Steph/Shiva this issue. There could've been more. MUCH more to crack into the depths of the relationship between these two and how both struggle but TRY to be there for one another now.

It just comes off as 😬toward the end issue's end Shiva pulling a Darth Vader (but if we're to believe what Steph says) she doesn't really want to rule the League with Cass by her side.

That's why I'm BEGGING both the editor and writers to do a better job with these two next time around. There are better stakes and areas to dig with the two. It just feels like a big retread (when you could've brought up B&O and that BoP run).

Because it's obvious we're getting more of this subplot again once the Hatter and Cluemaster stuff runs it's course. I pray! We don't get a Emi/Shado situation (or worse a Cheshire) because it's soooo cliché at this point with the murder moms and their daughters.

I'm BEGGING for a subversion of this trope so bad. Cass/Shiva could very well BE that subversion. It just takes the right writers to do this on the right path.

My please for the love of GAWD no more of this. It's lazy and by even saying these words makes long-time Cass fans scream internally.

Because I was doing exactly that when reading that bit of narration.

Because my mind flashes instantly back to this:

I HATE that the Shiva/Cass/Steph stuff brought this issue down for me because there was A LOT of good too with this issue resulting in a "mid" then a dumpster fire like say #7-8.

Because the story AROUND the Shiva stuff is GOOD. The Cluemaster stuff is unnerving and creepy as heck. I'm really curious to see where the writers take Arthur here and how it relates to Steph.

Then there's the Babs' stuff in the issue. I think this two-parter was the best-written and best-used bit of Babs in the entire series. Cass/Steph in trouble leading to Babs being Batgirl makes the stuff have higher stakes.

I've been harping how Babs showing up as Batgirl in the series so far has been-- meh. This issue was the first time it felt her being Batgirl here was worth it. Now, let's see this same be used for her as Oracle to boot.

Likewise, the twists and turns Babs/Bruce have with surprise special guest star, Zatanna in unraveling the mystery of how Cass/Steph got body switched.

Again, the reasons as to WHY Cass/Steph got body switched were fascinating. Really the only downside to all of this is how quickly it all ended.

I feel we didn't get a FULL day of Cass/Steph living out the other's life in the other's body. Exploring the differences and similarities. Seeing Steph maybe see the world thru Cass's eyes. Likewise, Cass seeing the world in Steph's.

There could've been one more issue here to have some of that fun. It's truly a pity we had to skip right to Shiva/Cluemaster stuff.

Likewise, I did enjoy the narration boxes in this issue. Barring that one box-- HICCUP.

The boxes did their thing, but also told the reader to, "HEY READ THIS TOO!" Which it did in spades by giving us shoutouts to Birds of Prey and Batgirl Vol. 1. Now give Steph some of that love with nods to her in Robin and Batgirl Vol. 3, please.

If this book does want to claim new readers, it might as well leave these nuggets for them to go dig to find these issues. It also makes jobs easier for me, because I don't have to say, "READ _____ for this!"

But the true highlight this issue? The best thing I utterly adore and am HYPE for #14? Is the art by Jonathan Case. I mean... Jorge Corona and Neil Googe were good and 10s but Case?

There's a Bill Sienkiewicz style here that I adore (maybe @empatheticcain was on that the stuff with style was more a nod to Seinkeiwicz's Batgirl First issue) because Cass throughout this looked so gothic by Case in costume and colors.

Can I also just say how astonishing Case did ALL the colors, pencils, and letters this issue? Like dear GAWD this makes the next issue. The story will basically him using Conrad and Cloonan's script (which I'll give it to them this was a finely tuned issue).

Like please put Case with more of Conrad and Cloonan please. Two issues is just too little. This art is exquisite and gives some of the critics by making Cass/Steph more their age than say much younger.

Baring the Shiva/Cass stuff this issue could've been amazing. It just needed a better look into the past and dig better angle than what we got here. Thankfully everything else was top-notch.

Again I'm begging the writers to do a better job with the history of the character. Please give us subversion in this case and do this mother/daughter relationship between then be consumed by the predictable tropes. There's something really good to mine here.

What can be mined can be truly something UNIQUE. As it stands I am hyped for the next issue because Case's art was a revelation. So to those who've been off the book. Buy Batgirls #14 the art alone by Jonathan Case will be worth it as it will be a silent issue.

No narration boxes.

No weird dialogue.

Just Case using his style to showcase the story and I think we might have something truly special coming January 17th.

#dc comics #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #lady shiva #review

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