I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Shadow of the Batgirl from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

Cassandra Cain has never know what it means to be a daughter or a hero. Raised as an assassin to execute her fathers deadly whims, her life has been one of neglect and silence. After one mission leaves her chilled to her core, she begins to question what her role in the world could be. Fleeing from her father’s grasp, she takes refuge in a library, where she begins to learn what it means to fight for someone rather than to follow orders blindly.

As a reader who has followed other iterations of Cassandra Cain’s journey into becoming Batgirl, this story felt to me to be the most vibrant and pure. It has a child-like wonder, that makes Cassandra far more human that I am used to seeing. Sarah Kuhn’s take on Cassandra Cain as Batgirl is well written and excellently structured, allowing me to follow the story easily and finish the book quickly. I also was a huge fan of Nicole Goux’s illustration style, which was bright and captivating from the first page!

You can get your copy of Shadow of the Batgirl on February 4th from DC Comics!

My Recommendation-
If you have been looking for an engaging superhero read with a message of positivity, Shadow of Batgirl would be a great choice! Though I loved this book as an early Batgirl fan, you do not have to have read any earlier Batgirl titles, or have any knowledge of the character, to enjoy this book!

Without seeing the images, I didn't go too far in to the story because the images in comics/graphic novels play off of each other. But what I did read, and the layout looked good, and I am definitely eager to pick this title up once it is available in libraries or to purchase.

This was pretty enjoyable. I really liked Cass. The art was really unique and striking. The story was a bit predictable though

I am really enjoying these YA Batfam/DC stories. I like learning about them outside of who they are to batman.

This was an interesting take on Cassandra Cain. I like how the author dealt with her transition from being an assassin to a regular teenager, well until she turns into Batgirl. It really showed how much work went into her changing her life for the better. She had to train in a different, non-violent, way and learn to trust new people. I really loved that Barbara was in this and the found family aspect she and Jackie added to the story.

The one thing I could have done without was the random romance. I feel like there was so much other good stuff going on that this seemed kind of tacked on and forced.

The art style in this was very unique and really suited the story. The coloring was also well done and I really liked the use of shadow vs light throughout the book.

Yet another good addition to the growing collection of DC Ink graphic novels. As someone not really familiar with Cassandra Cain, I liked this look at her backstory and am interested in reading more about her. The pace of the book was a bit slow at times. I will admit I didn't realize she was mute till about halfway through the book but that could have been due to my reading of the character. The supporting characters were a delight though.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. Cassandra is an interesting character because she spends most of the book not talking. She doesn't really know how to talk because of her upbringing, so the way Sarah Kuhn wrote her character's progression was so interesting. As she learns to speak, she also learns about Batgirl and what it means to be a hero. The heart of this graphic novel is a profound message on what qualifies someone for heroism and that our past doesn't dictate our future. 

The other characters—Jackie, Barbara, Erik—were also wonderful. Jackie is the best character hands down. She owns a noodle shop and acts as a mentor/auntie type character for Cassandra. She also kicks butt! Of course, Barbara is great too because she uses her knowledge and tech expertise to help Cassandra become a hero. I love when books include smart girls in a positive light. The little romance between Cassandra and Erik was adorable, and I love that Erik's favorite book genres are poetry and romance. 

I also love that the main setting of the story is a library. It's definitely a unique setting for a superhero story, but it's not just there because the author might love libraries. The library helps Cassandra learn and grow as a character and it puts her in touch with people who can held her out, like Barbara . It's at the library that Cassandra first learns about Batgirl.  

The artwork lends itself well for the story it's trying to tell. I like the character designs and the color palettes. I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book, but I knew I wanted to learn more about the other Batgirls that have existed over the years, especially since Cassandra is a person of color. After reading it, though, I can now say that Cassandra Cain is my new favorite Batgirl.

I've been really liking the new DC Comics that have been coming out aimed at the young adult audience. I like them because they are an easy way into comics without assuming you have read like 25893859485 of the other comics.

This was was cool because it's basically a passing of the mantel of the batgirl persona. As soon as Barbara showed up I was like, "Ohh...I know what's going to happen." I did love the relationship between the three women and it was nice to see Cassandra find kind people who wanted to help her. Also Jackie was ridiculous and I loved her! She was such a cool older lady!

There is a little bit of romance in this one, and I thought it was cute first love kind of thing. Cassandra is really struggling being in the real world, so it was a journey for her. She made mistakes, but she owns up to them and feels bad about them.

This was a cool story, and I think if you never read any of the DC books, you can still get this story and enjoy it. The art was very blue and dark, which I liked and thought made sense for this book.

*I received a review copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Shadow of the Batgirl is the latest in a run of series focused on a slightly younger audience. That being said, fans of Cassandra Cain will absolutely want to check this one out.
This graphic novel is a new retelling on Cass’ origin story. So it’s not going to be quite what you remember. For that matter, Cass won’t be exactly what you remember or expect. There are some artistic liberties being taken here, but the end result is something fun and interesting.
Cassandra Cain was born and raised to be an assassin. Until one day she stopped. She fled from her father – and her whole life, and instead sought to create something new for herself. What she found was Batgirl. It was the hope and inspiration she needed.

Shadow of the Batgirl was a fun and interesting read. Cass is a tortured soul, one who has gone through so much, only to come out on top. What I especially loved about her origin here is that every positive change made in her life was done because of her choices. She chose to run away. She chose to create something new and better for herself. She chose to save people. There’s something beautiful in that.
As I mentioned above, it’s an origin story. But it takes several unexpected twists and turns along the way. I imagine a lot of the changes were partially due to artistic license, but also partially due to the intended audience.
On the whole, I honestly really didn’t mind the changes. Though perhaps it was a bit jarring to see a version of Barbara Gordon/Oracle who was so open and free – and so willing to share her secret. Okay, and the Cass talking bit too, let’s not ignore that. But I honestly felt like that was almost a natural extension to this story, so it was less jarring that one might expect.
The artwork in Shadow of the Batgirl was a perfect blend, as well as being a thematic match for the rest of these series. It’s fun and bubbly, sticking with just a simple color palette to get the point across. It’s effective, and forces us to focus more on what the characters are doing or saying.
Cass is not a character who spends a lot of time talking. And thus the artwork, provided by Nicole Goux – had to do a whole lot of the heavy lifting here. I think she did an excellent job. She did a great job of showing how agile Cass is, and how quickly she was able to move around a room or any other obscure location.
Shadow of the Batgirl was everything I was hoping it would be. It was entertaining, and yet also surprisingly dark (given the target demographic). I’m happy that they didn’t dilute Cass’ story for the sake of making it more palatable. I feel like that was an important decision made.
I’ve now read several of these origin story retellings (again, with the intention of being approachable to a younger audience) and I’ve got to say that this is one of my favorites. So far, at any rate. I will be curious to see who will be next up on the list.

I liked the different story lines and Interesting characters. Inspires you to be true to you. Very ready to read the next story in the series.
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read and review this book.

Shadow of the Batgirl was a charming tale of Cassandra Cain, who is one of my favorite batfamily members so I was delighted that there would be title of hers in the DC Ink imprint and by one of my favorite authors Sarah Kuhn. This graphic novel did not disappoint and I loved Kuhn's interpretation of Cass and her journey away from her father and life as an assassin. I really enjoyed the art as well, and there were several moments when she interacts with regular people that neatly depicted Cass' struggle against the instincts honed by her upbringing. I am excited for this book to be available to readers who are already familiar with Cass as well as new readers because I think this novel represents an approachable and engaging introduction to the universe of DC characters.

I like this origin story and the connections to the characters we already know. Good demonstration of the effects of psychological abuse and conditioning.

THE ART. THE STORY. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. I never was allowed to read many comics as a kid so I absolutely revel in the beauty of comic art now. As much as I love to use my imagination, I also love seeing artistic styles and colors on the page.
As much as I'd love to sing my praises of the artist of this novel, I also want to write about the plot and the characters. I've honestly never heard of Batgirl (sorry to any devoted fans!) but I absolutely loved her a story and her backstory in this! Not only was she amazing, but all the other characters were so intriguing and interesting as well!
If you're looking for a feel-good, action-packed, and beautifully illustrated read you need to pick this one up!

I really enjoyed this new Batgirl Origins story from DC! It's awesome that we have an Asian super hero who was written by an Asian author. I am loving the diverse rep we are seeing more of in the reading community. Although the story line fell a little flat for me the illustrations were to die for. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. This is also child friendly so I can't wait to share it with my son.

I first want to give a huge thank you to NetGalley and DC Comics for this opportunity! I really enjoyed reading this comic. I have been wanting to give comics more a try and when I saw one about BatGirl I thought this was the perfect one to start with and it was the one I needed to give me the push to read them more. I really enjoyed reading her discovering who she is.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Shadow of the Batgirl begins with Cassandra Cain fulfilling a mission for her father when the man she’s taking out does something that hits her hard. Struggling she hides in a library (as a book nerd I believe she couldn’t have found a better place to start finding herself) and meets Barbara from whom she starts to learn about the Batgirl and just learns in general. Cassandra struggles with communication and understanding the world at large, she was raised to be a weapon for her father’s crime syndicate and kept away from anything that wouldn’t help with that. She’s also illiterate but trying so hard to pick up skills.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it was a quick fun read. You see Cassandra as someone whose been beaten down but not going to give up, she wants to do good and all you want to do is cheer her on. Barbara is the influence she needs but also Jackie, an older Japanese woman she meets, is the gift that keeps on giving. I love sassy older ladies and Jackie is a fun character.
I also found the art style to be enjoyable and worked well with the story.
Will be recommending to some of my favorite younger readers looking for more superhero stuff that is more appropriate for their age.

If I hadn't already known that Sarah Kuhn was excited about writing Cassandra Cain Batgirl, I would know it after reading Shadow of the Batgirl, because her love of the character shines through the whole book. I'm a sucker for Barbara Gordon (she's a librarian!), but as I was reading Shadow, I fell more and more in love with Cass. This book is glorious and I need it on my shelves now.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC. Because Cassandra Cain is not much of a talker, the artist, Nicole Goux, really does most of the heavy lifting here. There are some major departures from the Cass Cain we all know from the comics, in that she talks, but that is OK since this is supposed to be a new way in/a new origin story for new readers. Babs is the Oracle, Cass is a mess, teenage drama ensues. The problem here is that this book is not sure what it wants to be. There is swearing and death so the YA elements are in effect, but the rest of it reads like a middle reader/J book. That uneven tone is the biggest problem. I was not expecting this to be an Orphan book. I know that INK is not dark, but if you want to make a kids book, cut the murder and swearing.

Breathes new life into a superhero we all love .kuhn creates a new batgirl with a heart breaking back story . Fabulous ploy . Unique artwork . I hope for more in this series

Graphic novels are something Iv'e been trying to read more of. I had heard about this one on a DC panel at comic con and was extremely excited for the chance to read it. I loved the new twist on the bat girl story. The colors and graphics were amazing.

So much fun! Sarah Kuhn takes the Batgirl canon and creates characters uniquely her own and wholly embraceable. Nicole Goux's artwork contributes to the immediately accessible nature of this comic by being just the right blend of serious/teen-angst and sweet. I particularly gravitated to the reference Kuhn makes of Cassandra's heightened sense of observation even though she lags in her verbal and reading abilities. I found this clever since, for me at lease, observation (i.e. experiencing the artwork as much as the text) is such a significant element of reading graphic novels. I really want more of these combos....writer & artist/characters & storyline. These were all win wins for me!