In the last issue, Cassandra Cain attempted to rescue her mother, Lady Shiva, from the clutches of the Unburied. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful and ended up getting captured as well. Now, both mother and daughter need to work together once more to escape before they meet their death sentence. Issue #5 was my favorite of the series so far, so how will issue #6 of Batgirl conclude the “Mother” arc and will it conclude in a satisfying way? These are my thoughts.
It’s my pleasure to say that not only did this arc conclude in a satisfying way, it might be my favorite issue of Batgirl so far. Or it might be just a notch below issue #5, but they are neck-and-neck. Bravo to writer Tate Brombal, artist Takeshi Miyazawa, colorist Mike Spicer, letterer Tom Napolitano, and every one in the creative team for producing such a fun and heartfelt series. You can tell that they’re super passionate about Cassandra, and they were able to craft a story that both diehard Cass fans and newcomers would enjoy.
In this issue, it is finally revealed the exact reason why the Unburied have so much animosity towards Lady Shiva. I actually sympathized for them, and I understood their perspective. The only nitpick I have is that I would have preferred to have been shown visually their history with Shiva instead of being told through dialogue. Other than that, I really have no complaints. The focal point of the arc was the relationship between Cass and Shiva, and I felt that their development was done excellently.
I might sound like a broken record, but the artwork by Takeshi Miyazawa along with the colors by Mike Spicer were top notch once again. The action sequences were dynamically illustrated, and the little details in the backgrounds really enthralled me. There’s this one page where Cass puts back on her mask, and there’s a bunch of bat eyes lit up in the cave. To be frank, that image just looked so bad***. Also, the facial expressions on the characters were really detailed, and I could feel what they were going through when certain situations happened. The artwork has been consistently great throughout, there’s nothing more I can say that hasn’t already been said.
By the end of the issue, Lady Shiva has a really emotional moment and you think it happens a certain way based on certain panels and how Cass reacts. I can see Shiva’s fate playing out in a couple of ways, so we’ll see what happens. But Brombal does an excellent job of setting things up for Batgirl’s next arc by hinting, and we might be diving more into Shiva’s backstory. We’ll just have to find out. Either way, I cannot wait.
Recommended if…
- You have been enjoying the series so far like I have.
- You want to read a comic that has awesome action sequences and great character development between a mother and daughter.
- You want another Cassandra Cain comic that’s simply a fun read.
Overall
Batgirl #6 did not disappoint. The conclusion to the “Mother” arc was emotional, action-packed, and it left me wanting more. I know it might be early to say this but if the series continues to maintain this quality, we could be looking at one of the best Batgirl runs ever. This series has been so much fun; it makes me want to go back and read that early 2000s run by Kelley Puckett. Congrats to the whole creative team. You’ve made me a fan of Cassandra Cain.
Score: 9/10
DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of review.
English (US) · 