Batgirl #17 is written by Tate Brombal and published by DC Comics. Artwork is by Takeshi Miyazawa, inks by Juan Castro, colours by Mike Spicer and letters by Tom Napolitano. Main cover art (left) is by David Talaski.
Batgirl #17 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
Spinning directly out of the events of DC K.O., Batgirl is back in Gotham City when she wakes up with the twisted, metahuman abilities of the Blood—the power to wield and control her blood like a weapon. But her Bat-Family reunion is cut short when she is forced to ascend Wu Corp Tower to confront her Blood relatives for answers and a reversal of this curse. Cassandra Cain has leveled up…or is it a level down? The perfect jumping-on point for new readers of this hit series, as “The Curse of the Blood” begins here!
Review
I’ve had a long step away from comics, but Tate Brombal’s Batgirl run thus far has been a reminder of not only why I love this medium so much but also why Cassandra Cain is my favourite DC character of all time. Brombal’s run has been focused on Cassandra’s bloodline, how it has been holding her back and how she’s not able to escape who she is. The run has done a magnificent job of it so far, connecting everything through her mother, but now this 3-story arc, “The Curse of Blood”, cleverly continues this storyline by not only sticking with the themes of her mother but literally taking her blood and using it as a physical weapon against her.
Cassandra Cain has been through a lot, and as we saw in the last arc, it was a struggle for her to even begin healing. If it wasn’t clear, Tate Brombal has been using this run as a character study of Cassandra Cain and has been doing it in an effective way that keeps this Batgirl run entertaining with its bloody action and complex storytelling. While I’ve been enjoying this run, I can’t see it going on for much longer with this storyline surrounding how Cassandra feels about herself in regard to her past.
We’ve gotten hints from early on in the run when it came to “The Blood”, as they were a clan organised by Lady Shiva’s cousin, Wu Lin. “The Blood” is a clan that uses their blood as a weapon to attack and kill their enemies, and recently, Cassandra has found her blood out of control, attempting to silence her. Cain hasn’t gone through the ordinary ritual to unlock this gift but finds herself with it and quickly wants answers.
We can see her adjusting back to life, almost ready to attend dinner with the rest of the Bat-Family but is immediately brought to a stop when her blood tries to kill her. This works beautifully as a metaphor as Cassandra Cain continuously tries to separate herself from her blood family and be one with the family she’s chosen, but at the end of the day, the one you can’t escape no matter how hard you try is your blood.
When it was first announced that Cassandra Cain was essentially going to be a bloodbender, I was excited just to see one of my favourite characters with one of my favourite powersets, but I’m glad that Tate Brombal has been able to connect it to the overall story he’s been telling. It’s a short story arc that we’re following, and the last few pages of it are already some of the best this run has been since its first storyline as Cassandra Cain comes to terms with not being ashamed of her blood and embracing where she comes from despite the horrific past.
This issue can get quite gruesome, and despite it focusing on Cassandra, we get to spend a small amount of time with Tenji Turner, her brother also known as the Jade Tiger. There’s Cassandra who’s trying to figure out herself and come to terms with the family she’s been given while Tenji is trying to find his place in a family and world that he’s not yet familiar with.
If you’ve not begun reading Batgirl, then you should 100% pick it up whenever you get the chance and prioritise it. It continues to have magnificent art from Takeshi Miyazawa, and combined with Brombal’s writing, which deconstructs Cassandra, it’s a comic that you’re bound to be attached to as each month arrives.
Verdict
Batgirl #17 has been advertised as a new jumping-on point for readers, but with there only being seventeen issues, I think it’s worth reading the entire run to get the full context. The issue gives you enough to understand Batgirl’s dilemma as she takes herself to the newly built Wucorp tower to unravel the mystery of her new blood capabilities. I believe there might be a little confusion surrounding the supporting characters involved with Cassandra Cain, but overall, this is another great issue that continues to dive into Cassandra’s character, breaking her down further all the way to her blood.
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