Batgirl #10 – Tate Brombal, Writer; Takeshi Miyazawa, Artist; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: This series has focused tightly on Cass Cain’s relationship with her mother Lady Shiva – but now Shiva is seemingly dead, and chasing her mother’s past has uncovered a complex trail leading her to the ranch of Ben Turner, the martial artist once known as Bronze Tiger. Ben was a close ally of Shiva and maybe more – and last issue revealed that there was someone else living there, a young man named Kenji who may just be Cass’ brother. This caused a small amount of controversy online, as the idea of Shiva having another kid didn’t pass the smell test with some, but I’m intrigued by the idea. Kenji seems to be very different from Cass. He was raised by someone who actively wanted him to have a normal life, and Ben only let Shiva come to see him one day a year – at which point, the two of them would engage in a duel to see just how far he had come with his father’s training in the past year.
Kenji is excited by the idea of meeting his sister, Cass is more ambivalent – but they don’t have time to bond before the ruthless assassin who played a key role in the previous arc returns, looking to end Shiva’s bloodline once and for all. Kenji makes the foolish decision to enter the fray, looking to avenge his mother – and doesn’t do particularly well, having all the skills but none of the practice in combat. As Ben races to save his son’s life, an emotional confrontation between him and Cass plays out, as he reveals how desperate he was to keep his son from becoming another twisted project like Cass was. Cass’ nature as a living weapon is one of the most disturbing things in the character’s history, and while that was more David Cain’s doing, Shiva certainly played into it. This second arc is an excellent follow-up to the first as Cass starts to truly reckon with the complex and ruthless nature of her mother’s legacy.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
