Batgirl #12 – Tate Brombal, Writer; Takeshi Miyazawa, Artist; Juan Castro, Inker; Mike Spicer, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Batgirl’s journey over the course of this series has been fascinating, as she rejoined her mother, only to lose her to old enemies – but then found a new family, including a half-brother in Tenji Turner, and a sort-of adoptive sister in Jaya, the daughter of a close ally who fell heroically. Together, they’ve formed a new band as they head to a refuge, but Cass is increasingly haunted. She’s having disturbing flashbacks to the crimes she was forced to commit as a child, and distances herself from her friends back home – barely talking to Barbara and refusing to talk to Steph (just confess your feelings already, girls). But while she’s clearly not doing well in some ways, she does seem to be forming a bond with her new allies – continuing to train Tenji, and even learning new techniques from Jaya. And as this issue reaches its big moment, they find what they’re looking for – Samsara.
This hidden paradise in the mountains has all the hallmarks of a classic lost city, and Miyazawa’s art is gorgeous. But there’s a dark side to this city – it’s home to Nyssa Al Ghul, an old enemy of Cass with ties to one of the darkest moments in her history. Nyssa has a distinctly more tragic past than Ra’s and Talia do, and that’s made her more nuanced in some ways – but more ruthless in others. She’s got a plan to put the kibosh on the Unburied once and for all – but it involves taking the war to them and violating several rules of what a hero is supposed to be. Tenji is immediately opposed and horrified by the idea that Cass is considering it, but Jaya and Cass have both lost a lot of people to the Unburied over the years and are ready to try a different playbook. Could Cass’ new family be falling apart just as it begins? This issue adds some really interesting wrinkles to a great book.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
