Batgirl #20 – Tate Brombal, Writer; Stephen Segovia, Penciller; Jason Paz, Inker; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: Batgirl is back in Gotham after spending the first nineteen issues of this series on the run around the world, but things aren’t slowing down even a little. In fact, this issue is one of the most intense of the entire run. For those who remember, Cassandra Cain’s first solo series by Kelley Puckett back in 2000 had some great, darker elements as it delved into her brutal past with her father. Well, someone else remembers those days too. The issue begins with Batgirl and her allies Tenji and Jaya being contacted by Batman to help solve a murder – one that has deeply personal ties to Cass. A body of a little girl has been found, carefully arranged in bed like a doll. More disturbing, it’s wearing the exact dress Cass wore when she was eight and was sent undercover to kill a man – the most traumatic event of her life. Whoever killed this girl didn’t just abandon her body – they sent her as a warning.
There’s a ticking clock on the investigation, as when Gordon calls the Bats in, he warns them that Savage’s goons will be closing in soon and will be making them, not the murder, their priority. He’s none too happy to see new vigilantes, either, which shows how bad things are in Gotham. But as soon as Cass investigates, she’s triggered into a seizure that sends her deep into a flashback to her time with David Cain. It turns out that long before Shiva and Bronze Tiger had a son together, Ben Turner was one of Cass’ trainers, and he pushed her to the limit. But at the fringes of the flashback, there’s a mysterious man she can’t remember, one who burrowed deep into her mind – and may be making a comeback now. This is a great issue, opening up new channels in Cass’ history and paying tribute to the era of the character that defined her and hasn’t been given a proper tribute in a very long time.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
