Batgirl #22 – Tate Brombal, Writer; Stephen Segovia, Penciller; Jason Paz, Inker; Rain Beredo, Colorist
Ray – 9.5/10
Ray: This arc has been the most emotional of the entire series, and the first one to really call back to the original Cassandra Cain run that defined the character. The backstory that Kelley Puckett gave Cass way back in the early 2000s, raised in isolation by her sadistic father David Cain, was incredibly dark and made her unlike any other Bat-kid at the time. And now we’re back there – with the shocking reveal that she wasn’t alone. She had a friend, Victoria Rose, but that little girl seemingly wound up dead – and unlocked memories revealed to Cass that she might have been responsible. Now, she’s forced to plumb through the darkest parts of her past, courtesy of the mysterious Dr. Forget-Me-Not, Cain’s twisted counterpart who raised Victoria and used trigger words and mind-wiping where Cain used martial arts training and isolation. But with Cass locked in a prison of her mind, not everything is as it seems.
A large-scale retcon like this, bringing in a whole new player into Cass’ upbringing, is a very tricky prospect. The character of Dr. Forget-Me-Not could have easily been a footnote or an attempt to create an even edgier version of David Cain. But here, he’s a spectre haunting the story – until he becomes very real, trying to take control of one of the few characters who are still fighting for Cass. The visuals surrounding him, especially how Cass sees him in the dreamscape, are very creepy, and the ultimate reveal plays out in the best way it could have. Adding this sin onto Cass’ ledger would have been incredibly hard for her to handle and likely undone most of the progress she had made, and this option opens up a whole lot of new stories. And of course, I’m not the only one who has noticed the parallels between Victoria and another blonde friend of Cass’
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