This Is the Best Batgirl Story Ever Told

Batgirl is one of the most important characters in the Batman mythos, being not only the headlining female member of the team, but also becoming a mantle in the same way that Robin has, allowing multiple heroines to grow and evolve as they make the identity their own. The introduction of Batgirl made the Dynamic Duo into the Terrific Trio, and she has been a major player in the DC Universe for decades. There have been plenty of people to be Batgirl, with the three most prominent being Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain, and Stephanie Brown. All three are fantastic in their own right, and all three have headlined incredible stories. Batgirl: Year One is an incredible read that informed  all future portrayals of Barbara, “Batgirl of Burnside” is a great modernization of the character and fun read, and Stephanie’s criminally short Batgirl run is incredibly underrated. Tate Brombal’s Batgirl is gearing up to be an instant classic, but considering it’s still ongoing I can’t consider it for the running in good conscience. There’s also Shadow of the Batgirl, an incredible story aimed at a younger audience that shows Cass growing into the role after being inspired by Barbara. 

All of these Batgirl stories deserve the praise they get and then some, but out of all of the stories that Batgirl has taken the lead on, the best one so far has to be Cassandra Cain’s original seventy-three issue solo series. It was the first ever Batgirl ongoing series, and solidified Cass as a fan favorite character for decades to come. Although this storyline has more than its fair share of competition, I have to give it to this series, especially Kelley Puckett’s work on the first thirty-seven issues, and here’s why.

Batgirl is an Action-Packed Family Drama

Batgirl volume one wasn’t just Batgirl’s first ongoing, but also Cass’s first foray into the comic book world. She had just premiered in the “No Man’s Land” event, becoming Batgirl and immediately jumping into her own series as that event closed. When it first started, nobody knew anything about her beyond the fact that she was David Cain’s daughter, could hardly talk, and was an incredible fighter. She was a blank slate, and what makes this run so special is how beautifully it uses that fact. Cass is the perfect introductory character, as she slowly learns about the world in a way that someone who grew up normally couldn’t. We see Cass’s first night as Batgirl, how she adapts her spectacular skills to the mental asylum minefield that is the Gotham City streets, and grows into the mantle she was given. At the same time, because she never had a normal childhood, we get to see her learn about completely normal things like movies with just as much wonder.

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Where Babs and Stephanie both had to fight to prove themselves as capable despite others telling them they couldn’t do it, Cass fought to make up for a mistake she thought she could never recover from. She knew she was strong, and instead fought to save lives after her past as an assassin, and although she didn’t plan on it, to prove that she deserved to live even as she wanted to die. She was a young girl who believed she should give up her life in the line of duty, and that resonated with both Batman and Babs. Cass’s journey involves learning how to be both a hero and a person from Batman and Babs, respectively, and it brings out sides of them that we never see anywhere else. Bruce connects with Cass more than he has with anyone else because she understands his drive in a way nobody else can, while Babs sees a young girl who tries to carry the world on her shoulders and is trying to teach her how to manage that weight without being crushed. Batman and Babs each drag Cass into a world she never imagined, becoming parental figures to her, which contrast so beautifully with the selfish and evil personalities and intentions of her birth parents, David Cain and Lady Shiva.

This run of Batgirl is all about Cass learning to live while dealing with the history she can’t shake, and choosing to be with a family out of love, rather than genetics. It’s an emotionally wrought piece that also never skips on the action, making the best use out of Cass’s unmatched fighting prowess as she goes up against criminals of all kinds, from metahumans to the Clown Prince of Crime. Its almost cartoon-inspired art style gives it a fluidity that encapsulates Cass’s dance-like moves, and serves to bring some hilarious reactions. Cass’s simple empathy in a world that loves to complicate morality is consistently beautiful and heartbreaking to watch, all while she slowly learns why she deserves to live just as much as everybody else.

At the end of the day, this storyline is all about Cass growing up and becoming her own person, and she does so through finding a family that loves her and learning to forgive herself. It’s an incredible read and stands as the best Batgirl story of all time, in my humble opinion. But of course, with so many incredible Batgirl storylines out there, there are plenty of others that can be argued deserve this position. Which Batgirl story do you think deserves the top spot? Let us know in the comments below!