Warning: Spoilers for Batgirl #3
On the surface, the Bat-Family can be perceived as the most fortified family unit in DC lore due to their bonds with each other as associates of Batgirl is an outcast among Gotham's tight-knit vigilantes, redefining the Bat-Family's dynamics in a heartbreaking way.
The preview for Batgirl #3 by Tate Brombal, Takeshi Miyazawa, Mike Spicer, and Tom Napolitano highlights the difference between Batgirl and the rest of the Bat-Family as she leaves Gotham with her mother, Lady Shiva. On the train ride, Cassandra holds onto a photograph of the Bat-Family, but her mother soon strips the comfort from it.
When Batgirl presents the photo to her mother and insists that it shows her true self, Lady Shiva coldly says, "You almost look like you belong." Her words may be harsh, but they unveil an unfortunate reality about Cassandra's inability to properly fit in due to the unique language she speaks.
Batgirl Doesn't Fit In With the Rest of the Bat-Family Due to How She Communicates
Cassandra Cain Speaks the Bat-Family's Language, But They Don't Speak Hers
When Cassandra Cain was first introduced, she lacked the ability to speak after being raised by her father as a weapon. Without relying on speech to communicate, Cass developed the Batman and the rest of the Bat-Family took her in and trained her as Batgirl, she was taught to speak and write so that she could interact with her new teammates. Cassandra can now speak verbally with her fellow vigilantes after much practice, but that effort has never been reciprocated by them.
DC Is Finally Done Ignoring Batgirl's Former Codename, Giving It the Respect (& New Meaning) It Deserves
In the debut of DC's new Batgirl ongoing solo series, Cassandra Cain briefly acknowledges her past tenure under a different codename: "Orphan."
Batgirl and her Bat-Family peers.
Lady Shiva Is the Only DC Character Who Truly Understands Batgirl
Cassandra Cain's Mother Believes She Doesn't Belong With the Bat-Family
Lady Shiva is the only one who recognizes that Batgirl is an outcast to the Bat-Family, because she is the only one who can speak Cassandra's language. Like Cass, Shiva can derive meaning from her smallest movements, and she uses this to insist that she is her real family as opposed to her family in Gotham. However, because Lady Shiva can speak this language, she is also capable of manipulation via calculated gestures and glances. Batgirl is seen by her mother, but Shiva cannot truly be trusted the way Batman and his family can - even if they cannot truly see her.
Batgirl #3 is available January 1st, 2025 from DC Comics.
- Alias
- Barbara Gordon, Betty Kane, Helena Bertinelli, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown
- Created By
- Bill Finger, Sheldon Moldoff
- Franchise
- Marvel
- First Appearance
- Batman (1940)
- Alliance
- Batman Family
- Created by
- Bob Kane, Bill Finger
- First Film
- Batman
- Latest Film
- The Batman
- Films
- The Batman Part II
- First TV Show
- Batman (1966)
- Latest TV Show
- Batman: The Brave and the Bold
