The Unburied strikes again! And this time, the mysterious monk-warriors have captured Lady Shiva and taken her to an unknown location. Even though their relationship has been tumultuous to say the least, Batgirl does care about her mother and is now in hot pursuit of her captors. Will Cass be able to save Shiva before it’s too late? This series has been quite enjoyable for me so far even though I’ve been finding the story a little stagnant. Will issue #5 of Batgirl ramp up the intrigue? Let’s get into it.

While I was starting to feel that the story was getting a little tedious over the past couple of issues, I just have to say that this issue of Batgirl is my favorite of the series so far. It was essentially a character study, and it really dove deeper into Cassandra’s mindset and her psyche with all that’s been happening since Lady Shiva returned to Gotham in issue #1. I really appreciated that because as a reader who wasn’t too familiar with the Cassandra Cain character and her background, I finally got the sense of who she is and the inner turmoil she’s going through.

Tate Brombal really does a great job with the story by highlighting critical moments in Cass’ life and showcasing the contrasts of how her biological parents (Shiva and David Cain) raised her and how the Bat Family is currently raising her. I also liked that we see a brief slice of life for the normal civilians of the Unburied. And to reiterate what I have mentioned in previous reviews of this series, I can tell that Brombal is a huge fan of Cassandra and he cares about her lore.

And what else needs to be said about Takeshi Miyazawa’s artwork? He continues to provide dynamic action scenes and the quieter moments where Batgirl is just navigating her way through the Unburied’s stronghold were just beautiful. The unsung hero of the issue was Mike Spicer. His use of the color blue was just captivating, and it really complemented Miyazawa’s artwork.

There’s this one page where Cass is standing in a meadow of blue flowers and the moon is shining on her; the visual was just completely stunning. Again, the artwork and colors have been standouts throughout the series, and I continue to be thoroughly impressed.

And shout out to David Talaski for the cover art. It's simple but visually striking.

Recommended if…

• You want to dive deeper into Cassandra Cain’s mindset and how she’s feeling with all that’s happened to her.
• You want to continue to witness dynamic action sequences drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa.
• You want to see a cameo appearance from another Bat Family member.

Overall

Batgirl #5 is the best issue of the series so far. The pacing continues to be dynamic, the artwork continues to be stellar, and the colors continue to be vivid and captivating. We really got an insight into who Cassandra really is and what she wants to be as a person, even with all she’s been through in her upbringing. The next issue is the conclusion to this arc, and I can’t wait to find out what happens. This book is why I love comics... it's just pure fun. If it's not on your pull list, then what are you waiting for?

Score: 9/10

DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of review.