BATGIRL #9 – Deep into the Secrets

Creative Team – Tate Brombal(writer). Takeshi Miyazawa(artist). Mike Spicer(colors). Tom Napolitano(letters). David Talaski(cover artist).

Published by DC Comics

Catch up with Batgirl #8 here!

The Story and Writing

In the aftermath of the death of her mother, Shiva, Cassandra Cain is on a mission sent by her mother in her final minutes of life. The mission sent her to Benjamin Turner to find out what the Jade Tiger is, and it’s proving to be more of a challenge than she originally thought. Turner, who was once the Bronze Tiger, is adamant that he has no idea what Cassie is talking about. He says Shiva sent her on a wild goose chase, and even from the grave, is still running Cassie’s life.

This infuriates Cassie to the point of violence. Cassie is desperate to find out what the Jade Tiger is, as she was sent by Shiva herself so it must’ve been important. Turner won’t engage is Cassie’s fight, but that doesn’t stop her. Cassie knows he’s lying, and will do anything to get the truth from him. That is, until she’s interrupted by the Jade Tiger themself.

This is part one of three of the The Three Swords arc, so I’m really excited to see where it goes. In the first installment of The Three Swords, while Cassie is on this emotional journey, she’s unaware that there’s three different plots against her life currently in action. Cassie is being hunted down by three different people, and each one is closer to her than the last.

Tate Brombal, the writer of Batgirl #9, gave an emotional story that keeps you hooked in until the very end. I really enjoyed seeing Cassie so emotional, with the frustration of not getting the answers she wants and grieving her mother at the same time. The emotions were written expertly, making you feel everything the characters felt. At the end, you’re left on a cliffhanger that leaves you anxiously waiting for more.

The Art

The artists of Batgirl #9 did an outstanding job matching the tone of the story with the artwork, showing every bit of emotion that the characters were feeling. Takeshi Miyazawa, who was the artist of the comic, makes the action sequences full of excitement. Along with Miyazawa, Mike Spicer handles the colors and he handled them beautifully. I really liked the contrast of colors when it came to Cassie, like the red backgrounds or the green of her opponent. The lettering was fantastic, all thanks to Tom Napolitano, who made every sentence feel purposeful. All in all, I think the artists really did well in bringing this story to life.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed Batgirl #9, as I feel there were so many different tones throughout the comic. I look forward to seeing part two of The Three Swords!

Overall Grade – 8.7/10

Let me know in the comments what you thought of Batgirl #9!

This review was written by Megan from the Vigilante Vibes Podcast! If you liked my review, be sure to check out my other reviews! Let me know what you think of Batgirl #9, or tell me what comics you’d recommend me trying out! Find me on my socials, and check out my Marvel podcast, Vigilante Vibes, by clicking here!