ABSOLUTE CASSANDRA CAIN: THE SHADOW’S HAND #1

Creative Team – Che Grayson, Matias Bergara, Mike Spicer, Lucas Gattoni, Bengal

Published by DC Comics

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The Story

Welcome to the Absolute Universe, Cassandra! Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow’s Hand is a one-shot comic that gives you the dark backstory of Cassandra in the Absolute Universe. Written by Che Grayson, who very clearly put their heart into this one-shot, the story keeps you sucked in and goes out of its way to make you want to read more and more. If you’ve kept up with Absolute Catwoman, then this read is a must as she will be appearing in the fourth issue.

What I loved about this comic is that it didn’t shy away from the dark parts of Cassandra’s story. That includes the injury leading to her loss of her voice, living without her mother her entire life until she’s working under her wing at the drop of a hat, and the abuse she endures by being trained by a mother who has no love for her own child. Cassandra shows the hardest points of her life so far in her training to become a living weapon and the journey is beautifully written. There was so much to love about this issue and it was handled wonderfully by Che Grayson.

The Art

The artwork in Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow’s Hand is emotional, it’s impactful, and it’s perfect. Matias Bergara, Mike Spicer, and Lucas Gattoni put so much into the artwork leading to the comic becoming a dark and emotional origin of a character who’s seen all sides of chaos at the hands of her mother.

Bergara brings beautiful linework that makes each panel so wonderfully detailed. Another thing I love about Bergara’s work is the panel placement and creative way they go about the moe action-filled pages. Making some of the detail styles different, as the story goes on, so does the artwork and it pays off so perfectly.

Mike Spicer works off Bergara’s work very well when he brings in his colors. With the use of bold and striking colors juxtaposing the darker tones worked really well with this story. Then towards the end, everything changes at the drop of a hat and Spicer matched that energy brilliantly.

Lucas Gattoni is the letterer of the comic, and his work was nothing short of fantastic. I loved how he was able to capture so much emotion behind the inner dialogue of Cassandra that contrasted the harsh words spoken by her mother. It was excellently handled. Without Cassandra’s ability to speak, the other characters had the job of filling that empty space themselves and Gattoni provided those one sided conversations expertly.

Final Thoughts

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow’s Hand but it exceeded every expectation I had. This was EXCELLENT work by Che Grayson and the artists.

Overall Grade – 10/10

Let me know in the comments what you thought of Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadows’ Hand #1!

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 Absolute Cassandra Cain: The Shadow's Hand #1, 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!