The Weight of Guilt: Batgirl: Nobody Dies Tonight

Over the past year, I’ve read many different superhero comic books. Some I loved and others didn’t meet my expectations. Looking back on the various comics, I can say without a doubt that Batgirl is one of my favourites.

DC Finest: Batgirl: Nobody Dies Tonight is a graphic novel compiling issues 7–27 of the 2000–2006 comic run of Batgirl. Written by Kelley Puckett and illustrated by Damion Scott, this cult classic among superhero fans tells the story of Cassandra Cain. When I first picked up this book, I was looking for an introduction to superhero comics. Not only did I get that, but I was also greeted with an engaging story that tugged at my heartstrings and left me wanting more.

The heart of the story is Cassandra herself. She is the daughter of the skilled assassin David Cain. Cassandra can read body language to a degree that allows her to predict people’s actions, making her one of the best fighters on Earth. However, after taking her first life at eight, she vowed never to kill again. She carries that guilt everywhere she goes. Despite her change and her desire to always do good, she still sees herself as having made that horrible decision. This weight on her heart causes her to see her life as expendable, but she does not extend this belief to other killers. Instead, she offers a hand to them because seeing them change means that she has, as well.

Often, we get too caught up in our failures, mistakes, and wrongdoings. I found it so easy to be captivated by her character because she is so simple, yet tragic.

Although trained as an assassin since childhood, Cassandra was never taught how to speak. Even with only narration boxes and a few lines, her personality shines through. She’s kind, determined, and snarky when she wants to be. Her relationship with Barbara Gordon highlights her unique qualities. Barbara was the previous Batgirl and is now taking on the role of mentor to Cassandra, becoming a sort of maternal figure to her. This relationship allows Cassandra to show her emotional range. She can go from teasing Barbara about her love life to opposing the older woman when she finds the situation calls for it.

A theme that trails Cassandra throughout this comic book is death and murder. At the start of this graphic novel, we learn Cassandra had to lose her ability to read body language to aid her speech development. This hinders her ability to protect those in need. It’s when she comes across Lady Shiva, the best assassin in the world, that she regains them, but at a cost. In return for teaching her how to interpret body language again, Lady Shiva challenges Cassandra to a duel to the death in a year’s time. A duel Cassandra plans on losing.

Death isn’t only a consequence of Cassandra’s self-sacrificing and suicidal nature; it is also present on the streets of Gotham. It’s woven throughout the graphic novel, even in one-off stories, like a child whose father commits an armed robbery and a murderer on death row. This theme forces Cassandra to confront her past head-on. These different situations show the themes of death and murder in a new light, from which Cassandra can either learn or regress. Each situation led to questions about morality that urged me to think.

In the end, this graphic novel is about guilt and humanity. It is about Cassandra Cain, who, after years of isolation and being seen as a weapon, experiences what it is to be human. We see her go from an isolated girl with only her resolve to help people to her slowly making bonds with others who care about her. Of course, this doesn’t come easily. This growth conflicts with the guilt she bears. She secludes herself and rejects the opportunity to be someone, pushing herself to become a better Batgirl, hoping that it will relieve her from the condemnation of being a killer. This contrast is what I find makes those small moments so much more compelling.

Those moments aren’t just building dynamics with other characters but are also letting Cassandra grow and open up. They challenge how Cassandra views herself, and it is for the better.

DC Finest: Batgirl: Nobody Dies Tonight is an admirably written graphic novel. It uses the conventions of the superhero genre to its advantage to support the themes woven throughout and, most importantly, to support Cassandra. Her backstory and snarky personality hooked me from the beginning, but it was her guilt, her flaws, and her growth that made me consider her a favourite character of mine. Batgirl is a graphic novel that I recommend to superhero fans and those who are not. The way it handles its themes is enthralling and thought-provoking in a way that I think everyone should experience.