Batgirl #19 Preview

 

Batgirl didn't want to unlock her Blood powers. But when she travels to the Spirit World to figure out how to get rid of them, Wu Lin convinces Cassandra to let him train her. Cassandra hates the idea of wielding her family's curse as a weapon. But whether she likes it or not, her blood powers will endanger her and anyone around Cassandra unless she can control them.

Growing proficient with her Blood powers may be Cassandra's best chance of surviving in the Spirit World. But can Cassandra convince The Midnight Eye to send her, Tenji, and Jaya back to Gotham? And after training to master her new abilities, will Cassandra still want to give them up?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batgirl #19 Preview

Writer: Tate Brombal

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Cover Artist: David Talaski

Variant Cover Artists: Serg Acuña

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: May 6, 2026

 

The Explosive Finale to the “Curse of the Blood!”

 

Trapped in the Spirit World, Batgirl and her allies race to save Wu Lin and stop the Curse of the Blood as she is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice. As ancient powers collide, Cassandra Cain must decide what kind of family she’s willing to fight for.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my review of Batgirl #18. 

 

For how this story arc started, see my preview of Batgirl #17. 

Batgirl #18 Review

 

Batgirl #18 Review

Writer: Tate Brombal

Penciller & Inker: Takeshi Miyazawa

Inker: Juan Castro

Colorist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover Artists: David Talaski & Christian Ward

Things To Come Variant Cover Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa with Mike Spicer

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: April 1, 2026

 

Her parents made her a monster. When Cassandra rejected a life of hurting and killing others, she found the belonging and purpose she sought in her Bat family. Then her mother burst into her life in Gotham. In her resultant journey around the world, Cassandra discovered a brother. In addition to Tenji Turner, Cassandra also befriended Jaya Jayesh.

 

Tenji forges a link between her past and her future. Jaya's healing helps Cassandra face her past. But when she brings Tenji and Jaya to Gotham, Cassandra's Blood heritage activates. Can she restrain her magical Blood powers? And can Cassandra Cain avoid once again feeling like a monster? Let's leap into Batgirl #18 and see!

 

Story

Cassandra Cain traveled around the world seeking justice for her mother. Instead, she found only blood, betrayal, and death. Yet along the way, she discovered Tenji and Jaya, new additions to her found family. Cassandra looked forward to resuming life in Gotham and integrating them into her Bat family. Instead, her heritage took over her life once again. Cassandra judged that her best hope of escape lay in Wu Lin, her mother’s cousin. But just as Cassandra, Tenji, and Jaya found him, his assistant, Wu Zhi, killed him.

 

In Batgirl #18, Cassandra, Tenji, and Jaya travel to the Spirit World. In this realm hostile to life, where the dead crave their life energy while awaiting reincarnation, the trio finally meets Wu Lin. But while Tenji welcomes him as an uncle, Cassandra keeps her distance. She may need his help to return to her Bat family. Still, Wu Lin represents the past she has fought so hard to escape.

 

In Tate Brombal's story, Cassandra undertakes a journey through the Spirit World. Like Lady Shiva's sudden appearance in Gotham, the Blood of Wu has derailed her chosen path. Cassandra cannot understand why they manifested. When Wu Lin sent his emissary, Cassandra refused to join the Blood of Wu and learn how to activate them. But even if she didn't want them, Cassandra now wields the powers of a god.

 

Just as Batman helped steer her in a more positive direction, Wu Lin once again offers to help Cassandra control her Blood powers. If she wishes to escape the Spirit World, Cassandra cannot refuse. Still, whether she can use her Blood powers without sinking deeper into her heritage and further away from the family she loves remains to be seen.

 

Art

Stephanie Brown yearned to speak with Cassandra when she traveled around the world. Once again, while their family awaits Cassandra at the dinner table, Stephanie's texts to her Bat sister go unanswered. In Wucorp Tower, Wu Lin kneels surrounded by red notepaper. Instead of facing a mirror, his blood flows into a portal behind him. While Jaya kneels to study the writing, Cassandra Cain leaps into the swirling void in Batgirl #18. Jaya follows her as Wu Lin's people barge in. Tenji regards the women and the hail of bullets with wide eyes. But his features transform from shock to fright, as he falls toward a street bordered by traditional Chinese buildings. The trio forms a circle facing outward and raises their weapons as revenants and monsters draw near.

 

As Takeshi Miyazawa and Juan Castro pack panels with eye-catching characters, furious action, and menacing monsters, Mike Spicer unleashes a vivid spectrum of colors on Batgirl #18. After Stephanie's blouse ushers readers into the purple book-lined tower office at Wucorp, the red note papers seem invitations to another realm. As red lines of energy swirl around Cassandra, she stands upon red symbols. Red tinges foreground characters. Jaya fights while wearing a red mask. And swords slice red lines through bodies.

 

Tom Napolitano places Cassandra’s white uppercase thoughts in black narrative boxes, while spirits speak white letters into black dialogue balloons. As Cassandra, Jaya, and Tenji speak black uppercase letters in white dialogue balloons, a red border surrounds Cassandra’s words. The letters grow bold for intonation, swell for raised voices, and shrink for lowered voices. Unlike many of the other spirits, a man Cassandra distrusts speaks black letters into white balloons. Yet, the scars covering his arms bespeak a similarly traumatic history. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Life forged Cassandra Cain into a weapon. Despite her skills in the martial arts, she dislikes inflicting harm on others. Yet as Cassandra navigates the Spirit World, she ponders the qualities that make a person worthy of life in Batgirl #18.

 

Rating: 9.8/10

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Batgirl #17. 

Batgirl #18 Preview

 

Her parents made her a monster. When Cassandra rejected a life of hurting and killing others, she found the belonging and purpose she sought in her Bat family. Then her mother burst into her life in Gotham. In her resultant journey around the world, Cassandra discovered a brother. In addition to Tenji Turner, Cassandra also befriended Jaya Jayesh.

Tenji forges a link between her past and her future. Jaya's healing helps Cassandra face her past. But when Cassandra brings Tenji and Jaya to Gotham, her Blood heritage activates. Can she restrain her magical Blood powers? And can Cassandra Cain avoid once again feeling like a monster? 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batgirl #18 Preview

Writer: Tate Brombal

Penciller & Inker: Takeshi Miyazawa

Inker: Juan Castro

Colorist: Mike Spicer

Letterer: Tom Napolitano

Cover Artists: David Talaski & Christian Ward

Things To Come Variant Cover Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa with Mike Spicer

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: April 1, 2026

 

“The Curse of the Blood” continues!

 

Batgirl’s battle with the Blood of Wu explodes beyond Gotham as Cassandra, Tenji, and Jaya are thrust into a supernatural war tied to her family’s past. To save Batgirl from the curse, the trio must face ancestral horrors and a destiny darker than any of them expected.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

 

Batgirl #17 Preview

 

 

Batgirl thought she knew what her life was about. Then her mother propelled her on a journey into her heritage. When her mother died, her legacy lived on in Cassie. But so did a gnawing need for justice for her mother's murder. 

Oracle worried that vengeance was slowly consuming Cassie. But despite the moral quandaries pressing in every side, and the ghosts of her past pressuring her to accept who she was, Cassandra embraced the better version of herself. After traveling across the world, how will Batgirl find Gotham when she returns? And how will her newly discovered brother Tenji fit into Cassie's life once she returns to the city she calls home?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batgirl #17 Preview

Writer: Tate Brombal

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Cover Artists: David Talaski & Kyuyong Eom

Corner Box Variant Cover Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Women’s History Month Variant Cover Artist: Leirix

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: March 4, 2026

 

A changed Cassandra Cain returns to Gotham!

 

Spinning directly out of the events in DC K.O., Batgirl is back in Gotham City when she wakes up with the twisted, metahuman abilities of the Blood—the power to wield and control her blood like a weapon. But her Bat-Family reunion is cut short when she is forced to ascend Wu Corp Tower to confront her Blood relatives for answers and a reversal of this curse. Cassandra Cain has leveled up…or is it a level down?

 

The perfect jumping-on point for new readers of this hit series, as “The Curse of the Blood” begins here!

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

Batgirl #16 Preview

 

 

Batgirl has been on a journey of discovery. She has learned more about her heritage. Yet, like her mother, everyone she meets is more than they appear. Only her brother Tenji remains unsullied from his journey through life. Can Cassandra Cain reclaim some of Tenji's belief in heroism? And can it help her navigate the twisted trail of truth and lies that have led her into the battle of Samsara?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batgirl #16 Preview

Writer: Tate Brombal

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Cover Artists: David Talaski & Jorge Fornés

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: February 4, 2026

 

The War of Shadows must end!

 

Hell has arrived at the heavenly gates of Samsara. Will the League of Shadows save their paradise, or will the Unburied reclaim their stolen land? And within it all, who will Batgirl become in the face of so much death? The finale to the War of Shadows is here, and you don’t want to miss it!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Batgirl #13 Preview

 

 

Batgirl's quest for justice has taken her around the world. While she's reconnected with family, her friends back home worry about her. Now, Batgirl finds herself in a beyul, a hidden valley revered by Tibetan Buddhists as a place of refuge. Will Cassandra Cain find healing in Samsara? Or will she find trouble in paradise?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batgirl #13

Writer: Tate Brombal

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Cover Artists: Reiko Murakami & Nimit Malavia

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: November 5, 2025

 

Cass Cain on the path of vengeance!

 

After a long, snowy trek through the Himalayas, Batgirl and her crew arrive at a hidden refuge deep within the mountains. But there’s no time to let their guard down as the Unburied threat returns seeking blood, and Nyssa al Ghul attempts to get Batgirl to join her cause against them. Dark secrets threaten to pull Batgirl into a war she never wanted and force her to confront ghosts from her past and present. Has Nyssa truly turned over a new leaf? And will Cass align herself with old enemies to exact justice against the Unburied for the murder of Lady Shiva?

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Batgirl #12 Preview

 

 

Cassandra Cain's past is drenched in a sea of blood. She could have accepted the benefits of her bloodline, and the power and wealth that came with it. Instead, she chose a different path. Jaya Jayesh paints a rosy vision of a future in which Nyssa al Ghul rights her family's wrongs. But is Nyssa's League of Shadows everything Jaya promises? And even if it is, can Cassandra find the healing she seeks, when the swords of loss, pain, and grief are still embedded in her heart?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batgirl #12

Writer: Tate Brombal

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Cover Artists: David Talaski & Rian Gonzales

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: October 1, 2025

 

A bold new beginning for Cassandra Cain!

 

An unexpected call from the Bat-Family brings Cass up to speed on the happenings in Gotham and pushes Batgirl to dive headfirst into a mystery far beyond the streets she knows. What she uncovers is anything but expected. With new allies by her side, Batgirl must lead a dangerous mission to the snowcapped peaks of the Himalays, where a war is brewing and long-buried secrets are waiting to be unearthed. The truth won’t stay hidden forever…but some answers come at a cost—especially when Nyssa al Ghul is involved.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us. 

Batgirl #11 Preview

 

Our relationships with our parents and relatives can be complicated. Especially when our forebears were martial artists, villains, or assassins. Cassandra Cain and Tenji Turner are drawn together by blood. Both think they're ready for anyone who holds a grudge against their family. But are they ready for the trial awaiting them?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

Batgirl #11

Writer: Tate Brombal

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Cover Artists: David Talaski & Saowee

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Cardstock

Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: September 3, 2025

 

The action-packed conclusion to “The Three Swords” is here! Cassandra Cain’s family history comes calling when the Blood arrives on Dragon Ranch seeking the Batgirl: Dead or alive. When Cass is offered a deadly choice, she must choose between her dark bloodline and all its power…or being eliminated. Will Batgirl embrace these old, family ties, or will she final accept the new relationships being forged? More revelations unfold when a surprise arrival changes everything, and Lady Shiva’s legacy continues to reveal itself. This can’t-miss issue propels Batgirl into the next year of story and a new era for the Bat Books!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Mech Cadets #2 Review

 

Writer: Greg Pak

Artist: Takeshi Miyazawa

Colorist: Ian Herring

Letterer: Simon Bowland

Cover Artists: Takeshi Miyazawa & Ian Herring; Inhyuk Lee; Qistina Khalidah; Rámon K. Pérez

Publisher: Boom! Studios

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 13, 2023

 

General Park hurries across the tarmac toward his spaceship. General Felix's outrage rings in his ears. Once again, his daughter has disobeyed a direct order. Is he traveling to assist or arrest her? Let’s fly into Mech Cadets #2 and see what happens!

 

Story

Despite Felix’s orders to observe and report on the missing team, newly instated Captain Maya Sanchez couldn’t stop fellow cadet Olivia Park and her Supra-Robo Hero Force Two from rescuing Francis’ cousin Franklin. Or did Franklin free them from the Sharg? Neither, as it happens.

 

When another wave of the giant crustaceans that captured Franklin’s team arrives, the cadets and their robots fight them off in Mech Cadets #2. But in the process, Maya Sanchez saves Franklin's alien friend. General Felix believes they can't trust Franklin, as the alien helped him escape the Sharg prison barge. If General Felix is correct, she’s compromised too!

 

Is anyone surprised when Maya agrees with Olivia’s plan to rescue Franklin’s team from the Sharg Prison Barge? I think not!

 

Characters discuss what they discover, how that changes their perceptions, and what they'll do next. Conversations reveal the pilots' unity despite their differences, while General Felix remains disapproving and snaps at those assisting her. Greg Pak’s dialogue informs the action without lessening interest or tension in Mech Cadets #2.

 

Mech Cadet Yu Vol. 1 available at Amazon

 

 

Art

Takeshi Miyazawa gives the pilots close-fitting spacesuits and helmets that reveal their expressions. General Felix watches each pilot on individual monitors in the crowded control room. She also follows the action thanks to a midair projection of the tiny robots converse on a hologram gameboard-style surface. Amid the pilots' conference on an asteroid, the chest of Olivia's robot opens cube-by-cube to reveal a previously unknown feature. The way Miyazawa skips scene transitions may confuse readers. But they’ll love the battles and character interactions.

 

Each robot sports a unique design and color. Helmets illumine each pilot’s face the same color as their robot. A yellow glow suffuses the robots’ feet as they fly through mauve-colored space, leaving white direction lines in their paths. Amid the drama and fighting, Ian Herring’s limited palette of pastels makes Mech Cadets #2 fun and inviting.

 

Simon Bowland's black uppercase text with sufficient spacing between rows won’t strain your eyes. Bold words suggest inflection. Colored dialogue balloons tell you which giant pilot is speaking, while Franklin's alien utters symbols, and robot growls and grunts inhabit rectangular balloons. Sound effects help us feel rapid movement and hear laser fire. Offscreen dialogue eases readers from one scene to the next.

 

Final Thoughts

Packed with revelations about the alien race that built the giant robots, the surprising powers of Olivia Park’s Earth-built robot, and reflections on world history, Mech Cadets #2 mixes the search for the truth with fear of the unknown to deliver an action-packed robots-versus-aliens space opera.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.