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Although Cassandra Cain hasn’t had any significant romances in continuity, Shadow of the Batgirl features her in a touching romance with a boy.
Unlike her fellow Batgirls Barbara Gordon and Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain has never had any significant or lasting romances in continuity. The closest she came was with Connor Kent, aka Superboy, but after sharing her first kiss with him, they both decided they would be better off as friends. However, Cass has had a bit more luck with romance out-of-continuity. Shadow of the Batgirl, a young adult graphic novel by Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux, reimagines Cass’ origin and her journey stepping into the role of Batgirl. This out-of-continuity graphic novel also features a sweet and touching romantic subplot which results in Cass getting her first boyfriend, a boy named Erik.
In Shadow of the Batgirl, teenage assassin Cassandra Cain runs away from her father after realizing that killing people at his command as she has been brought up to do is wrong. She finds refuge in the Gotham Public Library, where she learns to speak and read and also learns about Batgirl, the hero of Gotham City. With the help of some new friends, Cass forges a new identity and takes on the mantle of Batgirl in order to stop her father.
One of these new friends is Erik, a high school football player who volunteers at the library. Erik loves romance novels and poetry, and he teaches Cass about these genres of literature as well as the emotions they deal with. Cass is new to feelings such as passion and tenderness, since her father never taught her to appreciate those emotions. Spending time with Erik allows Cass to explore these new feelings and embrace them.
Despite Cass’ unconventional upbringing, she and Erik have some similarities which help them bond. Erik feels pressured by his dad to become a football star, even though literature is his true passion and he really wants to become a writer. Cass has a similar, albeit more intense, conflict with her own father. He wants her to be the perfect assassin and work for his criminal empire, but Cass wants to be a hero instead. Both Erik and Cass know how it feels not to measure up to parents’ expectations, and their unique understanding of each other draws them closer together.
Their relationship turns romantic when Cass takes Erik to the roof of the library. They watch the sun set over Gotham and share their first kiss. Though Cass is initially panicked by her feelings for Erik and worried that her violent past could put him in danger, she overcomes her fears and the two of them begin dating.
Cass and Erik bring out their best selves in each other. After telling Cass about his aspirations to become a writer, Erik confesses to his father that he wants to pursue writing instead of football, and is hugely relieved to find that his father is okay with this. Erik also reassures Cass that she is a good person, no matter what her father made her do in the past. His encouragement helps her realize that she has the power to determine the kind of life she wants to live, and that she can choose to be a hero.
Cass and Erik help each other grow and are able to be their true selves with each other. Perhaps someday, Cass will find a romantic partner in main continuity who is just as good for her. But for now, her best romance remains out-of-continuity in Shadow of the Batgirl.
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