Kate Kane is back, and badder than ever. Things were looking shaky for her for a moment: a fan-favorite character since her inception, editorial differences during the New 52 run of “Batwoman” cast an unfortunate shadow over the character. Since the beginning of ‘Rebirth,’ Batwoman’s role has changed drastically, making her more of a team player and coming into the Bat-family fold for the first time. This all raised the question: could Batwoman become a solo superhero once again?
Written by Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion IV
Illustrated by Steve EptingThe Many Arms Of Death’ part one! At last – Batwoman is back in her own ongoing series! On the island nation of Coryana, anything goes for members of the criminal underworld? and during her lost years after being drummed out of the military, Kate Kane found a kind of refuge there. But now, a deadly new bioweapon is available in the markets of Coryana, and Batwoman will have to face up to the things she did in those days? and the people she left behind, some of whom would be happier to see her dead than alive! Writer Marguerite Bennett (DC BOMBSHELLS) is joined by James Tynion IV (DETECTIVE COMICS) and superstar artist Steve Epting (Captain America, Velvet) to present an epic Batwoman story that will alter the course of her life forever! This one’s unmissable!
If you read “Batwoman: Rebirth” #1 you know the answer is a resounding yes. A lot has shifted and changed in the story of Batwoman, which can sometimes spell death for a superhero character. Some heroes work best only in a certain context. (Remember when they tried to make the Punisher an avenging angel?) Some characters need to stick to their strengths and stay on their home turfs. But much like the Caped Crusader before her, it turns out that Kate Kane has tons of superhero range.
A lot of that is owed to the creative team. Artist Steve Epting is a safe choice, but that’s not a bad thing. Epting comes from a history of doing ass-kicking, gorgeous ladies (many of them redheads) in high-pulp situations. He can draw the tension out of a high stakes poker game or a kaiju-sized Nazi mecha with similar enthusiasm and ease. He does good superhero costumes, better action sequences, and revels in his ability to render a smug smirk. He’s a good pick.
Although on the surface Marguerite Bennett seems like a no-brainer to write a new “Batwoman,” she feels like the riskier hire. Her most beloved series “Bombshells” already features a version of Batwoman, but “Bombshells” is more of a four-color, high concept book where a lot of the action is very tongue-in-cheek. Bennett is an extremely clever writer, but sometimes her characters come across with the same clever voice. Not the case here, where Kate and her dutiful partner-in-crime-fighting Julia read as totally true to themselves. Kate is an intense daredevil, and thankfully there’s no witty Buffy-speak to be found. Batwoman can have fun being a superhero without laying down a quip on every page.
In the past, “Batwoman” adventures have been extremely moody crime stories set on the streets of Gotham. She’s always had her dad, Jacob Kane, backing her up, but after the events in “Detective Comics” that’s not possible. With this new number one, Bennett and Epting take Kate on a global jet-setting adventure that comes closest to the famous Adams/O’Neil run of “Batman” from the ’70s, not so much a moody fight in the snowy streets of Gotham as it is an international espionage mystery. Kate and Julia are operating out of an awesome high-tech Bat-yacht, and their adventures take them from Istanbul to Malta. Nearly every scene happens in the light of day.
The superhero action here is top-notch. Epting can’t quite match the elaborate panel- work of J.H. Williams III, but he has a great time drawing Batwoman zooming around a crowded marketplace on a striking black-and-red motorcycle, protecting people from a giant lumpy monster. The panels are angled with the momentum of the bike, and the entire sequence is effortlessly thrilling. Even when the backgrounds are somewhat simplistic, there’s a great sense of space, and small flourishes of detail and color make each location look distinct.
Continued belowWhen the book slows down and gets into the mystery, it’s a bit of a harder sell. It’s the tried and true structure of peppering in flashbacks to an earlier adventure, and it works, but with less of an established history than her bat-family members. You lose a bit of that thrill of recognition when Kate encounters figures from her past. Epting draws a mean flashback though, all in black and white except for a few deeply crimson roses, lips, and Kate’s ever vibrant hair. It’s not a new trick by any means, but it looks great and more importantly, it looks like a Batwoman book.
One thing that’s missing in this first issue is romance, which has been an important part of Batwoman books, and Marguerite’s writing, in the past. This may be a welcome break, but in a new book with a new status quo, one wonders if Kate has made time for a special lady somewhere in the wide world. Besides Julia, she spends most of the issue interacting with men. You have to figure that the writer of “Angela: Queen of Hel” is angling to spend some time exploring relationships between ladies. One would hope that one of the few solo superhero ongoing to headline a queer character would find time to make that a prominent feature of the book. Maybe a future issue will bring the romance.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – A new chapter of Kate Kane’s story has her making her own way, far from her allies in Gotham.
