Review: Batwoman #2

Written By JH Williams III and W. Haden Blackman
Illustrated By JH Williams III and Amy Reeder

Horror! A terrifying new villain stalks the innocent children of Gotham City! Intrigue! A threatening government agency is hot on Batwoman’s trail. Romance! Kate Kane’s new relationship is heating up!
Can Batwoman stop the new evil rising from the damp back alleys of Gotham’s barrios? And overcome the many challenges she faces as both Batwoman and Kate Kane? 2011’s most anticipated new series intensifies in this exciting second issue!

Kate’s back! Everyone loves Kate Kane. We waited a long time to see her series, and now you’re reading the review! Check the jump for my thoughts on Kate Kane and company!

When I first wrote this review (it was lost just as I was posting it, much to my chagrin), I likened Kate Kane to Regina George from Mean Girls. No, she’s not the primary villain in this book, and she’s not a terrible person. However, there’s a scene where the less popular girls describe her and they use terms like “flawless” to “One time, she punched me in the face, it was AWESOME. This analogy is no less apt, as Kate Kane appears in one of the best books coming from DC Comics, let alone Gotham City.

JH Williams III and Amy Reeder are probably the best artists in the DC Stable, and this book helps prove why. There is so much detail in the panels, along with dynamic panel composition and unique storytelling in the art, that you can’t help but marvel at what they’ve done; it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Even though the entire book is a clinic in amazing art, I’ll use two examples of how intelligent and dynamic the art is. First comes the Title Splash Page, where Kate Kane and Bette Kane (her “sidekick”) discuss joining Batman Inc. While they discuss the merits of joining the organization, there’s a portrait of all the members. However, the devil is in the details. What could have been a simple picture actually reflects the current continuity, with Dick and Tim still in the portrait but blotted out, since they’re neither Batman nor Red Robin (as we knew him in the DCogU anyway). However, there’s also a reference to Azrael and Lady Blackhawk, whom are both missing in the new U. Lady Blackhawk, as we know her, isn’t in the new universe either, and neither is Azrael. Nevertheless, it’s not perfect, as Williams left out Black Bat and Spoiler (but one might argue DC left out Black Bat and Spoiler). However, in another lovely detail was the amazing detail in the effects of the action. When Kate or Bette land a punch, kick, elbow, or knee, you see the impact as an X-Ray. The Mean Girls analogy still works, as someone COULD say “Batwoman punched me in the face…it was AWESOME!”

Then there’s a scene where Kate’s love interest Detective Sawyer investigates a crime scene in Gotham City. Here there is a clear reference to Boondock Saints‘ character Agent Smecker (played by the indomitable Willem Dafoe) deconstructing the scene with their imagination to give an idea of what happened hours before. Here there is another example of the brilliant pacing and setup of a page. Williams uses a single panel split up into (for lack of a better term) sub-panels, and Sawyer moves around freely giving her take on the grisly gang war took place the night before. It’s a brilliant deconstruction of a page that simply could not have been done by a lesser artist.

Which begs the question: HOW does one script this book? It’s clear that Williams has an idea of what he wants because he’s the artist, but Blackman must be a brilliant writer who can pace a book the same way Williams or Reeder can set up a panel. On the other hand, can you even script something like this? Some details must be directly from Williams’ imagination, which might even make it in without a script. Only the creative team knows for sure, but I would love to be a fly on that wall.

However, while the art gets most of the attention, the little things in the book like character work are astounding. Kate and her love interest’s relationship is growing at an organic and believable manner. It makes the book more relatable, while still being one of THE MOST beautiful books to look at. Cameron Chase, who looks to be the main antagonist for Kate is just as by the book as everyone’s favorite SHIELD handler Agent Caulson. She doesn’t like the fact there’s a Batwoman and she doesn’t want her around. The question is why doesn’t she? Williams and Blackman also made the smart decision of using Batman sparingly. Sure, he’s shown up in both issues, but they were both two page conversations and that was it. This tactic helps give Kate her own identity independent from The Dark Knight.

If you couldn’t tell, this book is one of the best books this week, and you should be reading it. If you’re not, you should be ashamed of yourself. Read it!

Final Verdict: 9.5 – Buy