…they pulled me back in, or how the DCEU has got me going BACK to comics.
A little history…
All of these things start with a little history, a “When I was a kid…” thing, in a sense. This is mine.
When I was in high school, I met some friends and they introduced me to tabletop RPGs and comic books. We had a store in the neighborhood they were regulars at and that I had seen, but I never ventured into it. It wasn’t that I thought comics and RPGs were dumb. I just never gave it a second thought.
My first trip into the store was one I will never forget. Tables full long and short boxes were back-to-back in the middle, and the walls were lined with the newest issues and all the RPGs one could imagine, as well as many more I never thought existed. There was a back room the manager and staff let us use to play our RPGs, and that too had comic boxes.
I started looking through the boxes and finding heroes and worlds I had never thought possible as well as Transformers, and heroes I thought only existed in cartoons. My eyes have been opened, but it wouldn’t be until many years later that I would purchase a short box, have a pull list, and start my collecting.
Fast Forward…
I am married at this time to my second husband. My son, his step, is showing interest in DC and Marvel cartoons. I take into my bedroom and show him my short box from my childhood. His eyes got wide as I explained Blade and many others he had seen in movies and wanted to know more. I taught him how to read comics without damaging them.
I later gave him the short box, thinking my journey was over.
Along came a woman, Batwoman.
The year 2018, around June, I believe, the CW announced there would be a new hero joining the Arrowverse, Batwoman. I thought, erringly so, that maybe Barbara had changed her name and this was Batgirl all grown up. I couldn’t be more wrong.
Turns out she is a different character entirely. She is Kate Kane, and she’s very much out, LGBT-wise. I am not averse to LGBT material. What I am averse to, as a writer, is how much they emphasize the LGBT in the character. I have seen many of these types of characters done well in books, television, and movies, and I have seen them done horribly.
I digress.
The article stated
Batwoman revolves around Kate Kane, who, armed with a passion for social justice and flair for speaking her mind, soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her a hero yet — in a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.
-The Hollywood Reporter
This had me worried. I really don’t like politics, real-life politics, in my entertainment, and this excerpt was telling me it would be in my face. So, already, I was on edge and very suspect about the show.
Then the trailer came out:
I did a view critiquing it and also looking a little deeper into who Batwoman was. I have to admit, the trailer had some cringy moments and unanswered questions, but it IS a trailer. It’s not meant to give away much.
First Impressions…
My first impression is that she is a gender-bent version of Batman. The trailer CERTAINLY makes it feel that way in how she walks into the Bat Cave and takes everything over to use it. However, I was told by a fan of the hero, I was wrong.
Not to Do Anything Half-way…
I will be reviewing Batwoman’s run in the comics. This review will be based on a few criteria:
- Story
- Character arcs
- Artwork
I want to be thorough. So, I will be starting with the two-part series from Rucka and Wiliams that tells the story from Detective Comics issues #854-863.
If you haven’t seen my Deep Dive, here it is:
Until next time, stay geeky!
Anissa Walker
House of Geek 