Batwoman (Kate Kane)

I think this is one of the best titles in the new 52, with strong, believable female characters, an intriguing storyline and jaw-droppingly beautiful art. I liked it so much I asked for Batwoman: Elegy for my birthday.

Is anyone else reading this title?

It's one of the very few DC books I'm now looking at (the others being The Shade and Swamp Thing, though I'm about to drop Swamp Thing). It is, however, almost consistently out of stock at my local comic shop which seems to have trouble getting copies. I think it may be a bit of a sleeper hit, though I'm not happy with the fact that Bette Kane's past history has already been subject to editorial interference...

Apart from that niggle, what do you think of it?

Lucy McGough wrote:Apart from that niggle, what do you think of it?

Apart from that, it's not half bad. Though I still preferred the original kathy Kane and her utility compact...

i've really enjoyed this book. i think jhw iii has done a wonderful job picking up from where he and rucka left off.

The first arc wasn't bad, but I dropped it after issue #9 with that miserable, confusing To Drown the World arc. I got tired of trying to keep track of the change in the timeline every two pages, and also got tired of Bette just lying unconscious in a hospital bed for several issues.

tony ingram wrote: . . . Though I still preferred the original kathy Kane and her utility compact...

Me too.

Those old stories were wonderful. Oddly, I think I may actually have "met" Batwoman in the comics before I discovered Batgirl, thanks to her guest appearance in Freedom Fighters.

tony ingram wrote:Those old stories were wonderful. Oddly, I think I may actually have "met" Batwoman in the comics before I discovered Batgirl, thanks to her guest appearance in Freedom Fighters.

Uh, Tony . . . I believe both first appeared in that comic book in the same issue.

Good God, you're right. I'd totally forgotten that! I'll have to reread it, now...  

If you can find it.

Lucy McGough wrote:If you can find it.

"Best of DC 1970s/80s inc. DC team-up titles & short run short run team books", top box of three, fifth stack from the window, to the immediate right of the chair I'm sitting in.

Show-off.

tony ingram wrote:

Lucy McGough wrote:If you can find it.

"Best of DC 1970s/80s inc. DC team-up titles & short run  short run team books", top box of three, fifth stack from the window, to the immediate right of the chair I'm sitting in.  

I couldn't do that if I tried. I'm sitting in my "office" room, and I wish I could upload a picture of it. No organization at all...

Do you not have a camera or smartphone?

Lucy McGough wrote:Do you not have a camera or smartphone?

Some people don't.
(There is a camera function on the cellphone I use, but I don't think it has an internet service connection installed on the phone, so I don't know how to download any pictures I take.)

Lucy McGough wrote:Do you not have a camera or smartphone?

Yes, so let's see if I can make this work.





So, was I kidding?

MajorHoy wrote:

Lucy McGough wrote:Do you not have a camera or smartphone?

Some people don't.

I don't, either. My phone basically just makes phone calls, on the rare occasions when I remember to charge it and have any credit.

These were taken a few years ago on my old polaroid. A few things have changed since, but not much...

The resemblance is uncanny.

My room:

Lucy McGough wrote:My room:

NOW who's showing off?

What kind of Dalek is that?

One of the new ones, I'm afraid. My friend gave it to me.

Lucy McGough wrote:One of the new ones, I'm afraid. My friend gave it to me.

Now you just have to buy an old one of similar size to display next to it so you can compare and contrast them.   

You can buy me one if you like, but I'm wasting spending my money on the new Pratchett/Baxter book.

By the way, I liked Batwoman when she first started appearing in the series 52.





She's currently appearing in the weekly Batman Eternal series. She had a brief cameo appearance in issue #2, and she's appearing in the story with Batgirl and Red Hood in issues #15 and #18.

Is her own book cancelled, now?

tony ingram wrote:Is her own book cancelled, now?

Not yet. The issue that was out in June still sold over 30,000 copies to stores (according to Diamond's numbers).

'Cos she's awesome.

Lucy McGough wrote:'Cos she's awesome.

Depends on who's writing and drawing her.

Well, yes, a bad writer could make even Batman seem pretty dull.

Lucy McGough wrote:Well, yes, a bad writer could make even Batman seem pretty dull.

Lord knows we've had a few of those in the past.

And it doesn't even have to be a "bad writer" . . . it can also be a good writer who's just not the right fit for Batman and his world.

MajorHoy wrote:

Lucy McGough wrote:Well, yes, a bad writer could make even Batman seem pretty dull.

Lord knows we've had a few of those in the past.

And it doesn't even have to be a "bad writer" . . . it can also be a good writer who's just not the right fit for Batman and his world.

I thought Azzarello was one of those. Curiously enough, though, I thought Tony Daniel wasn't. I never got what people were complaining about with him.

(Tony, I both admire and covet that action figure wall of yours.

Oh, and Mike, you should have Lucy come clean your office for you. And when she's done I'll have her come clean mine, because WOW that's a clean room. Makes my little OCD heart sing.)

Sam_Vimes wrote:

MajorHoy wrote:

Lucy McGough wrote:Well, yes, a bad writer could make even Batman seem pretty dull.

Lord knows we've had a few of those in the past.

And it doesn't even have to be a "bad writer" . . . it can also be a good writer who's just not the right fit for Batman and his world.

I thought Azzarello was one of those. Curiously enough, though, I thought Tony Daniel wasn't. I never got what people were complaining about with him.

(Tony, I both admire and covet that action figure wall of yours.

Oh, and Mike, you should have Lucy come clean your office for you. And when she's done I'll have her come clean mine, because WOW that's a clean room. Makes my little OCD heart sing.)

Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

Sam_Vimes wrote:Oh, and Mike, you should have Lucy come clean your office for you. And when she's done I'll have her come clean mine, because WOW that's a clean room. Makes my little OCD heart sing.)

Cool, thanks! Recognition at last

tony ingram wrote:Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

Have you ever tried?

Lucy McGough wrote:

Sam_Vimes wrote:Oh, and Mike, you should have Lucy come clean your office for you. And when she's done I'll have her come clean mine, because WOW that's a clean room. Makes my little OCD heart sing.)

Cool, thanks! Recognition at last

tony ingram wrote:Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

Have you ever tried?

It would make me sad to do so. I intend to die aged 99 when a huge pile of comic boxes in the hall collapses on me and crushes me instantly, leaving me to be found by the home help the following morning.

tony ingram wrote:Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

But the clutter could be better organized . . . did you ever find those Marvel Universe Handbooks?   

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

But the clutter could be better organized . . . did you ever find those Marvel Universe Handbooks?   

I'm almost certain that I know where they are. Sort of.

tony ingram wrote:Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

Have you ever tried?

It would make me sad to do so. I intend to die aged 99 when a huge pile of comic boxes in the hall collapses on me and crushes me instantly, leaving me to be found by the home help the following morning.

Definitely the best way to go.

Sam_Vimes wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

Have you ever tried?

It would make me sad to do so. I intend to die aged 99 when a huge pile of comic boxes in the hall collapses on me and crushes me instantly, leaving me to be found by the home help the following morning.

Definitely the best way to go.

All depends on if the books that fell on you were classics or maybe Marvel New Universe stuff you could never get rid of because nobody wanted it. (Some of it was good, but then there's book like Kickers Inc.)

MajorHoy wrote:

Sam_Vimes wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

Have you ever tried?

It would make me sad to do so. I intend to die aged 99 when a huge pile of comic boxes in the hall collapses on me and crushes me instantly, leaving me to be found by the home help the following morning.

Definitely the best way to go.

All depends on if the books that fell on you were classics or maybe Marvel New Universe stuff you could never get rid of because nobody wanted it. (Some of it was good, but then there's book like Kickers Inc.)

I really liked the New Universe. DP7 was great, and Psi-Force. And Star Brand before it lost its way. I even liked Mark Hazzard.

Back to Batwoman . . . I may start picking this book up again for the next arc (after we're done with Nocturna and the Futures End issue).

Batwoman #35
The new storyline “Batwoman and the Unknowns” starts now with new artist Georges Jeanty (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)! Batwoman is neck-deep in danger with her new allies Ragman, The Demon, Clayface and Red Alice! What is going on and how did Batwoman end up here? Find out beginning in this issue!

http://www.dccomics.com/comics/batwoman-2011/batwoman-35

I take it this is a new Nocturna?

Sam_Vimes wrote:Oh, and Mike, you should have Lucy come clean your office for you. And when she's done I'll have her come clean mine, because WOW that's a clean room. Makes my little OCD heart sing.)

That could work. I'd let her keep some of the books, maybe...

I think it would make me very uncomfortable to have a room that clean, honestly.

tony ingram wrote:Clean is good, but I need clutter. I can't live without my clutter.

I'm the same way. I don't want it "dirty", but having things everywhere is more to my liking. I just wish I could organize the important stuff...

tony ingram wrote:I really liked the New Universe. DP7 was great, and Psi-Force. And Star Brand before it lost its way. I even liked Mark Hazzard.

I did, too. They were fun.

I don't think Star Brand so much lost it's way as it was given bad directions. From what I read, when Byrne took over he wanted to make it go the way it did, because he hated Shooter. Petty.

Mbast1 wrote:

tony ingram wrote:I really liked the New Universe. DP7 was great, and Psi-Force. And Star Brand before it lost its way. I even liked Mark Hazzard.

I did, too. They were fun.

I don't think Star Brand so much lost it's way as it was given bad directions. From what I read, when Byrne took over he wanted to make it go the way it did, because he hated Shooter. Petty.

Sounds like Byrne.

tony ingram wrote:I take it this is a new Nocturna?

A New 52 Nocturna.





Though I think she has the same identity as the post-CoIE version of the character from her 2002 re-introduction.

What was wrong with the original Nocturna?  

tony ingram wrote:What was wrong with the original Nocturna?  

Well, that mess with Jason wondering if she was his mother, for one thing . . .