Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • To Collect or Read...

      Shawn Hill
      February 28, 2006
      The Panel
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • The Full Run: 'Thriller' #1 by Robert Loren Fleming and Trevor Von Eeden

      Shawn Hill
      March 28, 2013
      Columns, DC Comics, The Full Run, The Long-Form
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • Jim Shooter Brings SLOW CITY BLUES to IMAGE

      Shawn Hill
      September 24, 2019
      Image, News, Press Release
    Recent
    • 4.0

      Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past

      Stephen Cook
      March 3, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 4.0

      Legion of Super-Heroes #38

      Shawn Hill
      January 31, 2008
      Reviews
    Recent
    • Singles Going Steady – Vowels, Who Needs Them?

      Daniel Gehen
      March 8, 2021
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Classic Interview: Liz Berube - The Vinnie Colletta of Colorists

      Shawn Hill
      May 22, 2015
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • 5.0

      Review: 'The Art of the Simon and Kirby Studio' is a Perfect Christmas Gift for Any Comics Fan

      Shawn Hill
      November 28, 2014
      Classic Comics Cavalcade, Columns, Reviews
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • Patriot-1: An action-packed original graphic novel

      Shawn Hill
      July 13, 2014
      Kickstarter Spotlight, News
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Prisoner 155' is a Remarkable Portrait of a Political Revolutionary

      Shawn Hill
      May 7, 2018
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Singles Going Steady - Vowels, Who Needs Them?
  • Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Batwoman #4

Shawn Hill
December 19, 2011
Reviews

This is an extremely beautiful issue. It’s also an extremely disturbing issue. Some of the parts don’t sit that well together. I’m still not quite getting the place of Kate Kane in the Batman universe. Batgirl makes more sense. Flamebird even makes more sense, or used to, until she hooked up with Kate.

We move slightly closer to solving the mystery of the female ghost who likes to drown children. The inevitable encounter of Betty Kane and a knife-wielding psycho (not so much foreshadowed as literally promised to us in previous issues) occurs. And Kate and Maggie Sawyer finally get some alone time, which couldn’t be more tastefully, sensually, attractively presented.

Only Williams intercuts the tender, sepia-toned love making with the scenes of Betty getting horribly sliced up. All black and white and red in the bedroom, while red and yellow and more red and white (in the blood on snow variety) at the wintry docks. Such juxtaposition makes Kate look negligent with her Robin-like charge (she did tell Betty that she lacked the requisite killer instinct, that she wasn’t really a Gotham-caliber pro last issue; but like that trick ever works, from mentor to mentee), and makes the artful lesbian-lovemaking seem like a decadent distraction when Kate should really be on the job, protecting women from slashers.

Slashing is really the major foe in Kate’s life, and has been since her debut in 52 (where she was ultimately captured and meant to be sacrificed with a deep knife plunge to the chest on an altar). I get it, cold icy Bat-queen, threatened by all kinds of penetration of her shiny leather veneer. The slashing definitely looks better under Williams’s endless visual creativity than it did under Jock’s hack-marks in her Detective run, but can we find some other method of attack than sharp blades? That metaphor is getting played out.

And, c’mon, for all her easily-mocked bravado in her street fight, Betty has been doing this for years too. She was a Teen Titan more than once, and they face serious foes. You mean to say she can’t handle a goon with a hook-hand? The level of violence visited upon her is usually reserved for a Robin they want to get rid of; as I said, the storytelling this issue sits uneasily.

The most interesting part is Detective Chase (as mysteriously older as Maggie Sawyer is mysteriously younger from previous appearances; can I get my vote in now for a Lotte Lenya type to counteract all these lipstick lesbians, J.H.? I don’t even care if she’s evil or good, I’d just prefer some butch!) using Betty’s injury to hoodwink her into giving up some Bat-data. That’s slimy and cop-like, and it’s interesting to see Chase realize that Betty is somebody in the Bat-family; the major tension in the issue is wondering what she’s going to do with that knowledge. Or what Batman might do about it.

Notice I didn’t say Batwoman, even though this is her title. She’s still about two steps behind on the whole drowning ghost thing, though I expect her to spring into action when she learns about Betty next issue.

 


 

Shawn Hill knows two things: comics and art history. Find his art at Cornekopia.net.

, Dave StewartBatwomanDCHarvey RichardsJ.H. Williams IIIMike MartsRickey PurdinShawn HillTodd KleinW. Haden Blackman

Share On:
Tweet
Green Lantern #4
Batgirl #4

About The Author

Shawn Hill
Shawn Hill

Shawn loves Star Wars and Star Trek. But not Dr. Who, just Torchwood. Love is illogical!

Related Posts

  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle

    nguyen ly
    February 27, 2021
  • Collecting Profile: If I win Mega Millions, I will buy Action Comics #1.

    nguyen ly
    January 30, 2021

Latest Reviews

  • Singles Going Steady – Vowels, Who Needs Them?

    Daniel Gehen
    March 8, 2021
  • 3.0

    Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2021
  • 4.5

    Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

    Daniel Gehen
    February 19, 2021
  • 2.3

    Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

    Daniel Gehen
    February 16, 2021
  • 4.3

    Review: RADIANT BLACK #1 Shines Brightly

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2021
  • 2.7

    Review: DEEP BEYOND #1 Can’t Commit to a Premise

    Daniel Gehen
    February 4, 2021
  • 2.0

    VINDICATION Falls Short of its Lofty Goals (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    February 1, 2021
  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders