Review: Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III

Quick Summary

Pros: Batwoman is an excellent character whose unique military connection and LGBTQ+ representation add a lot to the narrative. Batwoman’s history is fascinating to discover. The main narrative is tense and exciting. The artwork is gorgeous throughout the book and makes the story even better.

Cons: Nothing significant.

Overall: This is an amazing read, plain and simple. It has interesting characters, compelling backstories, deep emotions, meaningful themes, and a narrative that is sure to keep readers engaged all the way through. All of this is then backed up by beautiful artwork that makes everything even more enjoyable. Anyone even remotely interested in this character or in Batman-style vigilantes should read this book.

Story

The story in Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III is fantastic. Right from the start, Batwoman proves herself as a compelling main character. Her approach to vigilante justice is fun to see, her backstory is interesting, and the issues she brings to the forefront are meaningful. The mission she undertakes here is also filled with enough action and tension to make sure things stay exciting. In general, this collection works as a marvelous introduction to Batwoman as a character but also manages to stand on its own as a highly enjoyable story.

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The biggest draw in Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III is the titular character. Batwoman immediately defines herself among the rest of Gotham City’s vigilante population through her connection to the armed forces. Her tactics, approach, and weapons all have a Bat-family-style flair to them but are clearly from a military origin. It makes her more fierce and intimidating, which works perfectly for a Bat-character.

Another big draw for Batwoman’s character is the way in which she brings LGBTQ+ issues to the comic book landscape. It should be clear to every reader that Kate Kane would have made a perfect soldier, yet she was denied this opportunity because of systemic homophobia. Her fate is tragic, and her ability to rise above it makes her an even more admirable hero. Though the exact problems forcing Kate’s expulsion from military service are no longer around, their presence here is still a grim reminder of what took place in the not-too-distant past. In general, her story serves as a reminder that readers should be vigilant about the methods of discrimination that may still exist in their society.

Batwoman’s character is also important because her history encompasses about half of this book’s narrative. Uncovering the mystery of who she is and how she got to be this way is a big part of enjoying this work. Understanding this history makes the return of her sister and the lies from her father hurt even more, adding a lot of emotion into this book.

The other half of the narrative is standard vigilante action. One story has an insane couple kidnapping and dismembering young women and another places the entire population of Gotham in jeopardy. Witnessing Batwoman’s role in taking down these villains is intense and makes for an entertaining read.

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Art

The artwork in Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III is so unbelievably good that I could have thoroughly enjoyed this collection without having read a single word of dialogue or narration. J.H. Williams utilizes a unique and shifting art style to tell this volume’s story. Fight scenes are bold and dramatic, civilian-focused moments are crisper and brighter, and flashbacks have their own distinct style.

However, where J.H. Williams III really shines is in the book’s structure. The volume’s plethora of two-page spreads, with their splintered array of panels, creates scenes that tell an entire story on their own. These scenes can show how every moment of a fight plays out or can show how many small memories come together to form a person’s history. There are also single pages that are laid out in a way that helps build upon an established theme from the story. At nearly every point in this book, the artwork is working to make this adventure even more entertaining. 

Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III also closes with a different story arc featuring more beautiful artwork. These chapters, drawn by Jock, are impressively designed in a way that allows them to tell two stories at once. Subtle visual differences and meticulous panel layouts make this complex narrative approach seem easy. It also helps that Jock’s designs all look great and allow the characters and locations to look gorgeous on every page. In general, the artwork throughout this book is impressive and worth viewing.

Continuity

Batwoman by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III contains issues from the Detective Comics series. However, it has very little to do with that series. Instead, it mostly continues the adventures of Batwoman from her debut in 52.

Though Batwoman makes other appearances after the events of this comic, her solo story is directly continued in Batwoman Vol. 1: Hydrology.

This volume also references other comic books, detailed below:

• Kate Kane’s relationship with Renee Montoya was first established back in the 52 event series. However, its origins are shown here.
• Bette Kane’s status as a hero is somewhat explained in Teen Titans Vol. 3 #38.