Batwoman 3 (January 2012)

Williams and Blackman are distressingly wasteful this issue. One can tell Williams loves his art and takes it seriously, but it doesn’t explain why we have to plod through the first six pages or so.

It’s Batwoman versus the strange water lady, who probably isn’t Kate Kane’s dead twin, but is close enough we get a bunch of narration about her. There’s no weight to this issue and that lengthy open forecasts that condition.

Kate fights with Flamebird and makes out with Maggie Sawyer. The fed after her–Chase, I think–questions Kate’s dad. Through in a couple Batwoman escaping police pages and it’s done. There’s the issue.

The kiss scene isn’t even a big deal. Kate Kane’s gay. What’s she going to do with her love interest, bake?

Batwoman exists for Williams’s art, which is fine, it’s amazing art. It still needs actual content.

Though, without, it’s still okay.

CREDITS

Hydrology, Part Three: Gaining Steam; writers, J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman; artist, Williams; colorist, Dave Stewart; letterer, Todd Klein; editors, Harvey Richards, Rickey Purdin and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Batwoman 2 (December 2011)

Williams is on the “better second issue bandwagon” too. He’s not dealing with introducing the cast and their problems, he’s just moving the story along. Kate and Maggie Sawyer go on a date. It’s not all that interesting, except for Blackman and Williams’s boring dialogue… oh, wait, I got it backwards. It’s interesting because Williams’s style on Kate Kane is to make her practically part of the background. Not easy to do with shock red hair.

But it’s the opposite of what he does with Batwoman. She’s vibrant and practically shining against the drab background.

Batwoman is a book about great comic art. It’s never going to be Promethea, but Williams still does come up with some wondrous stuff. The last page, with a simple image of a bridge, is absolutely stunning.

It’s a good comic, even with the ludicrous revelation supernatural creatures are commonplace in the new DC Universe.

CREDITS

Hydrology, Part Two: Infiltration; writers, J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman; artist, Williams; colorist, Dave Stewart; letterer, Todd Klein; editors, Janelle Asselin, Katie Kubert and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.

Batwoman 1 (November 2011)

I think J.H. Williams III is trying to be very female empowerment with Batwoman, but he still sort of cheesecakes her. It’s disconcerting. I also don’t like the implication she’s got an uncontrollable thing for cops, regardless of in how bad taste it might be (Kate Kane’s after Maggie Sawyer, even though she was with Renee Montoya before she died… or something).

To some degree, the art’s so good, who cares what the story’s about. Batwoman reminds me of a really dumbed down Promethea. Why? Because Williams gets creative. He doesn’t have the same purpose, but he does create some amazing double page spreads.

DC probably should have spent a couple bucks to get a lesbian writer to proofread Williams and Blackman’s script, just to ensure accuracy. It’s not a “statement” comic, but… really, come on, it’s a statement comic.

Still, art alone is easily enough reason to come back.

CREDITS

Hydrology, Part One: Leaching; writers, J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman; artist, Williams; colorist, Dave Stewart; letterer, Todd Klein; editors, Janelle Asselin and Mike Marts; publisher, DC Comics.