Over at The Source, Alex Segura breaks some exciting news about the upcoming Batwoman series. Enjoy the alternate cover image drawn by Amy Reeder Hadley (whose last project was Madame Xanadu) to November’s Batwoman #0 and read the rest of the news here.
Update Rucka has commented on his site that his motivation for departure is simply to concentrate on his other, creator-owned projects. Good enough for me. His writing on Batwoman will still be missed, but such is life. A writer can’t be happy if he or she feels a stronger compulsion to write another story while chaining themselves to something else.
Unless you’ve spent the last 48 hours completely immersed in the real world (in which case I admire you), you’ve read the good news about writer Greg Rucka focusing on a few projects like Stumptown and a Queen & Country novel and looking forward to a second series with an arc drawn by the talented Nicola Scott. It’s been a few years since Oni published the last issue of Queen and I’ve missed it. With only two issues to date the writing and art on Stumptown have completely drawn me into that world.
The bad news is Greg Rucka and DC have parted, and the future of the acclaimed Batwoman feature is unknown as it languishes now in publisher limbo. Rucka commented that it was agonizing to walk away from Batwoman but has yet and likely will not publicly comment on behind-the-scenes circumstances. Whatever precipitated the decision may never be known though I’ll guess it happened a few months ago, giving DC enough time to bring Marc Guggenheim on Action (assuming Rucka wasn’t stepping back already). Collaborator J. H. Wiliams alluded to a snafu at Emerald City Comic Con as well as some kind of disagreement between DC and Rucka on his blog.
Meanwhile, Newsarama has posted the following comment from DC Senior Story Editor Ian Sattler and Geoff Johns (presumably speaking as Chief Creative Officer).
[DC Senior Story Editor Ian] Sattler: “We have plans for Batwoman.”
[DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff] Johns: “We want Greg (Rucka) to write it, but he’s focusing on his career right now.”
Sattler: “There’s no shelving.”
The question in my mind now becomes how strongly DC wants Rucka (and Williams) to continue on Batwoman? Do the quartet of Diane Nelson, Didio, Johns, and Jim Lee do whatever it takes to woo back Rucka. In my opinion the answer is an unqualified yes. As a publishing company, DC is the sum of its intellectual properties, the characters we love as fans. However, any publisher is foolish to discount the influence of writers and artists in bringing interest and excitement to its stable of characters. Case in point: a yellow and red clad Batwoman, a campy beard for Batman post Frederic Wertham who was transformed into a compelling (and lesbian) character in her own right in the capable hands of two talented people whose work received a GLAAD award. [Disclosure: Rucka and Williams unreservedly got my vote in the award.]
DC is tarnished until such a time that amends are made and Rucka and Williams return to work on Batwoman.
Comics Alliance first posted the news here
Visit Greg Rucka’s website
Art by J H Willaims III
Maggie began her career in Star City, and was married to Captain Jim Sawyer (Superman #15). After their marriage dissolved, Maggie moved east to Metropolis’ Police Department. Because of her performance in helping stop an Apokolips agent named Kalibak rampaging in Metropolis, Dan Turpin recommended she lead the S.C.U. She was promoted to Inspector after Doomsday destroyed Metropolis (Adventures of Superman #505). Barrage is a particular enemy of hers, since he blames her for the loss of his arm. She was a good friend of Lois Lane, who once trained with the SCU. Maggie has a daughter, Jamie, whom Superman rescued from the evil Skyhook.
In her personal life, Maggie was in a relationship with Toby Raines, a reporter for a rival newspaper in Metropolis. In Detective Comics #764 writer Greg Rucka transplants Maggie from Metropolis and its Special Crimes Unit to Gotham City to replace Lt. Harvey Bullock who’s resigned. Maggie is shown unloading boxes into a new apartment while talking with her lover, Toby, who is still in Metropolis. By the end of the story, Toby tells Maggie that she’ll be delayed at joining her in Gotham because a gallery had just given her a full exhibition.
Sawyer’s character appeared in the ensemble cast of Gotham Central where she became police captain. She interacted several times with Renée Montoya , then a detective, before the series ended as Montoya’s alcoholism caused the breakup of her relationship with Dee Hernandez and resignation from the force. Sawyer checked in on Montoya a couple times during her transformation from former police detective and alcoholic into the Question.
Sawyer’s most recent appearance is in Detective #856. She’s working security (though dressed in a man’s tux) at a Gotham social event and decides to approach Kate (Batwoman) Kane, also wearing a tux, to ask for a dance. In the small talk that follows, we learn that Maggie and Toby have recently ended their long distance relationship, leaving Sawyer free to lavish attention on Kate.
Maggie Sawyer was created by John Byrne and first appeared in Superman #4, vol 2, which was printed a year or so before the Comics Code Authority dropped its prohibition against LGBT characters.
© and ® of DC Comics. Used without permission.
Detective #854
Greg Rucka
J H Williams III and Dave Stewart
$3.99
DC
It’s been quite a while since the first rumor of a revived Batwoman surfaced to this issue of Detective. There wasn’t even a hint that the character would be reconceived with a lesbian orientation in that initial bit of gossip reported by Rich Johnston in his old Lying in the Gutters column. In between then and now were more rumors, hints, stories including the shabby treatment of original series developer Devin Grayson. At least once it was reputed to be an ongoing series, but here Batwoman finally is, headlining in Detective in the wake of Gotham’s first guardian’s absence.
While not an ongoing series of her own, this is in its way a first issue. Rucka’s script succeeds in making this feel like the start of a fresh series by mostly keeping to fundamental basics (hero on patrol, failure with love, the hero’s secret headquarters, and fights!) while addressing the Crime Bible thread leftovers of 52 with the introduction of its new leader, a malicious Wonderland-ish Alice who’s brimming with her own particular brand of evil sexiness.
Rucka also starts to flesh out Kate’s back story here with the intoduction of Anna, whose relationship with Kate seems put on hold, if not dashed to bits. I have to mention it’s nice to see Kate kiss Anna in the space of two panels. Anna’s character may seem like an ill-fated match, but we’re only seeing what is presumably the end of it. The scene leaves me wondering why Mallory thought the two were a good pair (and who is Mallory?), what was their first date like, did they do anything wild and crazy as a couple? Maybe Kate will work to fix things with her. Maybe Anna is as reserved generally in life, not just when she’s distancing herself from the woman who hurt her feelings. Or mayb we’ll never see Anna again. Couples date and break up all the time so I don’t consider it a fault in the story so long as Rucka doesn’t keep Kate romantically unattached. There’s also Kate’s father, affectionately called Pop, to whom she is completely open with about her sexuality and being Batwoman. He seems to be former military and committed to helping his daughter be a successful crimefighter. Rucka places one source of tension between daughter and father, Kate’s stepmother. Perhaps the stepmother is one of the relatives alluded to some time back who disapprove of Kate’s sexuality.
J H Williams III is the perfect choice for artist on this series. Williams creates two looks in this story that will no doubt be used throughout the rest of Batwoman’s tenure to establish its tone. At night it looks sleek, a little blurred yet cohesive and almost as if there’s dampness in the air. Batwoman’s skin is pale, almost as white as her new nemesis Alice. In the day objects are decidely distinct and everything seems to have an odd flatness from the sunlight somewhat washing out color. Of course Dave Stewart’s impeccable talent as colorist make these visual tones successful. I’m very much in awe of Stewart’s work here.
Does anyone else think that the way Kate appears in the second panel on page 16 resembles the mask V wore in V For Vendetta? Apparently not, as Joe McCulloh noted it in his review as well. Speaking of which, McCulloh writes the most remarkable and spot on description of Williams’ and Stewart’s art. I can only sit in awe of it because he states exactly the aesthetic that has been achieved by this pair. Just read his assessment of panel and page layouts and look at them in the story. See how those dynamic layouts for Batwoman affect you and the story differently from the traditional page designs used for Kate. Brilliance from Williams. He’s given it his all and telling us “you will take notice.” They’ve no doubt worked hard to create a new standard for other artists to look up to and readers to appreciate.
I’d written a paragraph thinking whether or not Batwoman is being visually sexualized. True, you won’t see a male superhero drawn with both legs posed in this same manner as Batwoman, and thankfully those CFM high heeled boots are replaced by a pair of authentic ass kickers. The sexual energy here simply seems to be an outward manifestation of the charge motivating the character. Kate also appears to be one of the few DC heroes I’m aware with body art. The only other one I’m aware of is James Robinson Starman.
It’s been a hell of a long wait for Batwoman, and at times I thought she’d slip into limbo. Thank god this first issue makes up for the wait.
I’ve thoughts about the first installment of the Question as well, but reserving them for another post seems better.
Writing for New England’s gay paper & website Bay Windows, Web Behrens highlights Batwoman and talks with Dan Didio and Patty Jeres in “Batwoman Begins”.
Over at Advocate.com, Ed Tahaney highlights Batwoman in “Lady of the Night” and talks with Greg Rucka and J H Williams III about bringing the character to the spotlight in Detective.
Art by Michael Lark
Renée is the daughter of traditionally minded parents, Hernando and Luisa, who emigrated from the Dominican Republic. She attended Gotham City’s Police Academy and graduated with top honors. Her first experience with the GCPD was as a beat cop. During this first part of her career she brought down serial killer Mister Zsasz. Montoya continued to demonstrate her capabilities under the command of Commissioner Jim Gordon and later Lt. Sarah Essen-Gordon, who presented the detective badge to Montoya. At one time Montoya was partnered with Harvey Bullock before he disgraced himself and resigned.
Montoya had been an irregularly appearing supporting cast member in various Batman titles since her first appearance in comics. It should also be noted here that the character was originally created to appear in the Batman animated series. News of the character excited comics writers, who then appropriated the character. Shorter production time for comics meant that she appeared in them before her first appearance in animation. There is also some discrepancy regarding her first comics appearance. The entry in the DC Comics Encyclopedia lists Detective #644. Some websites list Batman #475. Both were published in early 1992. Researching and documenting all of her appearances is beyond the scope of this bio. Instead, the focus will be on stories and events within two comics as outlined below.
Writers Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker along with artist Michael Lark assembled the cast for the crime noir comic GOTHAM CENTRAL. Montoya was one of the ensemble cast members, but soon came to prominence in the five-part “Half A Life, ”the series’ second story arc. Renée, who had previously had a boyfriend named Johnny, was outed with a photo of her kissing a woman prominently posted on the station bulletin board. To make her life worse, Two Face had become obsessed with the detective and kidnapped her. Thankfully, she made it through the ordeal unharmed. Her parents, relieved that their daughter was not alive, were not understanding of her sexuality and disowned her. Girlfriend Daria, or Dee, Hernandez comforted Renée. With Dee’s support, Renée began to make steps toward living life out of the closet.
The next substantial development comes in issues #23 – #25 when a masked perp shoots Montoya. A kevlar vest saves her, but she lands in the hospital for examination. Not being a spouse or relative, Daria is not allowed to see Renée, but a previously hard-nosed police inspector gets a soft heart and takes her back to the exam room. A scene in issue #24 shows the Renée and Daria having brunch with Renée’s partner, Cris Allen, and his wife and two sons. Later, the two women are shown lying in bed and having an intimate conversation. The short arc is sensitively written and shows that it’s possible to include homosexual characters in comics without pandering or resorting to tokenism. Also of note is the beginning of a plot that will grow and dominate Montoya’s life. Shady cop Jim Corrigan makes his first appearance. A feud between Montoya and Corrigan begins that will culminate in the final issues of the comic.
A bizarre crime happens in her family neighborhood and Renée volunteers to work the case. She checks in on her father who is minding the small family store, and realizes he’s not ready to accept her back into his life. Daria also appears Montoya, having another talk in the bedroom. (issues #28 and 29). The investigation leads to Dr. Alchemy, the old Flash villain. Partners Montoya and Allen travel to Central City to interview the imprisoned rogue. Temporary custody is given to them. Dr. Alchemy takes advantage of the situation to make an escape, and uses his powers to transmute the “double Venus” necklace around Montoya’s neck to hydrogen and chlorine, branding an impression on her skin. Mr. Montoya unexpectedly shows up at his daughter’s apartment, and he’s surprised to find Daria at home. She invites him to stay and they talk. Montoya subdues the Alchemy, beating him for his taunts and the branding. Thanks in part to Daria’s gentle prodding, Renée and her father are reunited (issues #30 and 31).
Montoya figures less prominently in the “Dead Robins” arc (#32 – 36). She and Allen follow a lead that takes them to Arkham Asylum. Two Face’s rant clearly shows he’s still fixated on the detective. The Teen Titans and Starfire come to the station to help the investigation by answering questions. Both Renée and Captain Maggie Sawyer are dazzled by Koriander’s beauty. Attentive Cris Allen notices that Renée is letting the escalating tension and animosity toward crooked cop Jim Corrigan starting to take a toll on her (issue #36).
Montoya’s life starts to disintegrate with #37, the series’ final arc. The first chapter is an Infinite Crisis tie-in involving the Spectre, Captain Marvel, and the Rock of Eternity that will have repercussions for Cris Allen. The supernatural cataclysm wreaks havoc in Gotham. Montoya and Allen make valiant efforts to reach their respective partners, Daria and Dore (and their two sons). Long simmering anger spills out of control. Renée starts spending time drinking alone in a lesbian bar, trying to pick up a woman, then picking a fight. This has repercussions on the relationship. Montoya accidentally discovers papers that indicate Allen has been pursuing his own secret investigation into Corrigan’s activities. Daria returns home after work and finds a desolate Renée holding her gun. While Daria successfully coaxes her to put away the gun and come to bed, it’s still a sleepless night. Simultaneously, Allen’s scrutiny leads to a late night confrontation in an alley with Corrigan. Corrigan coldly and fatally shoots Allen. Captain Sawyer pays an early morning visit to Montoya to deliver the horrible news. Quick thinking on Corrigan’s part prevents murder charges from sticking. Dore, Allen’s widow, and Daria both try to console Renée. Her reply: “I’m past help, Dee. And the best thing you can do now is to stay away from me.” And she is. A stop at the lesbian bar to knock back more than a few drinks is followed by Montoya breaking into Corrigan’s apartment and coming close to killing him at point blank range. That morning she walks into Sawyer’s office and hands over her badge and gun and resigns from the police force.
GOTHAM CENTRAL ends its run here with #40 and Montoya becomes one of the focal characters of 52.Her days are spent alternately obsessing over her lost job and girlfriend and trying to forget all of it with alcohol. The Question appropriates the Bat-signal for his own purposes: he spray paints a question mark on its surface, and shines it directly at Montoya’s apartment. She’s really too drunk to do anything other than curse it (52 #1).
Introductions of a sort are in order in issue #2. Late at night the Question enters Renée’s apartment. Her reactions are still quick, and she shoots at the Question, waking the unnamed woman in her bed. He may have disappeared but he left a note behind with “520 Kane St.” and a big question mark written on it. Her curiosity is piqued and she investigates the building the next night. The Question appears and offers to hire her services without giving any details before doing another disappearing act on her.
Renée is doing surveillance on the building (issue #4). The watch gets exciting when she barely notices someone entering the property and follows. Inside the Question reappears. Falling through a trap door and are attacked by a trench coat wearing lizard creature. Finding all sorts of alien weapons lying about, Montoya grabs one and kills the alien. Maggie Sawyer, Renée’s former captain, checks up on her after learning about the warehouse incident (issue #5). She also warns Montoya to be careful because she’s probably getting involved in something very dangerous.
A part of Montoya’s past is revealed when we learn she and Kate Kane (Batwoman) were once lovers (issue #7). Charlie (the Question) strikes up a conversation with Renée in a lesbian bar. After they leave, he confides in her some info about his superhero ID and also that Gotham has become the target of Intergang.
Renée, Charlie, and Kate cross paths again in #11. Charlie attempts to have a heart to heart talk with Renée about her self-destructive behavior since Crispus Allen’s murder. Later in the story Batwoman rescues the pair from a fight with Intergang. Charlie teases Renée that Batwoman may like her.
Maggie Sawyer strongly warns Renée to back off her activities or risk making police investigations harder (issue #12). Charlie proposes to Renée the idea of going to Kahndaq to stop the flow of Intergang weapons at the source where they arrive in issue #14. Charlie receives some info from his associate nicknamed “Tot.” They investigate a building for clues about Intergang, only to find themselves surrounded by armed military that capture and imprison them. Renée marshals her strength and wits and successfully frees herself and Charlie from further torture (issue #15). She deduces that Intergang will strike during the wedding ceremony of Isis and Black Adam, and is conflicted and sickened when she has to fatally shoot a young woman from becoming a suicide bomber (issue #16).
Any self-esteem Montoya gained since joining up with Charlie has now been dashed. She angers Black Adam by avoiding the ceremony that would honor her and Charlie for stopping the bomber. Charlie accompanies Black Adam and Isis back to the quarters provided for them. Black Adam is enraged to find a naked Montoya in bed with another woman. His anger stems presumably from being stood up rather than as a reaction to finding two women engaged in sex. Montoya heatedly argues with Black Adam and he reacts by choking her. Thankfully, Isis and Charlie cool both of them down so they can formulate ideas for stopping Intergang. This takes place in issue #18.
Her next appearance is in #23. Montoya, Charlie, Isis, and Black Adam have gathered enough information to infiltrate an Intergang/ religious cult ritual in which Isis’s lost brother is brutalized and beaten as an object lesson. Montoya and Charlie help to rescue Amon.
As a thank you gesture, Black Adam, Isis, and her brother fly Montoya and Charlie to the foothills of Nanda Parbat, a remote land somewhere in the Himalayas. Here they meet up with Richard Dragon who, unknown to Renée, will become her instructor. Also in Nanda Parbat is Tot, Charlie’s friend and associate, who spends a lot of time studying a copy of the “Book of Crime” Montoya and Charlie stole from Intergang. After close observation of Charlie, Renée confronts him about his health. He tells her it’s lung cancer that has spread; there isn’t much time left before he dies. Tot has also deciphered one of the important prophecies involving a murder. It’s Renée who puts the pieces together based on the accompanying illustration: Kate Kane/Batwoman is the intended victim. With Charlie’s confession, the possible death of another person close to her makes Renée very determined to warn her former girlfriend. (Issue #27)
Within a few days, the pair have returned to Gotham and managed to get in contact with Batwoman. They save the headstrong hero from death at Boss Mannheim’s hands when she tries to dismantle an Intergang operation (issue #28). With Kate safe, Renée’s demeanor seems to be tempering. She’s accepted Kate’s offer to put her and Charlie up in her penthouse, and she’s incorporated meditation into her daily life (#31).
Two weeks later, Renée finds compassion for Charlie whose condition has now worsened to the point that he’s hallucinating, comforting him at his bedside. Likewise, Kate feels badly for Renée. They sit and talk, and kiss. Another week passes (#34) and Renée is keeping watch in the hospital over a further declined Charlie. The former detective grows equally more determined or desperate as her friend lies babbling in a hospital bed. While reading letters sent by Tot still in Nanda Parbat to Charlie, she decides the only way to save Charlie is to return with him to the strange land. Kate is easily swayed to pay for medical transport for which she is repaid with a kiss (#36). When next they appear (#38) Renée is dealing with hauling a corpse-like, raving man on a sled up a steep mountain in a harsh winter storm. Miraculously, they both are alive several days later though she’s wondering if her gambit won’t kill them both. The sled tips over and out spills Charlie. Renée clutches him as he gathers the strength to say, “But who are you going to become? Time to change…like a butterfly.” His cancer-ridden body gives out, and he dies as the walls of Nanda Parbat lie not so distant.
Renée has several appearances in #41. Understandably, she’s grieving Charlie’s death, and trying to come to terms with the loss. Tot chiding her for some of her recent (off panel?) behavior isn’t helpful as far as she’s concerned. He dismisses her, saying that Richard Dragon is waiting for her in a specific cave. Inside the ice-covered grotto, Richard attacks her in a clichéd fashion. She runs away in defeat after Dragon tries to force her to face some emotional truth. A couple of days later she meets another young woman (Wonder Woman out of costume and remaining anonymous) who sits quietly waiting for a “friend.” Renée mentions Charlie’s death, and how it’s even more senseless in a place where miracles happen. The unnamed woman replies to Renée that she should stop looking for reasons in the world and look inside of herself. With that, Renée returns to the cave where Richard bested her days before, and meditates.
Montoya was the lead in the five-part mini series Crime Bible: The Book of Blood and a featured character in Final Crisis: Revelations. This bio will be updated to reflect those events. The Question will be a backup strip starting in Detective #854 (June 2009) with Batwoman as lead.
Montoya was created as a character for the Batman The Animated Series and meant to debut in 1992. She first appeared in Detective #644 and was confirmed as lesbian in Gotham Central #6.
© by ® DC Comics. Used without permission.
By Joe Palmer
If you think Midnighter’s sexuality is problematic in his solo book, then the case of Batwoman seems no less challenging. With the former, the character debuted as a teammate in the popular AUTHORITY. The idea of a Batwoman series first appeared as a rumor eight months before confirmation of thecharacter arrived, followed by appearances as an ensemble cast member in 52. In comparison, Batwoman has made few appearances, especially after 52
concluded.
The appearance of problems for DC arose with Midnighter and Apollo when references to the gay Batman and Superman became more frequent. Likewise, the proximity of a lesbian character to the Batman franchise, especially in the minds of the general, movie-going public, has seemingly created a similar instance for Time Warner to attempt control of a situation.
Others, notably Valerie D’Orazio, Ragnell, and Kalinara, have kept the Batwoman topic going from time to time. I don’t know how much I can add to the discussion, but I thought it might be helpful to use a timeline to look at
events. There may be other noteworthy items that escaped my attention during research.
[June 15, 2005 – Batman Begins is released. The box office receipts are high enough to warrant a sequel.]
September 26, 2005 – The earliest reference to a rumored Batwoman book that I can find without spending hours searching comes from Rich Jonhston’s Lying In The Gutters. Under the header “Back to the Bat”, it simply read: “After “Infinite Crisis,” look for a new “Mystery In Space” series and a new Batwoman series. Should provide lots of wiggle room.”
September – October 2005 – This is what I think is a probable date for the start of project development. Devyn Grayson mentions that she learned her Batwoman project is scuttled by reading a newspaper article. See the entry for July 19th, 2007.
The Sunday New York Times piece (May 27th, 2006) mentions that Batwoman will appear for the first time in 52. The following day’s Newsarama interview with Dan Didio may be the real source. See the entry for May 28th, 2006. The initial rumor reports may help to substantiate this probable time frame. A Google search contains references in links to USA Today also running an article. Searching the website’s online archives doesn’t yield any useful information.
October 23, 2005 – First rumor report in the old All The Rage column, attaching the names Gail Simone and John Byrne to the project.
December 27, 2005 – Under the header “Gay Award”, Johnston attaches homosexuality to the rumored Batwoman series, and suggests it will beat the Midnighter comic to the shelf, making it the first ongoing title with a gay lead.
December 27, 2005 – Writing for All The Rage, John Voulieris, reports a similar rumor. In the “Not That There Is Anything Wrong With That” section, he writes:
“One of the big rumours coming out of DC these days is that one of the existing DCU superheroes will come out of the closet during the One Year Later event next summer. This is supposedly a silver age character who has been part of the DCU for decades. Let the speculation begin!
DC has also hinted that they will publish a new series that features a brand new superhero character whose civilian identity is openly gay, as well as a new solo series from Wildstorm featuring the Midnighter.”
February 6, 2006 – The rumor resurfaces again in LITG. “And right now, DC have plans to publish a Batwoman series, with a lesbian character in the lead.”
March 5, 2006 – All The Rage, under “Bats Aplenty”, reports that Dan
DiDio said Barbara Gordon wouldn’t resume her career as Batgirl, but it doesn’t exclude another character from using a similar [costume] in the forthcoming Batwoman.
May 7, 2006 – All The Rage wonders if Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Amanda Conner are working on a Batwoman mini series. Not right at all though the rumor did involve a Batwoman. The book in question is a one-shot tie in to COUNTDOWN, the long-winded title: COUNTDOWN PRESENTS THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: SUPERWOMAN/BATWOMAN #1.
May 27, 2006 – Partial confirmation of the rumor appears in the New York Times article with Dan DiDio talking about more diversity and Batwoman’s sexuality in DC Comics. Religious conservatives and many straight fan boys share in the cascading aneurysm that follows.
I wonder if Warner Bros executives had any idea its little subsidiary DC had a lesbian Batwoman comic in the planning stages before the newspaper article exploded the news. Did Warner Bros assume the worst and wanting to protect its investment and income potential, call up DiDio or Paul Levitz sometime between the Sunday Times piece and DiDio’s interview with Newsarama the following day and tell DC to put the project on the backburner immediately?
May 28, 2006 – Newsarama’s Matt Brady interviews Dan DiDio about the newly confirmed Batwoman. Quotes from DiDio include:
“We’re always looking for ways to reinvigorate the Batman franchise, and look at other characters to inhabit his world.”
“We wanted to find a way to make her feel different, and give her a different personality, a different ideology, and a different backstory, so that she wasn’t just another Batman or Bruce Wayne clone. She’s a member of high society and she is gay. But her sexuality is not the main thrust of the character; it’s just another aspect of her personality, one that helps her to determine her choices that she makes as she’s fighting crime in Gotham City.“
“Basically, what it means is that we have another very strong female character, and how her private life plays against her heroic life is going to be where the stories play in; as well as different types of adventures and different types of dramas that she gets caught up in.”
“…one of the things I’d like to see, at least in the beginning, is to see her as a character who will be appearing primarily in 52. Then, we’ll be exploring things in different ways.”
“I think this is a character that can really benefit from appearing in different books first before we test the waters with her on her own.”
“We’ve introduced a lot of characters in a very short period time, and we’ve got a lot more coming down the pipeline, but I’d like to believe that mostly everything we do now is coming out of other things so that we’re not just throwing books and ideas and concepts at people cold. I want it to be where it feels like everything has time to take root.”
“So what we wanted to do is have a DC Universe that was more reflective, not only of our readership, but as society as a whole. Everything that we’re doing, every step that we’re taking, we’ll keep on pushing that, not only because I think it’s the right thing to do, but also because it allows us to create those points of difference.”
“The same thing with Renee Montoya or Kate Kane being gay – that doesn’t matter who they are, but it does help give their stories a different point of view, a different perspective on the DCU that other characters might not have. It’s trying to attack these things on a personal level, so we can get much richer, more emotional stories from them.”
June 5, 2006 – Only eight days after the New York Times piece, LITG’s Johnston attaches Devin Grayson and Dustin Nguyen as the creative team on the book. Not much time at all between the Times story and being given names, one of which we know was indeed connected to the project.
Johnston notes “…the coverage has been generally positive and welcoming. Some have seen this as indicative of a sea change, especially in American society. It’s certainly different from the mauling Marvel received over “Rawhide Kid” which made them rather risk-averse in this area.”
Well, there was some evidence that Batwoman wasn’t welcomed by all as seen in this video from CNN reporter Jeanne Moos. Perhaps of more concern to WB was a podcast from Concerned Women for America’s Robert Knight. The last thingWB would want to avoid is a backlash fueled by the Religious Right similar to what Marvel experienced.
July, 2006 –Batwoman makes her first cameo appearance in 52 #7, followed by a more prominent role in 52 # 11. Other appearances in tandem with Renée Montoya follow throughout the series.
July 24, 2006 – Writing for AfterEllen, Michelle Helberg adds to the Batwoman discussion.
December 10, 2006 – Under “Yuletide Rage”, All The Rage reports Greg Rucka and Joe Benitez are slotted to work on a five issue story featuring Supergirl and Batwoman to run in SUPERMAN/BATMAN.
December 10, 2006 – The DCU Infinite Holiday Special one-shot includes a short story written by Greg Rucka that features Batwoman. It is the first and to date only solo story for the character.
[April 18 – 24, 2007 – Filming begins on The Dark Knight in. The cast and crew return to Chicago for filming from June 9th to early September. Robert Roeper of the Chicago Sun Times remarks on how widely known the filming in Chicago is, despite an attempt at secrecy.]
May 2, 2007 – DC Direct Batwoman action figure available for the price of $18.99.
July 16, 2007 – In the ”Prince William” section, LITG tentatively names JH Williams III as new Batwoman artist.
July 19, 2007 – In the “Homosexuality in Comics” article on CBR, Devin Grayson publicly confirms being the writer and eight months in to the developing stage of a Batwoman comic before finding out through a newspaper article that her project was dead. The only remaining unconfirmed part of the rumor is whether Dustin Nguyen was the artist. Nguyen went on to other assignments while presumably none were offered to Grayson.
Grayson’s comments have, to my knowledge, never been acknowledged by anyone at DC and likely never will be. Still, with few exceptions comics pros aren’t known for publicly biting the hand that feeds them, so to speak. I’ve no doubt her account is 100 % accurate. The courtesy of an apology is the least DiDio could do.
August 17, 2007 – Some of the same points made by Grayson in the CBR article are reiterated by AfterEllen’s Editor in Chief Sarah Warn in an article ironically titled “Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.”If there is a silver lining, it’s that the article brought the matter to the attention of the greater LGBT community.
October 8, 2007 – DC solicits in advance a Batwoman bust, calling her the “crime-fighting partner of Batman.” Jim Maddox sculpts the bust from a Terry Dodson design. The item is scheduled to go on sale May 7, 2008.
October 8, 2007 – LITG reports the rumor that Greg Rucka will join JH Williams III on Batwoman. Under “Two Men and a Lesbian”</a>: “This was meant to be announced during the summer conventions. It’s still being delayed – a mixture of managing professional workload, and DC’s nervousness about potentially damaging a brand with the publicity a title lead gay Bat-character may bring, and the release of “The Dark Knight” movie.”
Dark Knight was filming in Chicago during the height of the summer convention season. Wizard’s Chicago convention is one of the big summer events.
November 5, 2007 – LITG reports a rumor that the Batwoman series is held back because of the impending Batman movie in summer 2008. “And what of Batwoman? Well, I’m told the launch of the Rucka/Williams series has been pushed back yet again because of the movie, and fears of ‘unacceptable media coverage.’ I’m told four issues are fully completed.”
[November 6 – 11, 2007 Dark Knight films in Hong Kong. Post-production phase begins.]
November 11, 2007 – A podcast interview with artist JH Williams III. The artist alludes to “working on stuff on the side for a couple of years now”, “having a couple of different writing partners that we’ve got a cachet of material…” and hints at a mini series and a pitch for an ongoing both for DC that are stalled. The mention of these projects begins around 16:50 into the interview. Whether these unnamed projects include Batwoman is a matter still yet to be confirmed.
February 23, 2008 – At Wonder Con, Dan DiDio corrects a statement from the previous day. In essence, he mistakenly said “Batwoman” when talking about an upcoming Batgirl mini series. DiDio states there is no Batwoman series coming soon and later adding that Batwoman “will be an integral part of the DC Universe in 2008.”
February 25, 2008 – In response to DiDio’s comments, blogger and former DC staffer Valerie D’Orazio wonders Whither Goest Batwoman? D’Orazio posts a pic of Ellen DeGeneres as an example of how the public can and does support a lesbian in the entertainment industry. Ironically, DeGeneres’ show is produced in associated with and distributed by Warner Bros. In one instance the media giant took advantage of the lesbian entertainer’s popularity when it hawked episodes of the WONDER WOMAN TV show with a banner ad prominently displayed on the DeGeneres show website. This wasn’t a single incident, but at least four times. It also featured a banner ad for the SUPERMAN RETURNS video game. See dates below. I also think a banner ad promoting Jodi Picoult on WONDER WOMAN was featured, but resurrecting pages through the Internet Archives is a bit problematic.
The WW banner ad linked to IN2TV, an AOL service, where episodes of the 70s Wonder Woman show are available to watch for free. AOL is a subsidiary of Time Warner. The company hopes viewers will be enticed to buy the DVD set for $29.95 by using its handy dandy links to its Warner Home Video website. So, yeah, in some instances Warner Bros isn’t afraid of lesbians if there’s money to be made, or maybe only Ellen.
Wonder Woman
12/19/2006
12/25/2006
1/15/2007
1/20/2007
Superman Returns
12/14/2006
In other entries, D’Orazio has compared Marvel’s handling of lesbian
Phyla-Vell as Quasar, a C-list character, to reinterpreting an old character branded with the Bat symbol.
The Bat office was once not so long ago very queer friendly. Bob Schreck was the franchise’s main editor, Devin Grayson wrote Nightwing, and Holly Robinson and her girlfriend were once supporting characters in Catwoman. Schreck’s editorial duties switched along with many others around the time of “One Year Later.” Grayson stopped writing Nightwing in favor of developing Batwoman. Holly temporarily became Catwoman and then the character was moved out so she could join Countdown.
February 28, 2008 – Taking his cue from Dan DiDio, Tom Bondurant, in a Grumpy Old Fan entry for Newsarama, speculates on how Batwoman “will be an integral part of the DC Universe in 2008.” Bondurant nicely points out the dichotomy between Didio’s comment about building a grass roots appeal for the character through exposure in other books and the nearly complete lack of same in the following years. Neither does he forget the scuttled Grayson book or the rumored Rucka/Williams stalled project.
March 15, 2008 – At Wizard World LA, writer James Robinson announces at a panel a new Justice League book that he is writing. Team members include Batwoman and one-time Starman Mikaal Tomas, a bisexual, blue-skinned alien.
March 17, 2008 – Robinson elaborates some on his decision to use Batwoman and Supergirl is “to get the iconic emblems on the team.” Mikaal Tomas’ inclusion warrants a little more discussion from the writer. I am looking forward to the dynamics creates between Batwoman and Starman.
No release date, tentative or otherwise, is given for the book. The only clue to its scheduling is that its heroes come together as a response to events in Final Crisis. I say don’t look for this comic to be in your shop before the Dark Knight is released in July.
Robinson’s Starman is a comic I greatly enjoyed and dearly miss. The prospect of him writing two queer characters intrigues me. However, two and a half years have passed since the first rumors of a Batwoman comic and what I believe to be the project’s inception by Devin Grayson. In those two and a half years we’ve learned the project was unceremoniously killed and a change in attitude from solo series to building grass roots appeal ensued. Well, the latter approach was barely followed through on with a smattering of recurring roles once 52 finished. After a scuttled series what we have now is the prospect of yet another gay character relegated to the role of teammate/ supporting character. This and DiDio’s words that the character will be integral in 2008. The proof behind DiDio’s words remains to be seen.
[July 18, 2008 – Scheduled release date for The Dark Knight sequel.]
Seems like everything you’d want to know about the previous incarnation of Batwoman can be read in this Newsarama article.
February 6, 2009 – Newsarama reports that Batwoman will appear in a run in Detective Comics starting with issue #854. The New York Comic Con program contains a five page preview with art by JH Willaims III. Writer Greg Rucka interviews with Comic Book Resources .
The secret is out now. Which secret is that? The one about the secret identity of the lesbian Batwoman character. Well, not so much out as it was confirmed in a New York Times article about diversity in comic books. Rich Johnston got it right again when he included a bit in his Lying In the Gutters column. It seemed to me that Renée Montoya would become this new Batwoman, not because I want to see her wearing a cape, but because it seemed like a logical possibility at redemption for her drunken fall. Oh, well.Okay, that joke is old already. It won’t come from me again.
At the moment we don’t know a lot about this Batwoman. Her real name is Kate Kane. She’s a socialite who has some history with Bruce Wayne and Montoya. I think people may assume that she and Montoya will be sexually intimate, but this may not be the case. Her first appearance will be in 52 #11. At some point she’ll have a run in with the Question. She’ll have nearly a year’s worth of experience behind her by the time Batman returns from his year long vacation with Tim and Dick. There was also a hint that Bruce and Kate will deal with each other on multiple levels because of their social connections and history and her decision to become a superhero. Kane isn’t completely out to family and everyone in her circle.
That’s just enough info to be teased with. C’mon DiDio! How about cluing me in with some more secrets about her?
Regardless, I’m looking forward to the character and reading how she’s handled in stories and developed.
Newsarama’s Matt Brady posted an article about the New York Times piece. Posts about a lesbian Batwoman are generating the usual comments whenever a homosexual character or story is introduced in comics. “The boots make her look like a dominatrix!” “They look like Batgirl’s (Barbara Gordon) boots.” They do, and they’re no more practical now than they were then. Did anyone ever think Babs was dominatrix for wearing them? The usual does anyone else find this sick…” objection is raised and then the poster excuses himself with “No offense to gays—who anyone sleeps with it their business.” Thanks for the glib lip service, but that was a privilege we didn’t win until the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws a few years ago and some people still think it’s their business. Cries of “agenda this” and “agenda that” and “no homos in my comics!” and “comics are for kids!” and “Silver Age throwback or Silver Age masterbation [sic].” Thank God you don’t have to spell it correctly in order to be able to do it.
Hoping to come to the rescue, the defenders rush in with counter comments. Thank God for people like you. Message boards aren’t always, or should I say often, forums for discussions, and I don’t have enough patience to engage people whose minds were made up years ago. It seems every time the topic of gay characters or plot lines is mentioned the straight guys get in an uproar. They turn the boards into a pissing contest by eagerly whipping out their dicks and hoping to shut up the gay guys and gals by drowning them with their collective urine streams. You can knock it off.
I’d offer a reassuring hug to the straight guys to let them know they’re not really being threatened, but it might be mistaken for something more. That reminds me of a time an old boyfriend had a party. I’d gone to bed, and was woken a couple of hours later by the yelping of a scared straight boy who’d drunkenly crawled into bed next to me. How about a friendly punch in the arm instead? Or maybe not.
People had similar opinions about Apollo and Midnighter, Terry Berg, Northstar, Rawhide Kid, and Hulking and Wiccan in Young Avengers. People threatened not to buy comics these characters appeared in, and I think that’s fine. No one should buy comics they’re not going to enjoy, and I don’t spend a penny on comics written by Chuck Dixon or published by Mike S. Miller.
The closet door of mainstream comics started to be pushed open eighteen years ago with an obviously effeminate Extraño, and the 1989 revision of the Comics Code Authority guidelines finally let publishers identify characters as LGBT. Yes, there are hints in ALPHA FLIGHT about Northstar’s sexuality, but I’m arbitrarily deciding to mark the appearance of an unmistakably gay character, stereotype aside, over contextual clues. The cries and objections over queer character are old, but an opinion is an opinion. Even bigoted ones.
Let’s be fair to the paranoid. With this news and characters such as Holly Robinson stepping in as Catwoman, Hulking and Wiccan, and a solo Midnighter comic on the way it does seem like we gay comics readers are poised to take over the industry. Let’s get ready for the big push of the gay agenda right into the homes of the vast comic reading population! Our efforts will be validated with new converts from the formerly straight life style, and we’ll all have more than enough men to form polygamous relationships that groups like the American Family Association has been warning people about lately. Right.
Back to more serious matters. It’s interesting that DC decided to let the New York Times article announce news about Batwoman. Typically DC and Marvel make their important announcements in press releases to comics news sites, all the while wishing for some exposure in the non-comics media. Despite both recent and old successes in movies and television comics remain a niche media. This has an advantage though in that companies can be freer to experiment if they want because less attention is typically paid to them than to television or film. One trick is to fly under the radar as much and as long as possible. If you’ve read the Times article you’ll notice that Joe Quesada mentions race. Storm, Luke Cage, and Araña are mentioned. Reginald Hudlin talks about Black Panther. These characters are safe to mention. There isn’t a word about Hulkling and Wiccan in Young Avengers. Sure, Judd Winick incidentally refers to Sunfire as a Japanese lesbian superhero in Exiles. And she’s dead, too.
The other tack, I suppose, is to say to hell with it all, and try to let as many people as possible know by telling it to the New York Times. It wasn’t so long ago that Bill Jemas and Joe Quesada courted national attention and controversy over the Rawhide Kid matter. The outcry from family groups was loud and I assume organized. I say “assumed” because for the past few months I’ve subscribed to the AFA’s newsletter and I swear, if any group is organized and has an agenda, it’s the AFA. One can imagine the flood of angry emails that one of the AFA’s action alerts might have generated to Marvel’s offices and shareholders. The irony here is that DC, often considered to have been on the timid side in the past, is acting self-assured.
Marvel points to its efforts at racial diversity, which is still an important topic to address, while remaining quiet on the issue of sexual diversity. Marvel should be commended on its efforts, but it also dodges the bullet. Let’s be realistic. There won’t be any flak from conservative groups about the inclusion of non-white characters.
Will a lesbian Batwoman and Catwoman and the impending solo Midnighter comic cause a similar reaction with the same groups as Rawhide Kid? The AFA is a bit obsessed with Ford Motor Company and the vote in Washington on the Marriage Protection Act, but I’ll be paying attention.
The great irony here is that the characters of Kathy Kane and Batwoman were created and first appeared in 1956 as a love interest for Batman, just two short years after the height of Frederic Wertham’s campaign that led to Senate hearings and the creation of the Comics Code Authority itself.
Haven’t read the New York Times article yet? You can find it here. You will have to register if you don’t have an account already.
DC’s “Who’s Who” entry for the original Batwoman states that Kathy Kane was originally a stunt-cyclist and trapeze artist who had idolized Batman. After receiving an inheritance, Kane initiated her dream of becoming a superhero, and adopted the guise of Batwoman. Her newfound wealth allowed her to build a mansion, replete with her own secret crime lab à la the Batcave, only Kane’s occupied an abandoned mine tunnel. Her mode of transportation was a motorcycle she’d built herself (showing a little butch aspect to the heterosexual version?).Early in the case, Reneé links the crime scene at an abandoned building to Kate, and screws up the courage to show up unannounced at gala being held at the Kane mansion. Kate meets Reneé in a quite study though their conversation quickly becomes volatile from unresolved relationship issues. In the end, Kate agrees to help her.
Batwoman makes her first appearance in the last panel of 52 #9. She’s perched on a rooftop ledge spying on Reneé and the Question talking late at night in an alley. In #11 Kate meets Reneé and Charlie in a park so she can tell them information she has learned about the building where the pair were assaulted. The women begin arguing after Reneé inquires about the woman in Kate’s car. Kate wants to know what Reneé is involved in; Reneé cuts her off. Charlie and Reneé run into trouble following another lead in their investigation. Whisper A’Daire orders her bodyguards (who transform into wild animals) to kill them. Things look bad until Batwoman appears on the scene. During the fight, Reneé figures out it’s Kate in the costume. Batwoman then disappears into the night.
Batwoman next appears in #28. Reneé and Charlie have learned about a book considered holy, the Book of Crime, by Intergang. Reneé has sought Batwoman because she thinks the book contains an image of her (Kate) meeting a grisly fate. Later in the story Batwoman attacks several Intergang henchmen inside a church. The fight is going in her favor till Boss Mannheim stuns her with a ray gun of sorts. It looks as if the prophecy will come true till Reneé and Charlie show and Boss Mannheim runs off, leaving the trio to catch their collective breath.
Kate has persuaded Reneé to move Charlie and herself into Kate’s penthouse in between issues #28 and #30. Kate is paying for medical care for Charlie, who is dying of cancer. Feelings between the two women seem to have softened off panel since their last appearance together. Batwoman runs into more of Mannheim’s were-creatures on patrol. Nightwing appears from the shadows to lend her a hand. They agree to work together and search different parts of Gotham starting the following night.
When next they meet atop a building roof (issue #33) she’s presented with a Christmas gift: an authentic batarang. Back at the penthouse, Reneé is distraught over Charlie’s worsening condition. Kate tries to console her and they kiss. We also learn that Kate is Jewish because of a menorah displayed on a table.
Kate is seen only briefly in issue #34 when Charlie is transferred to a hospital. She tries to persuade Reneé not to leave on a fool’s journey to Nanda Parbat in the hopes of saving Charlie, saying, “I just got you back in my life, I don’t want you walking out again!” (issue #36). She doesn’t succeed.
Montoya returns to Gotham City, now having assumed the mantle of the Question, to find Kate’s penthouse a complete shambles (issue #47). Nightwing extends his offer to help find Kane.
Issue #48 opens with Montoya and Nightwing fighting it out with Intergang and trying to learn the whereabouts of Kate. It seems to Mannheim and A’ Daire that the time is close at hand to both destroy Gotham by turning it into a fire pit à la Apokolips and to sacrifice Kane and fulfill the Crime Bible’s prophecy. Nightwing decides the only way to save both the city and Kane is for them to split up.
Thanks to an Intergang member they’d captured, Montoya heads off to an abandoned cathedral, where she finds Kate (dressed as Batwoman) bound and gagged on an altar and at Mannheim’s mercy. Montoya throws herself against the bestiamorph creatures guarding the ritual and almost loses her own life, only to witness Mannheim plunge a dagger into Kate’s chest. She shoots Mannheim, hitting him in the temple and knocking him momentarily unconscious. Montoya rushes to Kate’s side, only to be picked up and thrown about by a desperate Mannheim. Summoning courage and strength, Kane pulls the knife from her chest and manages enough force to plunge it into Mannheim, killing him. The scene closes with Montoya pleading that Kathy not die while the church burns, leaving the impression that Kate dies.
The closing scene of #52 shows Kate recovering in her penthouse. She’s talking with a woman named Mallory. Judging by the conversation, she appears to be either a doctor or a police detective. She’s very curious about the “pseudo-skin bandage” (the same artificial skin that covers the Question’s face) that covered her chest wound when brought into the ER. The very last page show Montoya shining the Bat signal into Kate’s penthouse. Where these two characters appear next remains to be seen.
Batwoman appears in a short story in DCU Infinite Holiday Special. She busts up a ring of thieves dressed as Santa Claus and finds a family treasure belonging to an older woman she knows.
The Silver Age version drove a customized motorcycle. Her should bag/utility case contained sneezing powder puffs, tear gas perfume, an expandable, high-tensile hair net, smoke bomb lipstick, and a periscope lipstick case. The shoulder bag’s straps doubled as bolas, and her bracelets worked as handcuffs.
