Detective Comics #854 shifts its focus from Batman to two different crime-busting ladies who favor masks and martial arts. This world without Bruce Wayne as Batman promises more and more interesting things as it spins along. Greg Rucka, who has written a lot of great comic books as well as several bestselling novels, handles the writing chores on both strips.
First up is the new Batwoman. I fell in love with her red and black costume the first time I saw it. Artist J. H. Williams III really knows how to work the colors as well as the action. Batwoman explodes off the pages when she’s fighting, and the red hair marks her instantly on every page. The two-page spreads with her careening through battles were fantastic and really catch the eye. This is one of those books that I immediately sat down and read again when I’d finished – just because I wanted to look at the artwork without being caught up in the unfolding events. Dave Stewart’s colors absolutely shine and scream for attention.
I really like the look of the new Batwoman, and I like her edginess, but I feel like I’m missing too much of her backstory in this issue. I want to know why her skin is so pasty white compared to everyone else (although it does look striking against the black and red) and I want to know why her father is driving her to be a superhero. The relationship between them looks interesting, and I should want to know more, especially since this is just getting started.
The confrontation between Batman and Batwoman is totally cool. I like the fact that she sort of one-ups him on the information about the covens. It’s good that she can pull her own, and maybe it’s there to remind us Bruce Wayne is no longer wearing the cowl and Dick Grayson isn’t as infallible.
I also really like Alice, the villainess Batwoman is up against in this arc. Since she’s dressed all in white and is so darkly evil (obviously as twisted as the Joker and some of the other weird Gotham villains), she stands out dramatically against the Batwoman and the overall tone of the book. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
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