If Ryan Wilder becomes Batwoman in the comics, what should happen to Kate Kane?

[Tzigone]

Also, does anyone else feel like DC is regretting giving Bruce blood relatives?

Well, I actually preferred Kate as a re-imagined Kathy Kane and not Bruce's relative, but I think that's a lost cause now. I also liked her more independent and working less with Batfam (many of whom I also like more independent and not working with Batman, as they end up subordinate to him).

In all honesty, I have no idea what to expect. Except that I do expect Ryan to end up a flop, based on past attempts to bring tv-verse into comics. Most haven't been successful.

[Bat-Meal]

Didn't she only leave the army because they didn't approve of homosexuality? The rules have changed now and gays are now allowed to serve.

I remember a couple of years back one of the writers (I think it was Tynion) said they were going to address how DADT was repealed and Kate's response to it, but it never seemed to happen at the time.

[Tsukiakari1203]

Two words:

Batwomen Incorporated.

Have them fight Spiral/Leviathan and actually use Kate's military expertise to defeat them once and for all.

Something even Bruce could NOT do.

I don't know why it has to be one or the other, just follow Morrison's lead.

Have a book that focuses on all female batfam with Oracle leading them on some international shenanigans - hell, just hire Simone to write it and it will be a Birds of Prey style book with a rotating cast

I vote yes for this. We get to save Babs, Cass, Steph, Kate, Bette, and Harper!

[Tsukiakari1203]

Didn't she only leave the army because they didn't approve of homosexuality? The rules have changed now and gays are now allowed to serve.

A writer planned on dealing with it but they left before they could

[Tsukiakari1203]

Well, I actually preferred Kate as a re-imagined Kathy Kane and not Bruce's relative, but I think that's a lost cause now. I also liked her more independent and working less with Batfam (many of whom I also like more independent and not working with Batman, as they end up subordinate to him).

In all honesty, I have no idea what to expect. Except that I do expect Ryan to end up a flop, based on past attempts to bring tv-verse into comics. Most haven't been successful.

i don't like Kate as a reimagined Kathy. I like Kathy for who she is and dint particularly like Morrison's retcon to it.

[Caivu]

Didn't she only leave the army because they didn't approve of homosexuality? The rules have changed now and gays are now allowed to serve.

Yes, but they've been changed a long time. Kate considers her role as Batwoman to be a replacement to military service, and so has no reason to go back to it. Doing that would likely be a waste of resources as well; I'm not sure what rank Kate would be at if she were to re-enlist, but she's still far more highly trained and experienced than anyone she'd be serving with.

I remember a couple of years back one of the writers (I think it was Tynion) said they were going to address how DADT was repealed and Kate's response to it, but it never seemed to happen at the time.

It was Rucka. He also planned to reveal who reported her, and I'm glad that never happened, because it's really not important. Kate has never expressed an interest in who it was, and that person being a mystery works better to illustrate the systematic nature of DADT. Making it some sort of personal grudge would cheapen that, I think.

[Caivu]

Edit: whoops

[Frontier]

I think her going civvie as a cape and going into the military could keep her around in an interesting capacity, and hopefully allow her to avoid the full limbo treatment. Death, amnesia, and villainy all seem too mean-spirited, and while alternate universe or a new mantle could work in theory, it would be easy to send her off like poochie. which leaves army, which would track with her character's story (from the little I know of her) and it has potential to go any number of interesting ways. personally, I'm still hoping that if they do make Ryan Batwoman in the comics they go the movie route and have them be a team. the only hiccup is that they appear to be doing that with Cass and Steph as Batgirls, but hopefully Stephanie will stay Spoiler and in that case it would work.

I think having her going back into the military would totally put her into full limbo treatment given it's basically equivalent to retiring her.

I'm talking about meta, too. If Tynion intends for a strong Batfamily in his run, removing Kate in some way runs counter to that goal, making it less likely to happen.

I always temper my expectations when people tout a "strong Batfamily."

[Caivu]

I always temper my expectations when people tout a "strong Batfamily."

Sure, but it's one thing to attempt that and just not have it be successful; it's quite another to do something that would actively prevent that from happening, which is what Kate leaving would do.

[Tzigone]

Sure, but it's one thing to attempt that and just not have it be successful; it's quite another to do something that would actively prevent that from happening, which is what Kate leaving would do.

Not really. It's "strong Batfamily" not "strong Wayne/Kane family" - if Kate leaves, she's no longer Batfamily, either strong or weak. Yes, it's a crappy argument, but it is what it is. There's plenty of others that at one time were considered Batfamily and now aren't. Besides, DC can't keep a plan on track for anything, so I'm unsurprised. Not to mention, as has been brought up before, DC tends to see titles/IPs. Batwoman is Batwoman is Batwoman, regardless of who is actually in the suit. I hate it, but they do that. I certainly don't think blood makes Kate any more important/less discardable than any of the others, and would find the notion insulting in general. Again, not that I want Kate written out - I just don't think being a blood relation gives her any extra value or importance.

[Frontier]

I wouldn't really expect Tynion to forget Kate, but it's another thing to have adequate page space to feature her.

Of course, if DC mandates one thing over the other...Tynion probably wouldn't have much choice.

[lemonpeace]

I think having her going back into the military would totally put her into full limbo treatment given it's basically equivalent to retiring her.

I always temper my expectations when people tout a "strong Batfamily."

true, but I think it gives her a better shot than most of the other options because at least as military personnel it gives her a unique role in relation to the rest of the Batfamily. it also puts her in the Amanda Waller/Suicide Squad realm of the DC universe which i feel she could prosper in if they play off Kate's popularity well. it's still my second option, I would rather her and Ryan work together as a Batwoman team.

[Frontier]

true, but I think it gives her a better shot than most of the other options because at least as military personnel it gives her a unique role in relation to the rest of the Batfamily. it also puts her in the Amanda Waller/Suicide Squad realm of the DC universe which i feel she could prosper in if they play off Kate's popularity well. it's still my second option, I would rather her and Ryan work together as a Batwoman team.

I don't know if Kate would be a good fit for the Suicide Squad unless she gets like the Nightshade or Bronze Tiger role of being like the only moral or good guy in the group or being the more by-the-book military type to Waller, but it would likely distance her from the Batfamily and maybe even Batwoman.

I'm not a big fan of pairing up characters with the same codename (and, going by the show, very similar costumes), but it would probably be the only way DC could make fans accept integrating Ryan without writing out Kate.

[Caivu]

Not really. It's "strong Batfamily" not "strong Wayne/Kane family" - if Kate leaves, she's no longer Batfamily, either strong or weak.

Again, not that I want Kate written out - I just don't think being a blood relation gives her any extra value or importance.

That's not what I'm saying. I'm not talking about actual family relationships so much.

If Tynion intends for a "robust" Batfamily that's "healing," then having one of those members leave in the middle of that runs counter to that goal; it would actively sabotage it. Kate being Bruce's literal family isn't the point, but would exacerbate things in that regard. Can you imagine that happening and none of the others reacting to it at all? Even if it's just something relatively non-drastic like a break? It would be a major event.

Who knows how successful that intention will end up being, but I don't think Tynion would deliberately make it harder by doing that, especially as someone with a recent and fairly lengthy tenure on the character.

I don't know if Kate would be a good fit for the Suicide Squad unless she gets like the Nightshade or Bronze Tiger role of being like the only moral or good guy in the group or being the more by-the-book military type to Waller, but it would likely distance her from the Batfamily and maybe even Batwoman.

Not to mention: why would she ever be a part of that group? It literally makes no sense given her DEO past.

[Aahz]

I'm talking about meta, too. If Tynion intends for a strong Batfamily in his run, removing Kate in some way runs counter to that goal, making it less likely to happen.

Don't know, Kate has still not much of an established relation with any of the "Batgirls" and "Robins", which puts her more at the fringe of the Batfamily (similar to charcters like Luke Fox and Jean-Paul).