Kate Kane: Batwoman Appreciation 2022

[Shimbo]

I usually groan when Kate is pushed into “the soldier Bat who uses a gun”, when her character is so much more than that.

Ugh, she's sooooo much more than that. And I blame the Bad Blood movie for that misconception. She's clearly trained in how to use them, but we know she follows "Batman's rules" and she really doesn't need them. I miss Rucka's run and take and even the JHWIII and Haden Blackman stuff. She's barely used anymore after needlessly pairing her much closer to Bruce and the BatFam than she had been before the Rebirth Tec run. I miss the weird supernatural/occult stuff, I miss her Father not being a villain, I miss her suit being bad-ass as hell in what it can do/its functions, and I miss her interactions with Bette and I miss her distance from the Batfam. She was so fresh as a character and now I don't even know. She has good bones and a striking design, so hopefully she'll get further used and developed in her own right, and not just for DC's Pride Specials :/

[thwhtGuardian]

I knew about the crew cut but it feels like they gave something closer to Ruby's haircut around the time the show came out or after the first season.

Nope, that was the look she got during her second run on Detective starting with #934...which was 2016.

[Caivu]

Nope, that was the look she got during her second run on Detective starting with #934...which was 2016.

Plus she wore her hair short as a cadet, all the way back in Elegy.

Part of Kate's appeal is the mix of stereotypical feminine and masculine qualities.

Yep, the very first thing she ever does is show up in a glamorous red gown... and then punch Renee in the face. She's been dichotomous from the start.

but she's also a rebel and non-conformist at her core,

I think that's a bit much. Does a rebel apply to the most prestigious military school in the world and not only get accepted, but excel to the point they get to the third-highest command position? Kate has strong convictions, but that doesn't mean rebellious.

Kate's rocker/punk fashion and gothic makeup has been sorely missing, but she's been basically absent in the DCU except for little cameos. I think she's been in more Wayne Fam Adventures stuff that mainline stuff recently...

That's more due to her not showing up as a civilian in a while. She wore a studded leather jacket in Rebirth 'Tec, so that's still there. She's only been in WFA twice, and has shown up that much in the past few months just in Aquaman books, of all things.

I miss her Father not being a villain, I miss her suit being bad-ass as hell in what it can do/its functions,

Jacob's not a villain. Antagonist for a bit, yes. But not a villain.

What has changed about her suit? It hasn't lost any functions, and has even gained a few since the New 52.

Shifting gears... Kate is part of a new Batman addition to Minecraft:

20221015_212527.jpg

[Frontier]

Nope, that was the look she got during her second run on Detective starting with #934...which was 2016.

I'm talking about after Tynion's run. Like in her Urban Legends story.

Plus she wore her hair short as a cadet, all the way back in Elegy.

As does Bette.

(Man, she can't get out of West Point fast enough).

[signalman112]

Hannie Mohd art.


SnowyBatwoman.jpg

[Frontier]

Hannie Mohd art.


SnowyBatwoman.jpg

Kind of forgetting it's a wig, but still looks beautiful .

[Caivu]

Kate and Beth are confirmed to exist in the Gotham Knights universe. Kinda big spoilers: spoilers:

Kate has a quasi-confessional recording from Jacob addressed to her. The text description of the message mentions the kidnapping. It still does not seem that Kate has ever been Batwoman.

end of spoilers

An odd detail is that spoilers:

the same message mentions that Jacob married after Gabi's death but divorced before marrying Catherine.

end of spoilers

[Stars & Stripes]

Kate and Beth are confirmed to exist in the Gotham Knights universe. Kinda big spoilers: spoilers:

Kate has a quasi-confessional recording from Jacob addressed to her. The text description of the message mentions the kidnapping. It still does not seem that Kate has ever been Batwoman.

end of spoilers

An odd detail is that spoilers:

the same message mentions that Jacob married after Gabi's death but divorced before marrying Catherine.

end of spoilers

spoilers:

I think if this game were to get character-specific DLC, one of them could be Kate’s ‘debut’ case as Batwoman.

end of spoilers

[Majesty]

Kate and Maggie meet again in Nightwing #95, which, based on the paneling, I'm not convinced isn't going to be another runaround about their breakup like that nothing story from "Crimes of Passion" was.

https://twitter.com/MikeRoe/status/1550177173553631232

Long as they keep Kate with Renee, I'm fine with her meeting up with Maggie or having a friendship with her.

[Caivu]

Long as they keep Kate with Renee, I'm fine with her meeting up with Maggie or having a friendship with her.

Well... that's the problem. Kate and Renee broke up almost a year earlier.

[Konja7]

Ugh, she's sooooo much more than that. And I blame the Bad Blood movie for that misconception. She's clearly trained in how to use them, but we know she follows "Batman's rules" and she really doesn't need them. I miss Rucka's run and take and even the JHWIII and Haden Blackman stuff. She's barely used anymore after needlessly pairing her much closer to Bruce and the BatFam than she had been before the Rebirth Tec run. I miss the weird supernatural/occult stuff, I miss her Father not being a villain, I miss her suit being bad-ass as hell in what it can do/its functions, and I miss her interactions with Bette and I miss her distance from the Batfam. She was so fresh as a character and now I don't even know. She has good bones and a striking design, so hopefully she'll get further used and developed in her own right, and not just for DC's Pride Specials :/

To be fair, Kate's current situation isn't the fault of her closer relationship to the Batfamily.

Kate was paired much closer to Bruce and the Batfamily after her solo was cancelled. So, it's likely she wouldn't be used at all if they don't make her closer to Bruce and the Batfamily.

[Majesty]

Well... that's the problem. Kate and Renee broke up almost a year earlier.

Gah -_- Thats always the problem X_X Can't they just keep those two together instead of finding reasons/excuses to break them up

[Caivu]

Gah -_- Thats always the problem X_X Can't they just keep those two together instead of finding reasons/excuses to break them up

Even worse! This time they did so off-panel, with no reason.

[Twice-named]

Rucka never meant for them to be a permanent couple. Their relationship is too volatile to last. It’s the one thing Rucka intended with Kate that DC has actually stuck with. I know I’m in the minority here.

[Majesty]

Even worse! This time they did so off-panel, with no reason.

I am growing sick and tired of DC doing that X_X

Rucka never meant for them to be a permanent couple. Their relationship is too volatile to last. It’s the one thing Rucka intended with Kate that DC has actually stuck with. I know I’m in the minority here.

Really? I've always heard the opposite. Especially when he got his chance to end Renee's story the way he wanted to in her comic with Two-Face, Huntress and Batwoman. That felt essentially like Renee's happy ending, and Rucka intended it to be so. If he didn't want them together, the comic doesn't end the way it does with the hints that Renee and Kate will get back together and Kate still being very much in love with her and vice versa.

But nonetheless, it always felt like Greg Rucka wanted them to be together and I've never seen him say the opposite when it was a story he was in full control of.

He used that story(Convergence) to right the wrongs that had been done to those characters while he'd been gone for 5 years as well as writing a personal story from his heart because he had lost his father the way Renee was going to. So I would have figured if he didn't want Renee and Kate to be together, then he doesn't write what was potentially the last Renee Montoya story the way he does. But yeah I've never seen him say he didn't intend Renee and Kate to be a permanent couple, I've always heard and seen the opposite. Unless you've seen something different.