Kate Kane: Batwoman Appreciation 2018

[millernumber1]

They don't have to return to the Lost Year. That's done and dusted. It got brought back into Kate's life to hurt her, and she made amends for it, and moved on. This kind of plan can't reasonably work on her again. But that doesn't mean Tahani and Fatima aren't still useful as villains, and they're just one thread in those teases.

But the teases are only desired by 16,000 readers. The market for Batwoman is much bigger than that. And that still doesn't answer my question (indirect, I admit, but direct now): what went wrong with this series that it dropped so far so quickly? Was it because of the Lost Year/villains people didn't like (my own theory)? Was it because of the negative backlash against the Colony plot (which is a viable argument, since even though it doesn't seem to have hurt Detective's sales significantly, it does tend to be brought up as a negative by many fans, even though I personally really love it)? Was it the art (ProgmanX's first theory)?

[Caivu]

There's no way to accurately gauge what the audience for those teases is. If they were to use all those elements in something more traditionally actiony, I bet it would do just fine.

That's where I saw the bulk of complaints: that the story was slow (despite that being the intent) when it had been billed as some sort of Bond/Metal Gear Solid hybrid (and I think it still is, just not in the obvious ways). Part of that slowness was seeing Kate profoundly shaken mentally, and I can get why people didn't take to that even though it's a core component of the run.

[millernumber1]

There's no way to accurately gauge what the audience for those teases is. If they were to use all those elements in something more traditionally actiony, I bet it would do just fine.

That's where I saw the bulk of complaints: that the story was slow (despite that being the intent) when it had been billed as some sort of Bond/Metal Gear Solid hybrid (and I think it still is, just not in the obvious ways). Part of that slowness was seeing Kate profoundly shaken mentally, and I can get why people didn't take to that even though it's a core component of the run.

I like Kate shaken to her core. I mean, that's the base of Elegy/Go, and most of the Blackman/Williams run. I just have to care about the things that are shaking her, and I wanted to, but didn't. And as I think I said way back when, the issue where they actually showed the romance was one of the stronger ones in getting me to care (as much as I did through the run).

I dunno. I still maintain that while adding new stuff is always important, Bette, Beth, and Jake should have been the focus. (Though I would have taken Julia in addition, since I'm already a fan of her from Batman Eternal.)

[Caivu]

But Elegy and the New 52 run weren't "Kate shaken to her core". Not even close. They didn't effect her abilities, for one thing.

[millernumber1]

But Elegy and the New 52 run weren't "Kate shaken to her core". Not even close. They didn't effect her abilities, for one thing.

Finding out her dad lied to her, and her sister was insane and evil? That was pretty shaking to her core. I agree it didn't affect her abilities, but...Batman's shaken to his core right now, and the only thing really affected is his detective ability, apparently.

You're probably right that the n52 didn't shake her to her core (though Nocturna probably should have - but they didn't deal with the consequences of that), but I think the first 20 or so issues are really her trying to deal with what she found out in Elegy - and you can see that most clearly in her relationship with Jake.

[Caivu]

By Chris Willdig:

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[Caivu]

By Horacio Minteguiaga:

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[Caivu]

By Eric Sobel:

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[Caivu]

By @RADMANRBARR on Twitter:

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[danielsan52]

Was 70’s Batwoman really a thing?


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[Caivu]

Was 70’s Batwoman really a thing?


9FF782F3-4536-47DA-871F-67CD818AE4F6.jpg9FF782F3-4536-47DA-871F-67CD818AE4F6.jpg

That was the first Batwoman, Kathy Kane, who debuted in 1956.

[danielsan52]

That was the first Batwoman, Kathy Kane, who debuted in 1956.

I know. But that art is from 70s or 80s (I think) and the costume is more modern than the 50s costume.

[Caivu]

I know. But that art is from 70s or 80s (I think) and the costume is more modern than the 50s costume.

She was still around then...

[danielsan52]

In the regular DCU? Earth-Two?

[Caivu]

In the regular DCU? Earth-Two?

Her main universe version was killed in 1979.