One Bad Mother: Kate Spencer Appreciation!

[Energist]

DC Forum Appreciation Thread rules:

1) No negative comments about the honoree of this thread. It's an appreciation thread, not a non-appreciation one.

2) No negative discussion about any competitors of the honoree of this thread (i.e. John Stewart in the Hal Jordan thread). No ifs, ands, or buts. Find another non-appreciation thread to do that, just not here.

3) No negative comments about other versions of the character. For example, if you like the DCU version of Cyborg, but hate the DCnU version (or visa versa), just appreciate the earlier version and keep your comments about the latter to yourself.

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While she's been absent for a while now, Kate Spencer still ranks as my all-time favorite DC character. With today being Mother's Day, I thought it would be the perfect time to celebrate this wonderful, if a bit unorthodox Mom of the DC Universe with her very own Appreciation Thread!

Mother. Prosecutor. Superhero. Badass. Those four words probably sum Kate Spencer up best. Fed up with a corrupt justice system, one which forced her to watch dangerous inmate after dangerous inmate excused for their heinous crimes, Kate took it upon herself to raid an evidence storage room for notorious criminals and amass an arsenal of her own. Thus, Manhunter was (re)born!

Actually the eighth person to go by the moniker "Manhunter," Kate doles out her own brand of justice when the system fails. She's not the Punisher, though. As a district attorney, she's more than willing to give the system a chance to work, but as someone on the inside, she can only stand by so long before she feels compelled to intervene. This is just one of the many reasons why I love her so much. Kate's not your cliched, no-mercy, kill-'em-all anti-hero, but she's also not a won't-kill-no-matter-what Girl Scout, either. She rides a very believable line in the world of fictional vigilantism, one I think few writers are competent or perhaps bold enough to try and balance their characters upon.

Compounding my love for Kate's personality and personal mission statement is my adoration of her supporting cast: Dylan Battles, former low-rent criminal mastermind turned personal tech-toady; Damon Matthews, best friend and colleague, not to mention former boyfriend of Todd Rice (when he still existed, at least); ex-husband (but all-around decent guy) and novelist Peter Robinson; her rambunctious scamp of a son Ramsey Robinson; and her close friend and confidant, D.E.O. Agent Cameron Chase. There are a lot of A-list characters out there with supporting casts who can't hold a candle to Kate's. And like Kate herself, each of them is wonderful in their own way.

So here's to Kate Spencer, Manhunter. She's an awesome superhero, but an even better character. Marc Andreyko really created something special when he thought up Kate and surrounded with such a diverse band of characters. Here's to hoping that someday soon he's given the opportunity to bring her to the forefront of the DC Universe once again.

[poroto678]

One of the best female heroes ever!!!!!

[millernumber1]

Big fan. Hope she shows up again after her stint in Gotham by Midnight soon!

[justinslot]

Is Kate the greatest DC character of the 00s? And by that I mean the greatest character created in that era.

[Carabas]

I really miss this book.

Kate was fantastic, as were her supporting characters like Cameron Chase and director Bones.

What is Marc Andreyko doing these days?

[Caivu]

Is Kate the greatest DC character of the 00s? And by that I mean the greatest character created in that era.

I like Spencer, but I can think of at least one other such character I'd personally rank higher...

[justinslot]

I like Spencer, but I can think of at least one other such character I'd personally rank higher...

Heh. But isn't who I think you're referring to more of a reinterpretation than a brand new character?

[Caivu]

Heh. But isn't who I think you're referring to more of a reinterpretation than a brand new character?

No, she's a new character. Always was. I'm not sure where that idea came from, but it's flatly wrong.

Anyway, not to derail.

[millernumber1]

I really miss this book.

Kate was fantastic, as were her supporting characters like Cameron Chase and director Bones.

What is Marc Andreyko doing these days?

Death of Hawkman, I think.

[Red obin]

DC Forum Appreciation Thread rules:

At first I always disliked Jae Lee's style but in recent months I have begun to love the uniqueness of it. This is proof of how good his art is.

[Energist]

Is Kate the greatest DC character of the 00s? And by that I mean the greatest character created in that era.

I would say absolutely, but I'm a bit biased.

I really miss this book.


Kate was fantastic, as were her supporting characters like Cameron Chase and director Bones.

What is Marc Andreyko doing these days?

As millernumber1 already said, he wrote Death of Hawkman, which I found to be a disappointment, unfortunately. I blame editorial meddling, though. I think he's writing the digitally released Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 crossover right now, too.

On the subject of Kate, I've read interviews where Marc has expressed his desire to return to the character, but I get the impression he doesn't want to do so at the expense of losing her legacy elements. Can't say I blame him, but with continuity as it stands right now, that may be kind of difficult.

At first I always disliked Jae Lee's style but in recent months I have begun to love the uniqueness of it. This is proof of how good his art is.

I had that image professionally printed out recently as a 32x24 poster, I love it so much. It so perfectly captures the essence of Kate. Hoping to get Marc and Jae's signatures on it someday.

[millernumber1]

I think a Manhunter miniseries would be pretty great once Rebirth wraps up and we can figure out how all the legacy stuff fits into continuity today.

[signalman112]

I really miss this book.

Kate was fantastic, as were her supporting characters like Cameron Chase and director Bones.

What is Marc Andreyko doing these days?

Andreyko is co-writing BATMAN 66 Meets WONDER WOMAN 77.

[Energist]

I've seen other posters suggest a Manhunters book in the past, where it's not just Kate but the other Manhunters (like Paul Kirk and Mark Shaw) as well. I think it's a good idea, if for no other reason than a team book might have a better chance of surviving than a solo Manhunter series. On the other hand, though, I wouldn't want to lose the characters' individual origins and supporting casts in the process, particularly Kate's.

On another note, who would you guys like to see play Kate in a film? I think Kate Beckinsale would be perfect, myself. At 44 she might not be able to sustain the role for more than a couple of films, but she still looks incredible, in my opinion, not to mention perfect for the role. And with her tenure in the Underworld series of films, we know she's more than capable of holding her own in an action flick.

[millernumber1]

I'm a big Beckinsale fan, and she would indeed be excellent in the role! Which storylines would you want to be adapted, other than the origin, obviously?