Batwoman #13 preview

[Caivu]

http://www.comicsbeat.com/exclusive-...e-of-her-past/

Much like issue #4, which was released on the anniversary of Kate's debut, this issue comes out on Kate's unofficial birthday. Neat.

This arc's going to be interesting, since it has to take place before Kate joins the Colony, meaning things have to happen in certain ways.

[Bat-Meal]

I feel that Julia and Kate just don't have any chemistry, so I don't care for their friendship.

Nor do I care what Julia has to say regarding her criticisms of Kate - which feels unfair both on what she says and because she only teamed-up at batman's request, making their friendship ring false even if she no longer spies completely. Plus, they lack the prior history Kate has with Bette or Renee (or even by now the cast members of the former Knights). Also, IMO Julia is boring.

If they teamed Batwoman up with any of the following I feel the dynamic would have more weight and keep me interested:

Bette/Flamebird
Luke/Batwing
Jean-Paul/Azrael

Or other BatFamily members who are more interesting than Julia.
Or, it'd be hilarious if it was her step-mother chewing her out...Just sayin.

[Caivu]

I feel that Julia and Kate just don't have any chemistry, so I don't care for their friendship.

Also, IMO Julia is boring.

They do have chemistry, and Julia's far from boring... but there's not been enough contrast between them. The biggest issues with that are twofold:
1. Kate and Julia are similar characters, so Julia can't be as effective a foil to Kate as, say, Dick can to Bruce, and
2. Julia has not been utilized nearly enough. She's Batwoman's partner on this mission, but hasn't appeared in almost half the issues! I love this series, but this is by far my biggest complaint. I think Julia also being a strong character in her own right has something to do with that.

Nor do I care what Julia has to say regarding her criticisms of Kate - which feels unfair both on what she says and because she only teamed-up at batman's request, making their friendship ring false even if she no longer spies completely.

This is related to the foil problem. Julia is pretty clearly written to be the more responsible of the two, and that's not necessarily wrong... but that requires Kate to actually be reckless and irresponsible, and she really hasn't been. Certainly not just for the sake of it. The example here is particularly weird: to hear Julia (and Jacob, for that matter) tell it, Kate willingly dosed herself with fear toxin. But that's not what happened at all. She briefly gave into its effects, but stopped herself.

[Oberon]

I really like this preview and can't wait to read the whole thing. Of course I would prefer that Kate start having more team-ups and/or work with Bette. I expect to receive some satisfaction eventually.

My own take on Julia is that she is not a bad character but not the best for this book. So far I'm just getting semi co-star, somewhere between a recurring character (like Bette seems to be!) and someone more important, such as Jacob. So, she either needs work and more interactions or she might do better somewhere else, providing some support to Batgirl and/or Birds of Prey?

[Bat-Meal]

They do have chemistry, and Julia's far from boring... but there's not been enough contrast between them. The biggest issues with that are twofold:
1. Kate and Julia are similar characters, so Julia can't be as effective a foil to Kate as, say, Dick can to Bruce, and
2. Julia has not been utilized nearly enough. She's Batwoman's partner on this mission, but hasn't appeared in almost half the issues! I love this series, but this is by far my biggest complaint. I think Julia also being a strong character in her own right has something to do with that.

Fair enough.

The current dynamic isn't working, if Batwoman's solo is to continue they probably need to either make Julia way more interesting, or toss her in favor of someone who works better with Kate IMO.

There are so many team-ups that could work too, which is why Bette, Batwing, or Azrael would all work - not only because they are established as choosing to work with her (not because Batman requested it), but because they are all more upbeat personalities to contrast with Kate's sulking. Bette and Batwing also have the tech expertise that Batwoman lacks (or it was mentioned in the original solo that Bette understood more tech than Kate but not really shown). And from what I know of Azrael I suspect he is more responsible than Kate, so that could work too.

[Caivu]

Wow. I'm going to need to reread the entire series to see how the ending was foreshadowed throughout, and that's a good thing.

spoilers:

I liked that it didn't play super coy with it and insult the reader's intelligence, since it's not difficult to figure out. Especially since future solicits reveal who it is. But Alice being the Mother of War and not Safiyah is a bit of a curve ball. But a good one.

end of spoilers If the foreshadowing holds, up that's going to make it that much richer.

Otherwise, I loved the atmosphere in this. Much of it is Kate just walking through her old house, and it was genuinely a little creepy. Something about old, abandoned spaces and quietness ramps that up for me.

Also, Knife has the Master Sword in her collection, which is amusing.

[Oberon]

The art in the preview immediately recalls the tone of her first series with the more supernatural slant. Its not the same of course, but it has the feel, for me at least.

[Jackalope89]

Wow. I'm going to need to reread the entire series to see how the ending was foreshadowed throughout, and that's a good thing.

spoilers:

I liked that it didn't play super coy with it and insult the reader's intelligence, since it's not difficult to figure out. Especially since future solicits reveal who it is. But Alice being the Mother of War and not Safiyah is a bit of a curve ball. But a good one.

end of spoilers If the foreshadowing holds, up that's going to make it that much richer.

Otherwise, I loved the atmosphere in this. Much of it is Kate just walking through her old house, and it was genuinely a little creepy. Something about old, abandoned spaces and quietness ramps that up for me.

Also, Knife has the Master Sword in her collection, which is amusing.

I'm slightly desensitized to old and abandoned houses. Partly because I watch a lot of those paranormal/ghost hunting shows. I can still appreciate the atmosphere.

But yeah, that was a curve ball there.

[Caivu]

I've had some other discussions today, and the only consensus we've arrived at is that
spoilers:

it's not 100% clear who the Mother of Warlords actually is yet. It could still be Safiyah, or it could be Alice, but it could also be Knife. There's evidence for all three.

end of spoilers
We just need some more info.