#1 variant cover, via DC Comics.
Earth-Prime: Batwoman #1 – Natalie Abrams/Kelly Larson, Camrus Johnson, Writers; Clayton Henry, Michael Calero, Artists; Marcelo Maiolo, Matt Herms, Colorists
Ray – 7/10
Ray: And now for something completely different. The CW DC shows have been running for over ten years now and span countless spin-offs and some strange divergences from the source material. Nowhere are those differences more glaring than in Batwoman, which shook up the character’s status quo by setting it around twenty years in the future—and then replacing almost the entire cast after the first season when the lead actress quit. Now starring an original character names Ryan Wilder, it’s also rebooted countless classic Batman villains including Joker and Poison Ivy with new versions—usually with some kind of secret familial twist to the leads. And this issue, it’s Clayface’s turn to join the party.
A common theme here seems to be that the original villains have some sort of toxin that can infect new people. That’s what happened to Mary, the new Poison Ivy, and it’s what happens to Tanner, a bullied teen out for revenge against his tormentors as a shape-shifting mud-man. The best part of this issue is the presence of Lena Luthor, who helps Ryan with some corporate skullduggery and in finding her groove as Batwoman after all the recent losses she’s suffered. The problem is, this comic crossover is so thick in TV continuity that it’s largely inaccessible and this first issue doesn’t have much crossover content. It’s not until the last act that we start getting hints as to where this crossover is going.
The Luke Fox backup written by his actor, Camrus Johnson, is the strongest part of the issue. It’s only five pages, as Luke tries to balance his complex professional and superhero life with his desire to spark his love life a little. His date is a familiar face to fans of the show (albeit she really doesn’t resemble her comic version at all), and the tone of the story reminds me a little of classic Spider-man stories. Sometimes, being a superhero means taking some hits.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
