Batwoman #2 – Greg Rucka, Writer; DaNi, Artist; Matt Hollingsworth, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Greg Rucka’s writing has always kept its secrets close to its chest, introducing us to a new status quo and letting his taciturn characters parcel out information at their pace. That was definitely the case for the first issue of this title, which saw Kate Kane seemingly voluntarily checked into a Greek sanitarium, seeking peace and healing after a final battle with Alice apparently killed her sister once again. Kate seemed reserved, haunted, but it soon became clear that the place she was secured in wasn’t a place of healing at all. It was a hideout for a cult, and she was the subject. The growing evidence that something was wrong eventually led Kate to launch a breakout, donning her Batwoman costume for the first time in a while to investigate. But as the opening to this issue makes clear, she’s not alone in the Greek Isles. Jacob Kane is watching – and he wants to make sure Kate stays put.
Jacob has always been a fairly ambiguous character. Rucka wrote him as Kate’s primary partner in heroics, often serving as the man behind the hero. But under Tynion, he was a more sinister figure who wanted to bring military-style policing to Gotham. Here, he’s clearly concerned with his daughter, but it’s not clear how much he knows about the sinister goings-on at the center. He’s clearly horrified when Kate breaks free, but she soon finds herself pulled into a brawl with cultists. The overarching villain of the arc, Mr. Gores, gets a little more spotlight this issue as it becomes clear he’s not truly a part of the women-dominated society that runs the facility. As the issue wraps up, we get a clearer picture of where Kate’s mind is right now – and it’s not good. I could quibble with the pace of this series, but it works to create a sense of tension as we build towards a much bigger conspiracy.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
