Batwoman, written by JH Williams III and W. Haden Blackman, with art by JH Williams III
Description: Batwoman, Kate Kane, is a great female character, despite being a fairly recent one, and this is her chance in the spotlight. “Strong female character” can bring a lot of different connotations, not all of them good. In comics especially, female characters can fall victim to gender stereotypes or just not get treated with respect. Sometimes they look like they’re trying too hard to be strong or accepted. Not Batwoman. Batwoman succeeds in being interesting because she is a strong character who happens to be female instead of falling flat. That isn’t to say that her character isn’t strongly defined around her gender, because it is. But what I’m getting at is that, despite the similar motifs, Batwoman isn’t just a “Girl Power!” version of Batman, or Bruce Wayne with boobs, or Bruce’s girlfriend or anything like that (she’s actually a lesbian, FYI, and not closely connected to the Batfamily at all). She’s her own person with a completely separate back-story, cool personality, and interesting history. In summary, Kate Kane is her own person, likes to kick ass, and just happens to have lady parts.
The Creative Team: And this is the part that seals the deal.
J.H. Williams III is a masterful artist. He has a unique art style that is just beautiful to look at. Even his panel shapes are dynamic and creative. And not just that, but he can change his style to suit different situations in the comic. His art for the Kate Kane segments of the story are grounded compared to the grit and flair of the style he uses when Kate is in costume. Action scenes are visually striking and brutal. When some more fantastic elements are involved, the art becomes downright surreal. Flashback sequences invoke a sense of nostalgia. And his spreads, holy crap. He’s so good, guys. Words don’t do him justice.
I really can’t stress how hard it is for me to choose these. ALL of his pages are even better in-context, and in Elegy it’s beautiful to see his art mesh so perfectly with the story. Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear that William is THE best comics artist on an ongoing DC series, along with Francis Manapul.
As for the writing? Well. That’s another story. This is pretty much Manapul’s Flash #1 all over again. J.H. Williams III is an unknown in terms of writing ability. He hasn’t written anything, although he has worked on the character before, as an artist. And the other guy? The most I can find on him is that he’s involved in the Star Wars Extended Universe and has written some Star Wars comics. That’s a very different ball game than Batcomics! No one really has any clue what to expect, but Batwoman is a solid character with a lot of potential, so hopefully it’ll turn out for the best. And there’s always DAT ART.
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~LtM
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