Batwoman #1 Review Columbus Day Edition

Good old Columbus Day.  The day we Americans celebrate the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus thus proving the World was round.  Alright, I know that he wasn't the first to step foot in the Americas and that any educated (and uneducated) person had known the World wasn't flat for centuries.  Yes, he contributed to the genocide of the indigenous people and really wasn't a nice guy.  Let's just focus on discovery for a moment.  In the spirit of discovery I decided to go back and read and review a New 52 book I hadn't "discovered" yet.  Will I be the first to read it?  No...but maybe history will be rewritten in my favor.  And so I bring You...Batwoman #1 Review

Written by: J.H. Williams III

Art by:W. Haden Blackman

Cover Price: $2.99

Release Date: September 14, 2011

Discovering a Gem

A ghostly figure abducting children?  A serial killer thwarting the Gotham Police Department?  A hot female detective looking for companionship?  Looks like a job for...Batwoman.  Yes, Kate Kane is back as Batwoman and she may be perfect.

J.H. Williams has crafted a story that is moody and smart.  The tension starts in the first panel and never lets up until you think it will burst.  What surprised me was how different this was than the usual Bat book.  It reads like a horror story with Kate Kane fitting right in.  By the way, Batman does make an appearance and treats Kate as an equal.  I really think that bit was inspired.

As good as the story is, the first thing you notice is the art.  Man this book looks good!  I mean REALLY good. W. Haden Blackman really sets himself apart here.  Every panel has so much detail and pop.

The relaunch of Batwoman is part horror part crime procedural and all good.  It is a moody title that is complemented expertly by Blackman's art.  I can't recommend it highly enough. 

9.5/10