Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Batwoman #34 Review

Written by: Marc Andreyko
Art by: Moritat and Jeremy Haun
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: August 20, 2014

Done and Done


I begged Marc Andreyko not to do it.  Granted, he has no idea who I am and my mind powers aren't as effective as I'd like, but I still begged him.  Creative teams have quit and fans have stormed the message boards in support of Kate and Maggie as a couple.  Now it appears to be over.  It breaks my heart, but I do have to admit that the reason Kate ends it is unselfish and great, but it doesn't hurt any less.  Maybe after Futures End September it will be revealed that it's all a dream.  I beg you Marc Andreyko.



Last issue ended with a full out battle royal on the rooftops of Gotham.  Batwoman vs Killshot vs Nocturna and Night Thief.  It actually would be a pretty forgettable fight if not for Batwoman being unmasked and seen by Nocturna.  The sparks fly immediately, damn it. At least Killshot appears to be out of the picture.

Then the unthinkable happens.  Kate clears her stuff out of Maggie's place and leaves a breakup note.  Again, it's an unselfish act and fans will know and understand why it happens, but it still sucks.  Andreyko ties it nicely into Kate's own relationship (or lack thereof) with her own Mother.  There seems to be a slim chance they will get back together so we can always hope.

The book ends up with Nocturna realizing who Kate is and paying her a little visit.  I really don't know what to think of it.  It certainly makes sense in context to Futures End, but I'm not a huge fan of what it might mean to this book going forward.

The art was split between regular (and departing) artist, Jeremy Haun and Moritat.  I loved Moritat's work on All Star Western, but his style just doesn't mesh with this book.  Haun, on the other hand, does a great job even with the quiet moments he is in charge of.  I'm going to miss him.

Bits and Pieces:

I have been dreading this moment since it became obvious it would happen.  Kate and Maggie's relationship was my favorite part of this book and now it's over.  It makes sense, but that doesn't make it any easier.  However, I'm more upset by the way this issue ended and the direction the book appears to be headed.  I guess we have to wait until October to see for sure, but I'm certainly worried about one of my favorite books.

7.0/10

4 comments:

  1. Andreyko continues to plunge this title deeper into the depths of mediocrity.

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    1. I don't hate it as much as many others, but it is getting harder and harder to defend.

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  2. Great post. I agree with everything you wrote. Also though, the Kate I know wouldn’t negotiate with a homophobe and this solution feels very cheap. She just hired a super whiz lawyer for heavens sake! Why not let him do his job? Not buying it.

    And on a more troubling note, the stuff at the end with Nocturna, it feels ripe for discussion of rape and the importance of consent, but I don’t think the book is self aware enough to go there. I mean this is common stuff with Vampires in TV/movies, make someone fuck them who wouldn’t otherwise, but that is RAPE and it’s never acknowledged as such.

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    1. I hate, hate, hate the Nocturna stuff and agree with you that it is awful. As far as her dealing with maggie's ex, I didn't like it, but Kate is trying to do the right thing even if it means dealing with a homophobe. I wish Andreyko went a different direction, but I'm trying to reserve judgement for now.

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