At 2016’s New York Comic Con, DC Comics announced during one of their panels that Batwoman would indeed be getting her own solo title again. The book will debut in February of 2017 with a Rebirth one-shot and will be a part of DC’s Rebirth phase 2.
Dan Didio also noted that Batwoman’s identity as a lesbian would also be part of her ongoing story and celebrated within it’s pages. “We introduced Batwoman back in 2006, and that was purely to introduce a gay character who was a part of one of our major franchises. It’s one thing to write a gay character in a book, but it’s another to make a player in a major franchise — Batman, Superman — gay. It brings a level of importance to the role, and it validates that character immediately.”
Recently, “news” went around that Diana Prince, Wonder Woman, declared “queer” by the current book writer, Greg Rucka. News is in quotations because if you know the character of Wonder Woman at all then this should not have been a surprised to you at all. In fact her sexuality has been an integral part of her character since her beginnings. DC’s other immensely popular female characters such as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy identify as bisexual.
But back to Batwoman. Didio also mentioned; “She’s not a throwaway, and she hasn’t changed one bit. She’s a hero who happens to be gay, which is no different than Bruce Wayne being a hero whose parents were murdered. She has a different point of view, and she stands unique among our pantheon of heroes.”
Ironically, the first iteration of Batwoman was introduced in the middle of the 1950s in order to be a love interest for Bruce Wayne. The intention of this was to combat rumors rampant at the time – propelled by the narration in 1954’s Seduction of the Innocent – that Batman was gay. It wasn’t until 2006 when she was reintroduced in a diversity push at DC Comics as a Jewish lesbian army brat. After she was kicked out of the academy for her sexual orientation she soon thereafter met Renee Montoya and the two dated for a while. Eventually she became the lead character for the flagshp title Detective Comics for a good run.
This new title will be her second volume. Her first solo run began in 2011 as part of New 52 and ran through 40 issues.
PRESS RELEASE:
BURBANK, CA (October 6, 2016) – Readers of the current DETECTIVE COMICS run have seen firsthand the prominent role that Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman, plays in training Spoiler, Orphan, Clayface, Red Robin and even Nightwing—the next generation of Gotham City’s protectors. This February, Marguerite Bennett (DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS, BATGIRL, EARTH 2: WORLD’S END) will be writing the new adventures of the heroine in an ongoing monthly series scheduled to debut in February 2017, with art by Steve Epting – his first work for DC in more than fifteen years. As part of the next wave of REBIRTH titles, the February title will be a REBIRTH-themed one-shot, with a new issue #1 to follow in March.
“Batwoman is yet another example of the character depth, richness and diversity present in Gotham City,” said Batman Group Editor Mark Doyle. “Fans have really responded to her role in DETECTIVE COMICS, and we all love Kate here in the Bat-office, so that made it an easy choice to return her to a solo series.”
As a preface to her new solo adventures, Bennett will join James Tynion IV on “Batwoman Begins,” a two-issue story arc in DETECTIVE COMICS. Following the Night of the Monster Men, Batwoman and Batman discover that the venom from the defeated monsters’ corpses is being sold as a bioweapon. After Batwoman comes face to face with the villain responsible, Batman gives Batwoman a mission that takes her around the world, creating the backdrop for her new solo series in February, whose first story arc will also be co-written by Bennett and Tynion IV.
“There has never been a heroine I have loved more than Batwoman,” said Bennett. “Her flaws, her ferocity, her struggle to rise above her own history and find a way to serve the greater good and those she loves—she’s always cut me straight to the bone. To be a queer woman and to see a queer woman as not just a part but a pillar of the Bat-family was life changing, inspiring and gave me the courage to pursue this career in comics. The opportunity to add to Kate Kane’s story and legacy is both an honor and a sincere dream come true.”
“I am very excited for the opportunity to work on Batwoman,” said Epting. “I love the character design and how she fits into the whole Batman mythos, and I’m looking forward to the artistic opportunities the story will provide. Batwoman has a rich visual history and I’m thrilled to be a part of it!”
More information on this new title will be discussed on the DC All Access panel at New York Comic Con on Thursday, October 6 from 1:45–2:45 p.m. Eastern time. Download the new DC All Access mobile app for all of the latest updates from New York Comic Con, including a complete list of panels and talent signings, behind-the-scenes coverage and in-depth interviews directly from DC’s web series,DC All Access. The app is available for free at the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
