In the Grecian Convent of the Daughters of Lilith, the two Batwomans, the two Kane sisters, finally confront each other. Will Kate be able to pull Beth back from the brink? Batwoman #5 is written by Greg Rucka, drawn by DaNi, colored by Matt Hollingsworth and lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou.
Will Nevin: Are we going to look at Marvel’s decision not to go after Scott Snyder while he was pitching the Absolute Universe as both an all-time what-if *and* a massive fumble on their part?
Matt Lazorwitz: I really do my best not to be too snarky; that’s your thing, and I respect the bit. But Snyder has minimal Marvel work in his past, and Marvel in recent years seems dedicated to not fostering anything or anyone new to them, so it is both foolish and entirely on brand. Why work with a creator at the top of his game when you can instead go to Chris Claremont and get him to write the 70th retro X-Men miniseries set during his classic run from nearly 40 years ago?
Will: We love to rag on any editorial department ’round these parts, but, jeeze, what a miss. I’m sure if Marvel knew how big the Absolute Universe was going to be, they’d have snuffed that out any way they could. But, hey, maybe Snyder’s work at Marvel would have been a big ol’ dud. As a philosopher once said, “Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers.”
[Ed. note: And then they saw this article.]
Mirror Mirror
Matt: We both felt like last issue was a step up from the previous few, and this? This is what I was expecting from this book all along. I am really excited for what is coming in this comic moving forward after this issue.
Will: This was an effective final chapter to the first arc, satisfying and no more complicated than it needed to be while also setting the stage for what’s next. It’s certainly impressive to successfully check off so many boxes in one issue. I’d say it was “workmanlike,” but that’s too reductive. I think I’ll stick with effective.
Matt: I think what pleased me about this issue so much are some of the little touches, both in the art and the story. DaNi drawing plushies of Darkseid and his court in the creepily childlike room that Mother Despina is in, waiting for Alice. Rucka’s commentary on the wealthy, with Mr. Gores not being a true believer but just wanting to “write a check” to Darkseid. Question’s utterly dismissive reaction to Master Slay. Touches like this make the world seem textured and lived in.
Will: The art continues to slay, doesn’t it? I thought the prophetic tapestry was an impressive bit, as was Beth’s haunted, vacant stare while she was curled up with Mother Despina. We have looked at a lot of books with artists who have not mastered facial expressions, but that there was perfect. Also, I don’t think Darkseid would be interested in money. But you can certainly offer it to him before he has a parademon pour hot lava into the spaces where your eyes used to be.
Matt: And that is such a moment of commentary on our society for me. How many of the current sycophants to the administration that is running this country are true believers in its goals and Christian nationalist ideals? And how many are just in it because it keeps them rich? That when the rubber hits the road, they would just try to cut a check to the people they have harmed in their avarice, not realizing there are people who really believe the vile things they have professed to make a buck. Rucka’s Lazarus is all about wealth disparity and an oligarch class, and while he can’t get as toothsome in a Big Two book, I liked that he doesn’t shy away from his politics.
But yes, the art is tremendous. Its sketchy, shadowy look is nothing like J.H. Williams’ painterly, hyper-detailed style, but they both find ways to capture mood. When you’re talking about faces, add in Pagona’s childlike joy as she and Despina prepare for Alice’s return. DaNi just captures expression so well.
Will: And, strangely, the way in which Question’s features are so thoroughly smudged is another strong detail. Just great work all around. Between snark and politics, you’re just after all my bits today, Matt. Why not swear while you’re at it?
Matt: Gosh darn it all to heck!
Will: Oh, god. Dan’s going to have to filter that for public consumption. Fuckin’ filthy.
Matt: The ending does a great job of blending the hopeful with the ominous. If you showed that series of panels without Mother Despina’s narration and dialogue, you see Kate escaping with Beth. She has her sister back! She won! But Despina talking about the price, that Beth still isn’t balanced properly, shall we say, and that Question is just gone. The battle can be won, but the Religion of Crime thinks in much longer terms than one battle.
Will: If you follow the biblical Cain as an inspiration/leader/whatever, I think you’re predisposed to take the long view of things. Having Beth at her side is not going to weaken Kate, but it’s certainly going to give her more things to worry about. The best villains are always able to make a plausible argument as to why their views and ideas are right.
Matt: Next issue is a flashback to exactly what happened the night Beth “died,” a fuller view of what happened in those flashbacks in issue #1 and the aftermath, so I think this will do two things for us. Firstly, it will give us a better insight into where Beth’s head was at that point, so playing into what you’re saying there. Secondly, this is the issue that will, I think, finally tell us how much of the Blackman/Andreyko/Tynion/Bennett stuff Rucka will acknowledge. Because if he doesn’t bring that up leading into this confrontation, all the stuff those writers did with Alice? Then it just didn’t happen.
Will: We love it when writers ignore the stuff they don’t like or the things that don’t make any damned sense. This book would have been better off with that as a #0, but you know, if this continues to round into form, I think we’ll forget all about the jittery start.
Matt: The big test will be where the book goes post “Bad Seeds.” Rucka has handled crossovers well in his DC work, so I’m not worried about those feeling like placeholders, but the next big arc will tell us where this book is really going, and I have become more and more optimistic.
Will: That’s your lane, Matt: hopeful optimist. Stay in it.
Bat-miscellany
- Patreon backer Matt McThorn joins the BatChat podcast again this week, this time to talk about stories featuring Ra’s al Ghul.
Buy Batwoman #5 here. (Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, ComicsXF may earn from qualifying purchases.)
Matt Lazorwitz read his first comic at the age of 5. It was Who's Who in the DC Universe #2, featuring characters whose names begin with B, which explains so much about his Batman obsession. He writes about comics he loves, and co-hosts the podcasts BatChat with Matt & Will and The ComicsXF Interview Podcast.
Will Nevin loves bourbon and AP style and gets paid to teach one of those things. He is on Twitter far too often.
