Julie Taymor has been asked to leave Batwoman.
Despite a dress rehearsal in the closing pages of this week's DC comics, Kate Kane's return to comic shelves has been delayed yet again. Robot 6 reports that the rumors circulated amongst retailers and fans earlier this week are true; the first two issues solicited for release beginning in April have been cancelled. DC has yet to announce revised street dates.
It's not the first delay for J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder's continuation of Greg Rucka's celebrated Detective Comics story. The highly anticipated series was originally scheduled to debut in February, though Williams himself had requested the April target. He ultimately won that deadline and DC announced the change in January. Now due to a heavy convention schedule, the project is delayed yet again.
Which makes that preview so tragically timed.
I joked earlier on Twitter that DC might as well cut their losses and solicit the ongoing as an OGN. While I look forward to eventually reading the series in a weekly format, maybe the character and the artists involved deserve the time and venue to present their story in graphic novel format. As a Kate Kane loyalist, I'm willing to follow her adventures in whatever iteration DC would like to offer. That said, time is of the essence, and delays could do some damage to the trajectory of such a new character whose history is already fraught with controversy and neglect. Rucka and Williams gave her her due, and it's important that momentum not be lost.
Look for Batwoman #1…in the future.
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“it’s important that momentum not be lost.”
Well I hate to point this out but I think most, if not all the momentum of this book and character are gone. It was gone when they had no idea how to use Batwoman during and after 52, and now these constant delays are killing any glint of interest readers might’ve had with the series.
I mean when the hell was this thing announced as a new series? Over a year ago? And now it’s going on almost another year just to get a single issue out.
Seeing as the ELEGY hardcover is one of the few books I’ve bought in a collection even after buying all the issues, I’d definitely be on board for the OGN of this. And it might even be a boon for sales and promotion of the book? But, yeah, I hope we just see it in some form.
i got issue 0 and i’ve been waiting. Kind of a bad luck character i guess. So con season scheduling may be responsible for the delay? Thats kind of interesting.
@TheNextChampion I dunno, when the book was coming out it DID come out. People who like this character are going to be on it whenever it is available. It may kill the momentum as far as integrating her into the rest of the DCU, theoretically, but anybody who wants to use the character can certainly use her (as Morrison did very well in Batman & Robin.)
Rats! I keep looking forward to this. No one likes delays, but it’s worth it to me if Williams’ art and layouts remain as amazing as they were in the Detective run.
I can’t imagine DC would simply move it to an OGN format, though. It could be a tough sell for new readers.
Or does anyone think DC might just take a “why bother?” attitude and forget these solits ever even happened?
@TheNextChampion I’m not counting 52. I mean the momentum from Rucka and Williams’ Detective Comics run, which remains highly regarded. People remain excited for this new book.
If the delays continue though, you could be right. They have to be careful.
Not that I think a JH Williams book will ever lose its appeal. Just that the character may not remain the draw she is today.
This is totally worth the wait. J.H. Williams III is a genius. What an amazing artists who has reinvented himself time and time again. I don’t care what format it comes out in, cause I’m buying it.
This is one that I wont buy digital though because I want to get his signature on it … someday.
JH Williams is so good, I could wait years. Elegy is a story that is going to last the test of time because of the amazing work done by the team, and if Batwoman needs to take a long time to come out, the end result will be far stronger because of it.
Maybe it would be cool if Batwoman comes out in phases like Umbrella Academy?
Wow. Sadly I just preordered issue #2 two days ago. I guess I can cancel that! Depressing, although I have to say that however long the wait it should still be worthwhile. Then again, the delays are killing any hope of building momentum on this new series, and with the comics market not being what it once was, that momentum is all-important. It’s a tough market for any character, and new characters have it hardest of all, even Bat-characters. Maybe this book should be canceled altogether to make way for an OGN. Maybe the whole project would be best served by making it a series of OGNs on par with SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE. One thing is certain: Williams’ art takes time–certainly more time than a monthly schedule permits.
I also think that Rucka and Williams caught lightning in a bottle with the earlier arc in ‘TEC. Can Williams do it again solo, or rather with a lesser-known writer such as Blackman? From the #0 preview I remain unconvinced. I guess time will tell…
Jesus fucking christ DC. Why are all the bat books delayed? We’re friggin customers and you guys have ZERO respect for us. When someone brings up the delays at Con, they’re usually laughed off with some snarky remark by Didio or some writer. I’m SUPER close to boycotting DC across the board.
I wish iFanboy could pick up the flag from Adsarama and interview some indusrty people about this. And they cry about dropping sales….fuck ’em.
Looks like I’ve got to buy the same issue of BATWOMAN #1 from DCBS for a third time. I was refunded the first time and will be again for the second time, but this is very weird and disappointing.
I’m totally with you on converting this to an OGN, Paul. In fact, if this was an OGN, I’d probably go back and buy the ELERGY hardcover to compliment it on the shelf.
On its website, DC still has BATWOMAN #1 listed as having an April 6th release date. I really wish DC’d get its act together and fix some of the information on their site. The listing for BATWOMAN #2 has been deleted though.
i do agree with the others that momentum is important, but so is quality. If anything they jumped the gun with the previews and solicits. Let the guy work, and when its ready advertise it.
@brassai2003– it’ll be ok. its just comics.
@wallythegreenmonster totally agree with you on every point you made!
I’m a little bummed, but I’d rather wait longer now than have to wait between issues later.
The way I see it, this is All Star Batwoman. It is an All Star book. Quitely/Superman, Lee/Batman, and now Williams/Batwoman.
For this type of quality, I gladly wait for it.
Not to diminish what Rucka has done to set all of this up, this is very much about the perfect fit of artist and character. It is extremely rare and we have it with Williams/Batwoman.
I really do worry about this book. I think that while the star of the Batwoman was Williams the backbone was Rucka and his love for the character. Without that drive I’m afraid of what is going to happen.
Jeeze, at this point, I’m half convinced Batman Inc is only late because of the JH Williams covers.
Can you say royal bleep up, I can.
Matthew
By the time the book comes out, Rucka might be back at DC to work on it again.
This is one of those books that I don’t care how long it takes. When it comes I will buy it, if Williams needs time to do the justice that was done in Elegy, (which was in my opinion the finest Art of the year in any drawn medium) so be it. I will wait.
If it is as good as the first book, then I will wait for the every issue as long as it takes.
@PaulMontgomery: Your opening line was killer, and I expect no less from you now.
@Paul: I can understand why you don’t want to count 52. But let’s be honest here:
Batwoman is practically a failed idea of a character. It took years to give her any sort of ongoing series, and even then it was only in Detective Comics and it didn’t last long. Her debut was only for shock value (whether it was created by DC or from other media outlets). Now you have this ongoing series that is just failing to even get one issue out in a year’s time.
I’m sorry I know people love the character, and I think she has potentional too, but I just don’t see how much further DC can try and attempt to make Batwoman relevent.
@TheNextChampion I’m not discounting 52 in terms of continuity. The line you quoted is in reference to the positive momentum developed by Rucka in Detective Comics. That’s where the character clicked. It’s the forward progression I’m hoping won’t be disrupted by further delays to this title.
@Paul: Oh okay I see, sorry for misinterpreting that.
But if I can say one more thing (too late) it’s that….well let’s be fair here, we have been waiting over a year since the last issue of Detective Comics Rucka wrote. It’s even been a full year and four months since an issue by Rucka/Williams have been produced.
There definitely seems to be a lot of patience for fans who have been waiting this for that long, I give them credit for that. (Especially since it’ll probably be another 2-3 months before this issue even comes out)
Ill buy this book when it comes out. Until then it isn’t holding up the enjoyment on anything else I read. So I have no complaint about the delay.
@TheNextChampion: seriously, mate, you need to relax. it’s comics not a national health care debate
@edward agreed
Just put Amy Reeder on the book fulltime, JH can do covers or something. Though the OGN idea is a good one.
Argh! Amy Reeder is going to be a guest at Wonder-Con and I was kind of hoping that she could sign issue 1, but oh well. I’ll buy whatever they give me, if JH Williams needs more time to create stunning art work and stellar quality, I don’t care.
Paperback coming in 2014!
DAMMIT! I was so looking forward to this. The Detective run was amazing.
Well, I’ve been waiting and waiting for JMS to finish The Twelve too, so I guess I’ll just have to stomach this disappointment as well.
hey, you have to wait for Williams III. that’s teh way it is
I think a OGN would be perfect for this. I’m going to buy it if it comes out soon or in 5 years, but the sooner the better.
Remember the days when, if a character’s tale couldn’t be continued in their own solo comic, you could be kept abreast (so to speak) of their story in other comics? Zatanna comes to mind. I wouldn’t (much) mind that.
Still…
You people think YOU’VE been waiting a long time? I’ve been waiting for 13 damn years for Hellshock to get finished!
Yeah, I gotta agree with TNC. I thought the same thing as soon as I finished reading the article: The “momentum” was already lost a long, long time ago.
I like Kate Kane as much as the next guy (as long as the next guy isn’t a rabid fanboy who fauned over the character before we really even knew who she was or what her origin was), but there’s only so much goodwill and so many benefits of the doubt to go around.
This character was intoduced in 52, which was like five years ago. And we still have only seen like 3-4 story arcs in which she’s in center-stage.
It didn’t help that Rucka waited till the sixth issue of her Detective run to finally show us her origin.
It didn’t help that the first storyarc had a derivative Alice-in-Wonderland villain whose importance we didn’t really learn until months later. And we STILL have no idea how Kate’s sis actually BECAME Alice.
So, basically, the facts are that Kate Kane was created in ’05. Then we didn’t really find out who she was until late ’09. And we’re still waiting on seeing anything more of her in ’11. And “Alice”? Introduced in ’09… and it’s ’11 and her origin story is nowhere in sight.
Taking those facts into account I can’t really give this whole production a glowing review or express a whole heck of a lot of goodwill.
I think it’s time to stop pretending that the Detective Comics run was anything more than a VERY well-illustrated, interesting, intriguing little run. Nothing more, nothing less. It seemed like it could have been the START of something very very good. But everyone involved just dropped the ball. Including Rucka, on many levels (again, waiting till issue 6 of your run to tell the origin? Having an inexplicable “Alice” villain right off the bat? And then he just quit).
Maybe some of you think I’m just slagging off the series and the character and the creators for no reason. But I’m not. I really really LIKED all of it. But it’s time to be realistic about things, and maybe that realism will help us not be so disappointed about the LATEST mishandling and mismanagement of Kate Kane.
Come on, JH. You weren’t nearly this slow even on Promethea (except for the final issue).
@froggulper I don’t see an inherent problem in revealing the origin in issue #6.
I don’t really see the big deal in waiting. I mean, LOOK at the art in this book? That takes time! I think it’s pretty obvious WHY it’s late. I don’t think it’s physically possible to conceive those crazy layouts, plot shot composition, thumbnail it and do the finished piece for a full comic of that quality in under a month. That is a time consuming process to get it right. You do realize the guy is an ARTIST and not a machine, right?
Im going to buy this in ogn only. Its been over a year since this was annouced
Filing this book with Captain America White!
The Detective Comics run convinced me the character is interesting but the main draw here for me is the art. Both JH Williams and Amy Reeder are on my list of artists whose work I’d buy on (nearly) any project. That preview art looks gorgeous and have plenty of other things to read/do while waiting for more.
Also, even though it might be delayed again later anyway, I always prefer they delay a project before it starts rather than a couple issues in. That’s the real momentum killer.
@froggulper
Sir, I think you’re not very clear on how stories work.
@stasisbal That’s an excellent point. I hate when I read a couple issues of a comic, get really involved in it, then there is a huge gap in between and I lose all my interest. I would rather keep waiting for something to start, then read it on a regular basis.
It’s late, but so what. It will get here when it gets here. Good things happen to those who wait; plus it’s not like this is the only comic book, and we are standing idly by with nothing else to read. There’s other things; go read some indies. explore. it will be fun. I promise you.
Funny thing is I was going to try this in issues. Since I ordered it through DCBS when it was first solicited my order was eventually cancelled. When it came back up in the spreadsheet I remember thinking, “They already lost me by delaying this once.”
I’m glad I didn’t add it to my list, now that I order things three months in advance I get even more annoyed when they get cancelled.
That all being said I think the OGN is a great idea.
Is there even a point to me bitching about late comics?
That being said, an OGN might be really fun! It would give Williams enough time to work on it. And when he has a lot of time, he usually goes all out. So imagine what it’d be like to have a Batwoman OGN?
It is sad the book keeps getting pushed back. They keep putting it just out of reach enough so that we still want it. Eventually, we’re going to be tired of this and just say whatever. But, I feel Kathy Kane is too good a character to give up on. So while I normally stand on my soap box about late/delayed comics, this is the one case where I’ll hold my tongue and be patient because I REALLY enjoy what they’ve been doing with the character.
j h williams III has become my favorite artist. so if the man needs more time to finish not only drawing but also writing the issues then fine by me.allthough i was super excited when #0 came out i rather have it late than rushed. ogn is not a bad idea with this character plus another batwoman hardcover would look nice on my shelf.
Way worth waiting for. the detective issues are some of the best comics I’ve read this decade. Easily my favorite “new” character since I started reading comics.
Sadly, I think that momentum is not only lost, it’s been brutally murdered.
That said, I will take Kate Kane in any form I can get her. OGNs would be ideal for me, but whatever they give me, I’ll take.
Momentum, schmomentum … both J.H. Williams and Amy Reeder have dedicated followings and they both do great work.
I’ll buy/read this WHENEVER it comes out in WHATEVER format it comes out. ‘Nuff said …