BATWOMAN #0

Review by: UXmen

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Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III & W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art by J.H. WILLIAMS III and AMY REEDER with RICHARD FRIEND
Cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
Variant cover by AMY REEDER

Size: 32 pages
Price: 2.99

Before this week, I didn’t know anything about Batwoman.  I had a number of questions going into this issue.  Who’s behind the mask? What are her motivations?  What’s with those funky bat ears?  Is she wearing face paint? ::looking at J. Williams III’s cover:: Why so creepy Batwoman?  Why so creepy?  In the interest of being up front … I didn’t even know there was a Batwoman.  Lets be honest, there are a lot of bat people these days.  How many batmen are there and how many do we really need?  Though very tongue-in-cheek, the “what’s the deal with Batman” breakdown in Batgirl #15 was extremely helpful.

I started reading comics regularly about a year ago … and sometime around July this year, I decided to start making the weekly trip to my local comic book store.  I guess that makes me a bit of a noob.  :/  I’m bringing up my short history with this medium to say that because I’m kind of new to the game that when I pick up a new title, I often feel like I’m jumping into the middle of a conversation.  I need to keep up with what’s being said and piece together as much of the narrative that I missed as quickly as possible.  The faster I can manage to catch up, the sooner I will understand and appreciate what’s being said (both in the comic and on ifanboy).  Certain books have a steep learning curve and sometimes that can be kind of fun.  Other times thought, I end up feeling confused and like I just wasted 3 or 4 bucks.  After reading Batwoman #0, I’m more that certain that the entire creative team behind this issue empathizes with where new readers are coming from.

This issue was such a pleasant surprise.  J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman, and Amy Reeder effectively deliver the tone and entire premise of the comic book in the very first panel.  The creative team quickly sets the pace for the zero issue on the first page, getting readers ready for Kate Kane, the black and red bat maiden.

Williams III and Blackman adopt Batman’s “matter of fact” voice to give readers a rundown of who Batwoman / Kate Kane is and how she operates.  The rhythm and balance of the calm but strong narration with Williams III and Reeder’s kinetic artwork and dynamic page layouts create a cohesive and coherent story.  Good stuff.

Dave Stewart’s colors are pitch perfect.  Let’s just acknowledge that Stewart has an unnatural understanding reds, muted yellows, and oranges.  My color theory professor from college would have called him a “color master”.  Even though she was a little nutty, she would have been dead on.

The various elements of this book come together in such a way that the whole is truly greater than the sum of it’s parts.  When comparing the first and last pages of Batwoman #0, it’s clear that Williams III, Blackman, and Reeder use a symmetrical overarching structure for the zeroth issue to help tie everything together.  Even though Batwoman #0 isn’t exactly a “one an done” and it doesn’t wrap up a story arch, there’s a sense of completeness to this issue.

Other comments and reviews on ifanboy.com suggest that Batwoman #0 is either too straightforward or that it’s too familiar a story, but for someone who’s new to this character … it’s a great taste of where we’re coming from and what we have to look forward to with Batwoman #1.

I’m on board and seriously looking forward to the next issue 😀

Story: 4 - Very Good
Art: 5 - Excellent

Comments

  1. Good review, man. Always good to hear from new readers–actually, I’m glad there ARE new readers. If you want more of the Kate Kane character, I’d recommend the second Rucka/Williams arc on Detective Comics (#858-#860, I believe), which is her origin story. Or you could just get the Batwoman collection.

  2. Thanks Froggulper.  I’ll definitely take you up on the recommendation.  I’ve read Rucka’s Queen and Country and Whiteout … both of which were awesome.  Looking forward to reading more of his work and I’m interested to see what his writing is like when applied in the DC universe. 

  3. I was totally blown away by the Detective Batwoman arc and am hopeful that the new series can live up to the run. I liked the zero issue but felt it was a little too short. I’m on board for the series!

  4. did this come out last week? i missed it. hopefully i can still find it.i loved the batwoman graphic novel hopefully this will be just as awesome.

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