The long anticipated storyline has finally arrived.  Greg Rucka, J.H. Williams III, and Dave Stewart have crafted a beautiful issue that must be seen to believed.

The issue is titled “Agitato,” meaning “restless” and that is an accurate description of the pace of the issue.  Batwoman is looking for information, and is anixous to get it.  Nearly every page is bursting with action and speed, driving Kate on her quest, and pulling us along for the ride.  This is Rucka’s character and it’s clear he has her all worked out and can’t wait to tell us.

And then there’s the art.

In a word, it’s breathtaking.  The first thing to strike you are the colours.  Black, red, and white serve as a visual leitmotif for Kate setting her clearly apart from the rest of the cast.  Upon closer inspection, one can see that Williams uses a different style for each aspect of Kate’s life, and it works brilliantly.  Dark and smoothly shaded with a limited palette for Batwoman, a simple “cartoony” style for Kate in public, and a detailed style with very fine lines for the scenes in Kate’s home.  Finally, when the villian of the story is introduced, she is given a haunting, ethereal presence via pastels and a soft focus effect on the character.

The “co-feature” starring The Question is very well done and is a welcome additon to a superb comic.