Writers: Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion IV
Artist: Steve Epting
Colors: Jeremy Cox
Letters: Deron Bennett
Batwoman #2 starts with a flashback to “the lost year” and quickly comes back to the present. Throughout the issue, we still see glimpses of Kate’s past as they pertain to the current day situation. Rafael is dead and she knows the woman who killed him. The issue builds up to what looks like the start of an interesting story. There are so many questions about how certain people are and what exactly they want Kate for.
Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion IV make for a great writing team. The story is well thought out and planned to leave us hanging and wanting more. Batwoman isn’t a character I’ve followed much at all, but having her in Detective Comics before this solo series feels like a smart move. It allowed me to learn a bit more about Kate Kane before jumping into a story that dives into her past, but not necessarily her origin story. The two writers have a great track record and they have me roped in for this series.
Steve Epting does a nice job on the art. The simple design of Batwoman’s suit is great, and it’s not too simple. Sometimes the suits can get a little distracting and detract from the story because you’re spending so much time on that. He also puts a great amount of detail into the characters’ faces. Even when they’re in the background, you can clearly see their facial expression. I’m not extremely picky when it comes to art, but one thing I don’t like is when the faces are just blank or just look like some squiggles because they’re in the background.
The colors on this comic fit with the art well. Jeremy Cox uses a bit of a softer touch on the coloring. There aren’t a lot of bright colors, and it makes sense with the location of the story and the theme of it. This isn’t something that’s a bright, uppity story so the visual reflects that.
I regret not getting into a solo Batwoman title until now, but it looks like I picked a nice one to start with. With this being a monthly series, it feels like a long wait for the next issue. However, I’ll still be coming back for more.
Verdict: Buy. Batwoman is off to a great start. Plus, a solo female series is always something to check out. With this being just the second issue, it won’t take you long to catch up on the story and see if it’s something you’d enjoy.
