13 years ago, DC Comics decided to reboot Batwoman for a new audience, and a new era.
The original Batwoman was a product of the Silver Age, posited as a romantic interest for Batman. Kathy Kane had been killed off, then resurrected in a later storyline. By 2006, she was but a distant memory in the eyes of DC editors.
Kate Kane was introduced as a cousin of Bruce Wayne, as editorial sought to expand Wayne's family in the books, beyond his long deceased parents. The decision was also made to make Kate openly gay, and posited her in relationships in the books with Renee Montoya, and, later, Maggie Sawyer.
Inevitably, then, Warner Bros. and producer Greg Berlanti had Batwoman on their radar, leading to Kate making her Arrowverse debut last year during the Elseworlds event. By then, it'd already been announced that Batwoman was in development for this season.
The only misstep the CW has made is placing Batwoman at 8 (ET), with Supergirl moving to 9, where Charmed was last season (Charmed has moved to Fridays, starting October 11). Common sense tells us that the order should be reversed.
In any case, the foundation is there for another hit for CW & Berlanti. Ruby Rose plays Kate, who, in the context of this series, was drummed out of the military, which severed a relationship with a fellow recruit. As the series begins, Kate returns to Gotham after cousin Bruce has gone missing for three years. Her overprotective father (Dougray Scott) is worried she'll make a mistake and be lost to him, unaware that his other daughter has resurfaced (as comics fans know) as the demented Alice (Rachel Skarsten, ex-Birds of Prey, Lost Girl).
As Christopher Nolan's Bat-trilogy (2005-12) rebooted Lucius Fox as Batman's armorer, if ya will, Lucius' son, Luke, fills that role as Kate's associate. In the comics, Luke became the 2nd man to assume the guise of Batwing, although that book was short-lived. One wonders, though, if, eventually, Luke will suit up, or at least have reason to.
Here's a trailer:
Kate will get the red wig and modified cowl down the road, don't worry.
Rating: A.
2 comments:
I saw the pilot out of morbid curiosity - ultimately, this is just a clone of Berlanti's other shows - there's not much here that hasn't been seen before in Arrow or The Flash or Supergirl.
Ruby Rose stinks as an actress and there are a number of other women who could have taken the role and done it justice. Her Aussie accent tends to slip out from time to time as well.
Then again, I'm biaased, as I would have preferred the Silver Age Kathy Kane and Bat-Girl for a change of pace. Hey, it's another universe, why not? Oh yeah - "muh gay pride" Berlanti wouldn't want that.
It's the inclusive society we live in these days. The only thing I'm concerned with is whether or not this will be another tool to make statements about current government mismanagement....
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