What changes after we leave.
Creative Staff:
Story: Marguerite Bennett, James Tynion IV
Art: Steve Epting
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letterer: Deron Bennett
What They Say:
“The Many Arms Of Death” part two! The criminal haven of Coryana has changed completely in the years since Batwoman left! The biggest change of all? Her closest friends are now her enemies — or they’re corpses! It’s time for Kate Kane to cut to the heart of what’s happening here, and find out who brought the deadly bioweapon Monster Venom into Coryana…but she might get her own heart cut out in the process, by the unbeatable assassin known as the Knife!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Having spent a good bit of time in the last couple of years reading series from both Bennett and Tynion, I really should have known what I was getting into with Batwoman. This is the kind of book which is going to be involved and full of wordiness in all the right kind of ways. While there is always that show don’t tell element to comics storytelling, there are series and characters where a more verbose approach can really deliver a far more engaging work. It gives Steve Epting a whole lot to work with, and to come up with some creative layouts to handle all of the narration and dialogue, and with this issue it really seems like they’re firing on all cylinders with it. There’s a rich and deep text being put into place here to cement these characters, but it’s also something that really feels like it needs the whole arc to burn through and savor to get the full effect.
Serving as a minor prologue here, we get a bit of a continuation of Kate’s past here in Coryana with Safiyah that really makes it clear how intense their relationship was and the depth of it. It’s beautifully laid out and rich in all the right ways, making you feel it in a way that just stands out. That reinforces, especially through Cox’s color work, just how much Coryana has changed since she left and her return now. It’s a bleaker place, colors are more subdued and earthy, and there’s a sense of decay about it that permeates it and eats at Kate at the same time. That’s also made clear with the wounded Rafael in her arms as she takes him up to the Desert Rose bar that’s in shambles and closed up for ages, reminding her of just how much everything fell apart when she left and how it’s impacted so many other things.
That setup does a lot of great work and eases the more familiar pages of the fight with Knife coming in, revealing her to be Tahani, and some of the others from the past arriving to push back against Knife while not exactly thrilled to see Kate come back as there is a lot of bad blood here. There’s also some amusement with how Kate pushes Julia away for the moment and her own reaction to things as well as saving the day, though that just felt a little too forced for me. There’s a weariness and wariness in the situation as it calms down after Knife flees and that makes for some interesting material as the seemingly larger threat is revealed with the Kali Corporation that has been buying up Coryana and has big plans there. It’s laid out like straightforward evil corporate material with more mysteries to be unveiled with it but the way Epting presents it with the characters and Cox’s color work makes it very intriguing.
In Summary:
Batwoman is one of those titles that you want on a monthly cycle because of the quality of the writing and especially the artwork. It’s also a title you want on a bi-weekly schedule because it’s a dense work and moving at its own pace and you want more of it now. That feels even more reinforced with this second main installment as I’m craving more of this story to understand it and dig into it. Kate’s background has been intriguing from the Rebirth issue for me, having not read her prior series or known much about her beyond the Bombshells incarnation, so this is fresh and fun for me as we get to know her in past and present and the supporting cast that’s cropping up as well as the potential villains. It’s a very strong book that I really get the feeling will be a fantastic collected read as well.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: DC Comics via ComiXology
Release Date: April 19th, 2017
MSRP: $2.99
