Batwoman #13

World's Finest

Though Snyder’s Batman certainly gives it a good run for its money, I do not think any Bat book in the DCNU has delivered consistently high quality stories as well as Batwoman. The field of paranormal warrior gives Batwoman a unique flair while J.H. Williams inks and layouts are staggeringly beautiful. Though the zero issue of Batwoman was yet another great story, it only meant that readers had to wait an extra month to see the promise at the end of Batwoman #12 come to fruition, the team-up between Batwoman and Wonder Woman. Will this team of World’s Finest have chemistry befitting the gods, or does the partnership prove to be merely mortal?

In this issue, Batwoman and Wonder Woman travel to a mythological prison in order to find information on the shadowy entity known only as Medusa. The duo soon find themselves in conflict with the goddess of night, Nyx.

Ever So Slight Disappointment

Though there are many great things about this issue, I find that two problems stick out to me. First, issue twelve ended with a great tease for what would come next when Batwoman simply showed up on the beach next to Wonder Woman. It was obvious these two would be teaming up in the next issue, but how would Kate explain her person and mission? How would Diana react? It seems as if this would be a great opportunity to see the chemistry between two heroines. After all, you can only show the original meeting between two characters once (ignoring reboots), so how would this situation play out?

The world may never know. This issue starts out with Batwoman and Diana heading for an underwater prison. The team up has already been forged, and the characters are past their initial encounter. I can understand that the scene was scrapped to move more quickly to the action, but I cannot help but feel a little disappointed.

The second minor complaint is that the issue ended on a rather anti-climactic note. I will definitely be back next issue, but it will be because of the overall quality of the series and not because of any cliffhanger ending which urges me to read the next chapter. Compared to previous issues, that is a slight letdown.

The New Dynamic Duo?

The great thing about a team up is seeing two personalities bounce off each other. Oh sure, cooperative head kicking is fun too, but without great character interaction, it is all rather shallow.

Thankfully, the Batwoman/Wonder Woman team up does not disappoint. There is not much friction between the characters as often happens in such a mismatched pair, but they do compliment each others’ strengths nicely, and it is clear that they have very different ways of viewing the world. I especially liked Diana’s portrayal which seems befitting of an ambassador and princess in regards to her confidence and grace. Her inner monologue is full of references to Greek mythology which only make sense for someone who plays an important role in that mythological world. For Batwoman’s part, it was nice to see Kate’s unflappable persona be struck stupid for once in the presence of a living legend.

Art Divine

Once again, I must praise Williams III’s work. He has his customary page layouts which bleed into one another in a manner which simultaneously make the panels flow together yet remain coherent. In one two page spread, Williams III shows Batwoman and Wonder Woman searching through a prison labyrinth, and his style truly makes the journey seem confounding. As if that was not enough, a close scrutiny of the image reveals both symbols of Batwoman and Wonder Woman hidden in the shape of the walls. In a later scene, he shows a psychic attack from Nyx which nearly defies understanding, yet this is an excellent way to represent a non-visual attack through a visual medium.

Say It Ain’t So!

I’ve never had any illusions that Mr. Bones was a typical hero, but I had thought him to be a generally good guy up until this issue. It appears as if I need to revaluate my assessment because Mr. Invisible Skin seems quite comfortable with allowing Kate to die and replacing her with the young and inexperienced Flamebird. Granted, Mr. Bones is not plotting to kill Kate, but the callousness with which he speaks of her does not indicate a noble heart.

What is the world coming to when you cannot trust a cigar smoking skeleton in charge of a shadowy government spy and black ops organization?

Conclusion

Despite my minor disappointments, this is still another great issue of Batwoman. All Bat fans should pick it up.