Last month in #856, we saw Batwoman's alter ego Kate Kane figuratively let her hair down a little -- but literally let it… up? -- when she accompanied her dad/partner-in-crime-fighting to a charity ball. But it didn't take long for Alice -- Batwoman's Joker and Ra's Al Ghul all rolled into one freaky fairy-tale fantasy package -- to interrupt the evening's proceedings and a possible chance at romance for Kate.
And I've been dreading #857 ever since, because I've been afraid that writer Greg Rucka was going to kill off Kate's dad. (If Alice is Kate's Joker and Ra's Al Ghul rolled into one, then her dad is her Alfred/Gordon combo. I love all of these characters.) No stranger to capably building character-driven suspense, he continues to keep us guessing for the entire issue, moving from the charity ball to an amazing chase scene in the skies over Gotham that reminded me of a cross between the third-act action sequence in BATMAN BEGINS and the ghoulish elements we saw in the earliest pages of Batman's adventures back in the 1940s (and more recently re-imagined by Matt Wagner in the essential reads BATMAN AND THE MONSTER MEN/BATMAN AND THE MAD MONK).
And it's not just big-picture suspense. Of course we don't want Alice to succeed in what she wants to do to Gotham, but there's also the constant threat of Kate's dad's death and some other big shockers, too. Does the Colonel figure something out about Alice, which in turn allows Alice to know something new about Kate? It's a fascinating series of pages, and delightfully infuriating with all of the new mysteries and questions they raise.
In other words, if DETECTIVE COMICS is going to continue moving forward without Bruce Wayne, Kate Kane continues to earn her place here by honoring the Batman legacy her own way. And I love her for that.
(We can discuss the mysteries surrounding Alice on the message boards. I don't want to say anything else here. I just want to tell you to give this book a chance if you haven't already taken the plunge.)
As always, artist J.H. Williams III and colorist Dave Stewart blast story, action, and character beats across these pages in unique and beautiful ways. The sensuality of the colors and lines is almost unbearable in some panels, and the storytelling going on in these flowing layouts is just as impressive as the words supplied by Mr. Rucka.
I think this is the best issue of this title so far. The action is spectacular, the suspense simmers on every possible level, and some big new questions are raised about who Alice really is. Kate has a lot to discover. And so do we. I'm glad to be along for the ride.
The Question backup is equally action-packed as it continues to team Rucka's words with the awesome artwork of Cully Hamner (BATMAN: TENSES). The hard-boiled storyline continues along with a modern twist, and at least DC is giving us something extra to help justify the book's $3.99 price tag.
Can't wait for next issue! -
John Bierly
