Despite her fan-favorite status, Batwoman lacks prominence in DC Comics. Lately, she has been relegated to short stories and crossovers, most often used to prop up the development of other heroes without getting her own stories. Despite this, Kate Kane’s story is far from over, and there’s an unfilled niche in DC’s Bat-Family line that she can fill.
Batwoman is a unique and highly important member of the Bat-Family – one of the few related to Bruce Wayne by blood, making it clear that she doesn’t feel bound to play by her cousin’s rules. With a military background and support staff, Batwoman attacks crime with brutal precision. She is also one of the few lesbians in the DCU, with fans taking huge interest in her love/hate relationship with Renee Montoya, aka the Question and current commissioner of Gotham Police Department. Infamously, however, Batwoman has faced some real-world roadblocks, such as when editorial mandate prevented her intended marriage to longtime love interest Maggie Sawyer.
These issues have derailed Batwoman’s narrative in the past, but she’s still a unique voice in the DC Universe, delving into the stranger cases of Gotham City. In her original solo run Batwoman (2011) #12 (from J.H. Williams and W. Haden Blackman), Kate is confronted with a mystical case involving kidnapped children, myths, and mystical legends come to life. Kate Kane is forced to see the world through new eyes and charges headfirst into the world of mysticism. With research and the help of Wonder Woman, Batwoman is able to face down these eldritch forces by using their own stories and magic against them, even taking down the fabled Bloody Mary. After learning much from Diana, their activities result in Kate owning an extensive collection of occult books and items – crucially, a collection she’s willing and able to use.
Lacking the natural talent to draw on magic, Batman long since gave up on using it as part of his mission, but Kate offers a glimpse into a Bat-Family member who uses all the resources she needs to get the job done. While it wasn’t something she was initially used to, using mysticism became necessary, and she was willing to adapt and learn for the sake of others. The only other person in the main Bat-Family who has shown real comfort with magic is Jason Todd, however Red Hood remains the definition of a street-level hero, and his grounded attitude doesn’t suit a long term link with mystical threats. Batwoman is a practical fighter, but her willingness to go beyond the mundane world and links to the occult can provide a fresh new set of stories focusing on the urban legends of Gotham City.
Many members of the Bat-Family have become more specialized to inspire their own stories, and Batwoman would benefit from the same treatment. Making Batwoman the go-to hero for Gotham’s occult threats is a great way to reinvent and relaunch Kate Kane, giving DC fans new stories from the fan-favorite hero and ensuring she doesn’t remain relegated to the shadows.
