Batwoman

Batwoman herself is a very interesting character. The original version of the character dates back to 1956 and its modern incarnation has been with us since 2006. It used to be typical Silver Age fun, of which there was plenty of in the pages of Batman comics. Today, Batwoman is one of the proud members of the extended Bat-family. When Batwoman comics were published under the names of Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III, it was an absolute delight. Each book, whether "Detective Comics" or the "Batwoman" solo series, was a great piece of art, the stories had a great atmosphere, and you could often look at the two-page collages for hours. The crossover with Wonder Woman was great, and the relationship-building with Maggie Sawyer... After that came the first animated film and now a live-action series within the Arrowverse. Yet it is completely different, and for fans of the comics, it's a pure slap in the face. (19.05.2020)

While the Batwoman comics are 18+, the series is for 12+ and that might be saying it all. It really doesn't make much sense to add a solo Batwoman to the CW family of shows based on DC comics, because everything else is so fired up and audience-appealing, especially to teens. But it happened, and teenagers were exposed to their first lesbian (and Jewish) protagonist. It's a great move in theory, but how do you turn a mature read into something that young people will sit down and watch week after week? Firstly, leave the parents as the most important people, and then secondly, we'll highlight the strength of the sisterly bond and let it bubble up with a mix of catchphrases, supporting characters from Gotham, and then we get the result. Acting-wise, it's much better than the stoic Ruby Rose in the lead role, veteran Rachel Skarsten as the psychopathic Alice, who starred in the series version of Birds of Prey years ago. The sidekicks are interesting. However, what is questionable is the level of violence depicted, which seemingly separates Batwoman from the explicitly positive Supergirl and other caped crusaders. But if you can guess who Nocturna or Duela Dent are, give yourself some points. Here and there we get some quality L drama and various winks at DC goodies. So really, it's just a matter of how serious you are about DC adaptations. (19.05.2020)

That was pure fun. Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor? :D The return of Brandon Routh as Superman? Matt Ryan's next guest appearance as John Constantine? Tom Welling and Erica Durance as Clark Kent and Lois Lane from Smallville (Earth-167)? And last but not least, Kevin Conroy finally as Batman, since he's voiced him in so many cartoons? If there is anyone who only follows only Batwoman, they must have been really surprised after the last massacre. Because this isn't an episode - it's fan service. (14.12.2019)

It took three years for the emotions to settle. In the meantime, I watched all of Supergirl and Superman & Lois. But now I'm quite curious about how the series managed to continue with the new Batwoman played by Javicia Leslie. The problem (or advantage, depending on how you look at it) is the fact that the new wearer of the costume and mask, Ryan Wilder, is a completely new character. She was created specifically for the situation in the series after the main actress, Ruby Rose, decided not to continue. Ruby Rose ended her DC career prematurely due to a spinal injury, which is understandable, and I hope she continues her work in much safer conditions in the future. The creators were left with a situation where all the supporting characters remained in place, and the new heroine was a girl who had been unlucky in life. Ryan Wilder has a lot of baggage - false accusations, months spent in prison, a childhood spent in foster homes, and several traumas. From this, you can piece together a motivation for doing good, especially if the girl knows martial arts. Surprisingly, the series is still running well in its second season. It's still quite dark compared to other DC shows on CW, but that's definitely not a minus. Alice has an interesting new side story, and the only real disappointment is that Ryan Wilder practically doesn't exist in the comics (she appears in a few panels in "Batgirl #50/2020," "DC Essential Graphic Novels 2021," "Batman: Urban Legends #5/2021," "DC Pride 2021," "Earth-Prime 2023"... her only coherent story is in the "Earth-Prime 2022" miniseries, which isn't much). But a solo title of Batwoman hasn't been published since 2018, so there's really nothing to address here. She simply shone in the era of The New 52 and then merged with the others in the Bat universe. (23.05.2024)