WIBR: Batwoman: Elegy

Some of you have already heard that this collection is a real showcase for the talents of artist J.H. Williams III — and you heard right!  I truly doubt that I’ll see a better illustrated superhero comic this year as the man’s genius for page and panel layout (conveying action and story without sacrificing clarity) is visible on every page.  His chameleonic ability to change styles is also on show, and while it could’ve degenerated into gimmickry, it serves each scene well. 

While the art is the main attraction here, the story by Greg Rucka is also pretty good.  Not only is his gift for effortlessly writing strong female characters on show here, he also pulls off the doubly difficult task of making Kathy Kane’s lesbianism a necessary part of the story, and on making her motivations distinct from all of Gotham’s other vigilantes.  The problem is that Rucka does too good a job of grounding Kate’s backstory and character in the real world, to the point where the superhero elements seem out of place in her story.  I won’t argue that a “religion of crime” is a great idea for the DC Universe, but here it almost comes off as being more silly than anything else.  That being said, even as someone who appreciates comics more for their writing than their art, this is still worth picking up in hardcover just to admire Williams III’s work.