Batwoman #2

Writers: Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion IV

Artist: Steve Epting

Colourist: Jeromy Cox

Publisher: DC Comics

The first issue of this series was quite fantastic. It nicely teased Kate Kane's past, and had fantastic art to boot. This issue unfortunately fails to capitalise on the mystery of Kate's so-called "lost year", and did little to make Coryana feel like an actual place with genuine problems, no matter how hard the writers tried.

I found myself not caring for the story at all. The relationship between Kate and Safiyah seems too vague for me to really invest emotionally. It's hinted at that they were lovers, but the flashback snippets were much too short to truly have a grasp on what was happening. I don't know where they are in their relationship.

Another issue I have with the story is that Kate's return to the island feels very contrived. Not only that, but her whole mission to rid the black market on the monster venom itself feels contrived. DC is strangely trying to push this whole Monster Men story, which was an awful crossover in the first place and needs to be completely ignored, but it serves as the very spine of this series and this baffles me.

Bennett and Tynion IV clearly care about the character of Batwoman and want to do right by her, but the very nature of her story here is contrived, mostly because of the Night of the Monster Men story looming ever so ominously over the title. Kate's mysterious past lacks a spark, and the story wasn't engaging. The one saving grace was Epting's art, which was genuinely great.