Review - Batwoman: Elegy

Batwoman: Elegy
Story by: Greg Rucka
Art by: J.H. Williams III
Colors by: Dave Stewart
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $24.99
Release date: June 30th, 2010

This beautiful hardcover edition of Batwoman: Elegy is a collection of Batwoman's storyline from Detective Comics issues #854 to #860. The combination of the seven issues of content comes together to form a beautifully told story – both in the writing and in the art – of Batwoman. The storyline follows Kate Kane from her childhood to her teenage years at military academy and onto her transformation into Batwoman.

The story itself is carefully written, paying close attention to what drives Batwoman and being sure never to paint her as the usual superheroine. Greg Rucka does a great job of showing her as a superhero with personal demons that drive her to destructive behavior in her personal life – all while making sure the readers want to root for her in the end.

The art in this edition is simply stunning. J.H. Williams III gives the reader an aesthetically pleasing story that perfectly illustrates the tortuous life that Batwoman leads. His renderings of the villain, Alice, in particular bring out her craziness in beautiful detail. The good news is that J.H. Williams is planning to continue with Batwoman's story – though Greg Rucka will not be handling the writing for that project.

Overall, the story and the art combine in a way that sets this graphic novel apart from many others I’ve seen. The introduction by Rachel Maddow gives some insight into the groundbreaking nature of the Batwoman character, which is something that again sets this book apart from others. It’s an overall great read and it’s entertaining on many levels – a great addition to your graphic novel collection.

Tags: Comic Book Review, Batwoman, Greg Rucka, Graphic Novel