Batwoman #8
(W) Greg Rucka (A) Dani
OUTNUMBERED, NOT OUTMANEUVERED. In the Cathedral of St. Dumas, the members of a GCPD TUCO squad think that they’re about to kill Batwoman, score a victory for Vandal Savage, and make themselves rich in the process.
Batwoman #7
(W) Greg Rucka (A) Dani
It was supposed to be a quick return trip before heading back to Greece, but with Batwoman now seen as a cold-blooded killer in the public eye, Commissioner Savage declaring open season on anyone who wears the Bat, and Poison Ivy’s “urban renewal initiative” sprouting chaos in the streets, it’s going to be a long night … especially when Batman reaches out with a mission to get comms back up between the heroes. Maybe she should’ve watered her plants before she left …
Batwoman #6
(W) Greg Rucka (A) Jeffrey Spokes
EISNER AWARD WINNER GREG RUCKA TEAMS WITH SUPERSTAR ARTIST JEFF SPOKES TO TURN BACK THE CLOCK! Broken by Alice’s death, Kate Kane was left in pieces. How did the fall that claimed her sister’s life lead to a rebirth in Petalon, and what does it mean for the future? Witness the truth of what happened that night in Gotham as Batwoman’s DC Next Level journey continues in a special issue drawn by guest artist Jeff Spokes!
Batwoman #5
(W) Greg Rucka (A) Dani
A LAST CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION… OR DAMNATION! As Batwoman’s quest to avenge her sister’s death reaches its apex, she discovers the Dark Faith have a new, much more terrifying plan. A Kane must be the Alice who ushers in the era of Darkseid… and if Beth is dead, Kate must take her place. How do you fight the devil when the devil is real? Greg Rucka & DaNi bring an epic conclusion to their first arc of this blockbuster Next Level series.
Batwoman #4
(W) Greg Rucka (A) Dani
GREG RUCKA AND DANI PUT KATE KANE THROUGH THE WRINGER! Batwoman has declared war against the Dark Faith, and the body count continues to rise. As her actions raise alarms among friends and foes alike, the Question has come to Petalon in search of answers. But what she uncovers will force Kate into the most desperate fight of her life.
If you thought last issue’s climax was shocking, just wait until you see what Greg Rucka and DaNi have in store as their acclaimed Next Level series continues!
As the sun sets on Gotham City, something ancient wakes beneath its streets! In Batman: Bad Seeds, the next major Batman event kicking off in August and running through October, Poison Ivy unleashes a desperate act of eco-terror that transforms Gotham into a hostile landscape of prehistoric plant life. Told across one long, dark night, the event unfolds as Gotham’s heroes, villains, and civilians fight to survive.
Led by showrunners Matt Fraction and G. Willow Wilson, Batman: Bad Seeds is a Gotham-wide comic book crossover that pulls every corner of the city into the crisis. While Fraction (Batman) and Wilson (Poison Ivy) steer the event’s core narrative, the writers and artists behind Detective Comics, Batgirl, Batwoman, Catwoman, Nightwing, and Harley Quinn each deliver pivotal chapters that track Gotham’s transformation as the night deepens. Across ten weeks, readers will follow the crisis as it spreads from block to block, title to title.
As Ivy’s plants spread, Gotham begins to mutate—buildings swallowed by vines, streets overtaken by carnivorous flora, and entire neighborhoods reverting to a primordial state. With the Bat-Family hunted, the GCPD fractured under Commissioner Vandal Savage’s militarized rule, and civilians trapped in a city turning against them, Gotham City becomes a living battleground where every chapter brings a new evolution.
On August 26, DC will publish a Batman: Bad Seeds prelude in Poison Ivy #47.Written by G. Willow Wilson with art by Leandro Fernandez, a main cover by Jessica Fong, and variant covers by Noobovich, Kyuyong Eom, and Manny Vincent Carbonilla, this prelude issue reveals that Gotham City is done with Mayor Pamela Isley—there’s just one problem for everyone there: she’s not done with them.
Then, also on August 26, the Batman: Bad Seeds event officially begins with Batman: Bad Seeds – Sunset #1. Written by Matt Fraction and G. Willow Wilson with art and cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cliff Rathburn, and Tomeu Morey, plus variant covers by Dan Mora, Marcio Takara, Jorge Jiménez, and Jeff Spokes (Glow-in-the-Dark), this unforgettable first chapter opens as the sun goes down and Gotham loses power, showing that the only thing scarier than the night…might just be the morning sun. Gotham City’s mayor, Pamela Isley—deserted by her allies both political and arcane—is about to make a last-ditch power play that will leave Gotham decimated by daybreak. Having already declared war on the Bat-Family and flooded the streets with his private, paramilitarized police army, Police Commissioner Vandal Savage sees an opportunity to solve two problems at once!
Following August’s prelude and kickoff, the event continues across September and October in the pages of Batman, Poison Ivy, Detective Comics, Batgirl, Batwoman, Catwoman, Nightwing, and Harley Quinn, alongside several new event titles. More details on these chapters will be revealed in the coming months as DC unveils the full scope of Batman: Bad Seeds.
Batwoman #3
(W) Greg Rucka (A) Dani
TO FIND THE ANSWERS, RUCKA AND DaNI NEED THE QUESTION! In the aftermath of Batwoman’s brutal showdown with the Monks of the Stone, Jacob Kane fears his daughter may have crossed the point of no return. If there’s any chance of pulling Kate back from the brink, he’ll need the help of Renee Montoya, a.k.a. the Question — but neither of them may like the answer they find. The sparks will be flying in more ways than one when Greg Rucka and DaNi’s Next Level tale continues!
Sometimes, the staff at Graphic Policy read more comics than we’re able to get reviewed. When that happens you’ll see a weekly feature compiling reviews of the comics, or graphic novels, we just didn’t get a chance to write a full one for.
These are Graphic Policy’s Mini Reviews and Recommendations.
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Inglorious X-Force #4 (Marvel) – Inglorious X-Force is a fun, kick-ass 90s throwback of a comic, especially with Philip Tan taking over art duties. He and writer Tim Seeley throw in a million concepts and lore references, but still have time for genuine bonding and emotions between the team of Cable, Boom Boom, Archangel, Akihiro, and Ms Marvel. I live for the Warren/Tabby/Akihiro love triangle. Inglorious X-Force #4 isn’t essential reading and is more Simonson/Liefeld New Mutants than Ellis/Immonen Nextwave, but finds its footing by the time the final page rolls around. This team is a good hang for sure, but lacking in the bad guy department until that cliffhanger. Overall: 7.5 Verdict: Read
Super Creepshow #2 (Image) – Super Creepshow is another solid installment of this superhero/horror anthology featuring a story that will make you lose your lunch, and the return of the legendary Marv Wolfman to writing vampire hunters. Gerry Duggan, Scott Buoncristiano, and Mike Spicer lead off the comic with the disgusting “The Creepshow Two-In-One”. A standard issue Midwest superhero parody (I’m here for the Keg ; I wonder if he likes PBR.) turns into body horror comedy, and Buoncristiano pulls the limits of a “Mature” rating while Duggan pokes at fragile masculinity. This one definitely isn’t for the squeamish. Up next is Wolfman, Michele Rubini, and Miquel Muerto spinning a tale of violent vampires and fraught friendships in “Be Careful What You Wish For”. Wolfman hasn’t lost a step in this kind of story giving it personal (Pun intended) stakes and letting Rubini draw some savage, very unsexy bloodsuckers. This team could write one hell of a Blade series, but an action-packed story of kill or be killed is the next best thing. If you like your superheroes a little sick and twisted, then Super Creepshow is the comic for you. Overall 8.1 Verdict Buy
Batwoman #2 (DC) – The second issue of Batwoman is another case of strong visuals from Dani and Matt Hollingsworth, but below average writing from Greg Rucka. Seriously, this feels like reheated nachos from Elegy with a splash of tzatziki sauce. Rucka and Dani do attempt to raise the stakes with the appearance of Jake Kane, but his fate and Batwoman’s subsequent crash out feels rushed and unearned. It’s a reveal or a sake of a reveal not something honest and true to the character. Overall: 5.8 Verdict: Pass
Lobo #2 (DC) – The fun and a a network minimum amount of “frags” keep flying in Lobo #2 from Skottie Young, Jorge Corona, and Jean-Francois Beaulieu. This issue shows the day-to-day of Lobo as reality TV star, and it’s about as pretty as the truly terrible costume the network makes the Main Man wear. Lobo vs AI network suit is the battle royale we need in the age of layoffs, focus groups, and algorithms. Lobo #2 even pulls off a crossover/guest star moment with a delightful caricature of a famous, but not too famous DC hero. I can’t wait to see what comes out of Lobo’s mouth next or his latest fit. Overall: 8.8 Verdict: Buy
Batwoman engages the enemy, drawing Master Slay and his acolytes onto the field. But can her father, Jacob Kane, reach her before the streets of Petalon become a kill zone? Batwoman #2 is an interesting issue picking up from the debut but feeling like you’ve been dropped into a story going on for years.
Written by Greg Rucka, this new series focuses a lot on Kate Kane/Batwoman’s past, especially her sister and a cult she was involved in. I read that run, and I’m still not 100% sure exactly what’s going on. Kate is sort of in therapy for everything that’s happened, but can still sneak out and do her Batwoman thing?
That’s what this issue focuses on, as Batwoman draws out the cult obsessed with her and drags her father back into the action. The comic visually looks great with an interesting flow to the action and a somewhat brutal delivery of it. But, the delivery so far feels rather choppy. It never feels quite established Kate knows about this cult, but suddenly is confronting them.
But, that’s not really the point of the comic, it’s the ending of it which attempts to be shocking. It’s a pretty crazy moment that points to where Kate’s head is at and also potentially sets something interesting up.
The art by Dani is good and absolutely nails the tone of what Rucka is going for. Matt Hollingsworth colors deliver a darker tone to it all but still makes the comic easy to follow. It’s dark but not to a point that it negatively impacts the issue. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou‘s lettering too mixes cold emotion with shock.
Batwoman #2 feels like the first two issues really were to get us to the end of this issue. It will drive what comes next in the near term, and possibly the long term, for the character. There’s a lot of small details that show off the potential and how big a moment this might be. The issue overall feels like we’re well into the story, that last few pages make it feel like things are just beginning.
Story: Greg Rucka Art: Dani
Color: Matt Hollingsworth Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Story: 7.75 Art: 8.0 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Batwoman #2
(w) Greg Rucka (a) Dani
Batwoman engages the enemy, drawing Master Slay and his acolytes on to the field. But can her father, Jacob Kane, reach her before the streets of Petalon become a kill zone?
