Batwoman
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Batwoman is a fictional character, a female counterpart to DC Comics' popular superhero Batman.
The most recent incarnation of the character, Kate Kane, appears in the series 52, operating in Gotham City during Batman's long absence after the events of Infinite Crisis.
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[edit] Kathy Kane
[edit] Pre-Crisis
Batwoman is primarily associated with the Silver Age of comic books. She first appeared in Detective Comics #233 (July 1956).<ref name="hist">Fred Grandinetti. Remembering Kathy Kane: The First Batwoman. Newsarama. Retrieved on 2006-05-30.</ref> She was a costumed crime-fighter like Batman, his counterpart in many ways. For example, while Batman wears a utility belt, Batwoman carried a utility purse.
Batman co-creator Bob Kane later claimed that he originally drew her to resemble his wife. The fact that he named her "Kathy Kane" supports this statement; however, Kane used "ghost pencillers" such as Sheldon Moldoff and Dick Sprang to draw most Batman comics in the 1950s, and the question of how much input Kane actually had to the Batman stories is disputed.[citations needed]
Batwoman guest-starred occasionally in Batman stories published from 1956 to 1964. Batman wished for Kathy to retire from crimefighting due to the danger. Nevertheless, she remained his ally (even when she temporarily became a new version of Catwoman).
In 1961, Batwoman was joined by her niece Betty Kane, the Bat-Girl, named after Bob Kane's wife. Kathy and Betty were romantically interested in Batman and Robin, respectively. Robin seemed to return Bat-Girl's affection, while Batman remained aloof.
In 1964, DC dropped Batwoman, as well as Bat-Girl, Ace the Bat-Hound, and Bat-Mite from the Batman titles, which were undergoing a revamp under Editor Julius Schwartz that eliminated elements considered too "silly". In stories published during the next few years, Batwoman makes several appearances in the Batman-Superman team-up book World's Finest, which was edited by Mort Weisinger.
In the 1970s, Batwoman only appeared a few times, often fighting crime alongside the second Batgirl Barbara Gordon. During her retirement, she becomes the owner of a circus, which she kept until she died. She is killed by the League of Assassins and the brainwashed Bronze Tiger in Detective Comics #485 (September 1979).
There was also a Batwoman on Earth-Two, who was very much like her deceased Earth-One counterpart. This Kathy Kane retired when the Batman of that world married Catwoman. She married and had children, but her husband was never revealed. She came out of retirement following Batman's death when Gotham City was threatened by the return of Hugo Strange.
[edit] Post-Crisis
After Crisis on Infinite Earths altered DC Universe history, Batwoman's and Bat-Girl's histories are heavily changed. In the new continuity, Kathy Kane exists but apparently Batwoman never had. Bat-Girl never existed either, but a superheroine named Flamebird was introduced who had a somewhat similar costume and almost the same name ("Bette Kane").
The late Kathy Kane and her murder by the Bronze Tiger were mentioned on occasion. Kathy Kane existed but was never Batwoman in the post-Crisis DC Universe. In Batman, Dark Detective #2 (2005), a large portrait of Batwoman appeared on the wall of Batcave, although it is likely that Batman: Dark Detective does not take place in current DC continuity. In the Beast Boy miniseries, Flamebird tries to post bail for Beast Boy, with money "borrowed from Aunt Kathy", which would suggest she is still alive. In Alan Moore's The Killing Joke, Batman stares at a photograph that portrays Bat-Girl (Bette Kane) , Batwoman, Ace the Bat-hound, and Batmite -- characters that did not exist in continuity at the time.
[edit] The Kingdom
Batwoman is referenced in Planet Krypton, an issue within the The Kingdom miniseries. This series introduces the concept of Hypertime, in which characters who had been removed from continuity still exist in alternate timelines. A Planet Krypton theme restaurant (modeled after Planet Hollywood) finds itself "haunted" by silent "Hypertime ghosts" of characters who are no longer part of DC continuity. Batman comes face to face with Batwoman and says, "Kathy?" Later, Batman says there is no possible way he could know her.
[edit] Kate Kane
[edit] Character history
- See also: 52 (comics)
After the Infinite Crisis series, a new Katherine "Kate" Kane is introduced.
Kate is Renee Montoya's former lover and heiress to one of the wealthiest families in Gotham City <ref>52 #7</ref>. Renee refers to her as "Katherine the younger" and asks Kate to help find the connection between the Kanes and the address 520 Kane Street. While still upset from their breakup, Kate agrees to help Renee, but punches her and tells her to leave after Renee mentions they used to love each other. Not long after that, Batwoman is shown to be observing Montoya from the rooftops as Renee converses with the Question (in his guise as "Charlie") in an alley.
Kate meets with Renee and Charlie in Gotham Park and confirms that the warehouse was being leased by Ridge-Ferrick until six weeks ago. Renee refuses to tell Kate what's going on saying that she doesn't owe Kate anything, which shocks Kate and prompts her to tail them as Batwoman. When Renee and the Question break into Ridge-Ferrick's Gotham offices, they are attacked by Whisper A'Daire's shapeshipting minions, and Batwoman arrives to rescue them. Making quick work of two monsters, Batwoman stops Renee from shooting the third, instead kicking the monster out a window. Batwoman informs them the police are coming, asks that she not be mentioned, and leaves.
After Renee learns that the Book of Crime, a sacred text of Intergang, contains a prophecy foretelling the brutal murder of the "twice named daughter of Kane," <ref>52 #27</ref> she and the Question return to Gotham. They contact Kate by flashing a batsignal, and the three join forces to avert Intergang's plans <ref>52 #28</ref>.
[edit] Skills, resources and abilities
As Batwoman, Kate lacks any superpowers, and instead relies on her martial artistry and Batman-inspired equipment when fighting crime. In the ten years since her breakup with Renee Montoya, she has learned to fight and is able to defeat three monsters, as well as spy on Renee and the Question with relative ease.
Being the heiress of a family whose fortune is comparable to the Waynes, Kate possesses the finances to produce an arsenal of equipment, similar to Batman. This includes a baton-like device which can extend from the center in length and has Bat-shaped attachments at each end <ref>52 #11</ref>. She also makes use of Batarangs and a Batman-like grappling hook.
[edit] Personal life
Unlike the Silver Age Kathy Kane, who was written as being romantically attracted to Batman, the new version of Kane is portrayed as a "lipstick lesbian", though still hiding this fact from nearly everyone she knows. In her civilian identity as a socialite, she is acquainted with Bruce Wayne and is friends with a doctor named Mallory, who treats the Question's cancer. Her homosexuality attracted substantial media coverage when the character was announced in the spring of 2006, including stories on CNN and in gay culture magazines such as Out <ref>Out - Batwoman Comes Out!</ref>.
[edit] One Year Later
Currently, neither incarnation of Batwoman has appeared in the post-52 DC Universe, however both Kathy Kane and Batwoman have been mentioned. Alfred Pennyworth mentions Kathy Kane to Bruce Wayne, when listing the various women Bruce dated in his playboy days <ref>Batman #652</ref> and the Penguin suggests Batman bring a date to the opening of his club, asking, "Why don't you bring that new Batwoman? I hear she's kind of hot." <ref>Detective Comics #824</ref>
Though it's canonity is unclear, Batwoman is set to appear in DC's DC Infinite Christmas Special, in a story written by Greg Rucka. <ref>Newsarama-Dan Didio on DC Infinite Christmas Special</ref>
[edit] Other characters named Batwoman
Image:Mysterybatwoman.JPG In the Teen Titans storyline "Titans Tomorrow", Bette Kane is Batwoman, and wears a costume similar to Kathy's.
In Mark Waid and Alex Ross's Kingdom Come limited series, a Batwoman character is portrayed as a Batman admirer from Jack Kirby's Fourth World. Her costume mixed Kirby-esque elements with those of the original costume. The character rode a giant bat-winged dog named Ace.
In Alan Davis's "Elseworlds" tale:JLA: The Nail, Catwoman wears a Batwoman costume that looks very similar to the costume worn by Kathy Kane . In the sequel JLA: Another Nail, she fashions her own Batwoman persona.
Helena Wayne appears as Batwoman in an alternate Earth where the genders of Superman, Batman and other heroes are reversed <ref>Superman/Batman #24 (November 2005)</ref>. Batwoman's closest ally is Superwoman.
[edit] In other media
Batwoman appeared in the direct to video animated film Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, voiced by Kyra Sedgwick. This version is actually three different women avenging wrongs by the Penguin and Rupert Thorne. The name of one of them, Kathy Duquesne (pronounced "du-kane"), is a homage to Kathy Kane.
[edit] References
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