DC; $3.99  

Batwoman has set aside therapy for the moment to draw Master Slay and his followers out into the open. Her act of aggression has struck the right chord, leading to a bloody chase through streets and on the rooftops of Petalon. Her singular focus is worrying her father, Jacob Kane, who knows that she is Batwoman, and is concerned about how her comprised state of mind could affect her in the field.  

Batwoman is following in Bruce Wayne’s footsteps as a broody hero who isn’t afraid to get a little blood on her hands. The first issue of this series by Greg Rucka got into Kate’s state of mind and the trauma she’s been dealing with since the last confrontation with her sister, Beth, aka the villain, Alice.  

In this issue, Kate puts on her Batwoman mask for an action-heavy chase across the city. We learn more about the foes she’s up against, but the bulk of the issue is about Master Slay and Jacob trying to find Batwoman, and the conflict that occurs once they catch up to her. Artist Dani and colorist Matt Hollingsworth take readers on that ride with fast pacing and kinetic energy. The fight travels across various locations, Kate springs into action or away from her pursuers like a rehearsed dance, all while Jacob races through the streets.  

It’s a faster read than the first issue, but the tone follows smoothly from issue one to two, and the stakes already feel high.  

–Amanda Sheriff