BATWOMAN 2.2

 

RECAP - BATWOMAN 2.2:  "Prior Criminal History"  

Within the first two episodes of Season 2, we're getting more clarity into just WHO Safiyah is, her ties to Julia, Kate, and even Alice.  We get a little bit more info on our new heroine Ryan Wilder, and we see Alice put the city to the test, as she launches an attack on Gotham to get the chaos started, as she doesn't plan to go away quietly, and to show Safiyah that she will NOT go quietly.  Also...whether Jacob or even Luke at this point hate to admit:  Kate or no Kate - Gotham NEEDS a bat.

We find out this episode that Ryan had been attacked about two months ago while wandering the streets homeless when she was attacked.  As it turned out, she was not only rescued by Batwoman, but also helped the Lady Crusader as well.  We also see that she tried to apply for work, but--sadly--due to her prior history in prison, she's not hirable.  We see her trying to also address the pain she's suffering from the Kryptonite wound, only to witness a robbery, and stop it.  However, she's caught by the Crows, and interrogated by Sophie, and we see that they're familiar with each other.  Security cameras prove that she was innocent, and free to go, but not before putting Sophie in her place because they refused to kill Alice when they had the chance.  This is an issue that would face Ryan later on in the episode as she battled Alice herself.  

Alice makes her moves this episode, by first visiting Julia, and offering her a chance to work together to bring down Safiyah, but Julia refuses, and gets shived in the side for her troubles.  Alice also uses the bats she finds in the sewers to send a message to the city, starting with giving the dead corpse of Mouse a message attached within him to get the ball rolling on her fiendish plot.  Mary realizes this as she gets sees the bat fly out of Mouse and escape, only to later discover that Mouse's death was by the same poison that killed her mother.  

At this time, the citizens of Gotham are planning to gather in Gotham Square to get Batwoman back.  Mary realizes that they need a Batwoman presence out there, as she figured out Alice's master plan.  Ryan offers herself to go out and pose as Batwoman, try and get the crowd to disperse.  Luke is against the idea, considering that Ryan had the idea to do what no one else had done:  kill Alice.  Faced with no option, Ryan suits up and heads to the roof to try and get the crowd to leave.  

However, Jacob sees through his binoculars that it's NOT Kate, and orders Sophie to go and get this imposter.  Alice, however, beats her to the punch.  The two women tangle, and Ryan surprisingly holds her own against the more deadly Alice.  She wants to kill her when she's got the advantage, but Luke tries desperately to talk her down.  However, Ryan isn't listening, and shuts off the comlink.  Alice then uses a homing device to draw the bats...now infected with the poison that she gave to Mary, and having them go after the crowd.  Alice takes her leave, and Ryan, with Luke's help, finds the device, and then has an idea about how to draw the bats out of the city.  Ryan manages to wrangle all the bats into a bus she stopped, and then blows it up, thus ending the threat.  Alice, meanwhile, pays a visit to Mary, and gives her the blood she got from Mary, and tells her the antidote to the toxin is in it.  Mary calls out Alice on this, and says that this is Alice grieving for Kate.  Alice takes off...and says she likes the new girl...she's a handful.  Later on, Luke is reluctant....but will allow Ryan to continue on as Batwoman...under the condition:  no killing.  It's also here that Ryan finds Kate's journals that she'd write to Bruce to...and decides to pick up where Kate left off....by writing to Kate.

With the city being inoculated (and Hamilton Dynamics taking credit, of course), Jacob has a talk with Mary, vowing to never give up on finding Kate.  Earlier on in the show, he had dragged Mary and Luke in, asking about whether or not they knew Kate was Batwoman...but they had stonewalled him. In the other developing story, we find out that the reason WHY Sophie ended things with Julia is because Julia lied to her about Kate as Batwoman, and the fact that she didn't divulge information about Safiyah to her....and, well, she's still in love with Kate.  

Things don't go so well for either Sophie OR Alice, as when Sophie finds Alice, and plans on taking her in, only to be knocked out by one of Safiyah's henchwomen, Tatiyana.  Tatiyana gives a warning to Alice, and Alice said that if she's been warned, she'd be talking to Safiyah herself....and thus, Alice is knocked out as well.

The things I dug about this episode:

Ryan & Alice's first battle....one of MANY, no doubt.  But I like that these two WILL cross paths again, and it doesn't take long for Alice to have a grudging respect for Ryan.  

Ryan being able to use her wits to resolve the matter about the toxic bats, with the help of Luke shows that she's a team player...or has the potential to be. This goes a long way in earning the trust of Luke.  Mary and Ryan are already building a relationship, because of their common bond.  I see something of a sisterhood developing between them.  Although, I wonder how long it will be before Mary realizes that Ryan's Kryptonite wound problem is going cost her in the field.  

Mary and Alice - that relationship has taken an interesting turn.  While Alice has felt Mary as nothing more than an interloper, and a "replacement" for her, she somehow manages to keep Mary around...especially in the wake of Kate's disappearance.  Like she said....she's not willing to lose the one sister she has left.  This has become a strange dynamic.  And I'm REAL curious as to where it leads.

I wonder what more of a role Julia will play, as Sophie and her are on the outs, and how much will she be a part of Team Batwoman?  I'm hoping she'll be helping train Ryan to become a more effective hero.  She's got the experience.  Add that to Ryan's inside knowledge of the criminal mind, and she'll have an edge. 

Just HOW deep down does the rabbit hole go between Alice & Safiyah?  They OBVIOUSLY know each other, and how much of it revolves around Kate?  I guess we'll be getting more answers coming up.

Welcome back, Vesper Fairchild!  

So...what did YOU think of the episode?  Subscribe and leave your comments below.  

Until next week....the Batsignal is OFF.

BATWOMAN 2.1

 

Recap - BATWOMAN 2.1:  "Whatever Happened to Kate Kane?"

It's been a LOOOOOONG stretch since we've seen ANY of our friends from The Arrowverse...and, quite frankly, it's been long overdue.  Things have ESPECIALLY changed with The Scarlet Crusader in particular, and that's what we're here to discuss this week...the official changing of the guard, as we dive into Season 2 of Batwoman.

This show hit the ground running, as they didn't waste time ensuring that we got NO sighting of Kate Kane the entire episode, as they had a private Waynejet crash in Gotham that was SUPPOSED to be heading to National City.  And it's here in this crash that we meet the homeless Ryan Wilder, who ends up trying to save one of the pilots I believe, before discovering the grand prize aboard the aircraft:  Kate's Batwoman suit.  

Turns out, our new soon-to-be heroine is a homeless woman, who hasn't been able to find work or residency, mostly due to her criminal record, which---as she states to the social worker---she was framed for.  We also learn that Ryan's adoptive mother had been killed along with the landlord of their new apartment by a bunch of hoodlums as they were walking into their new digs.  Meanwhile, Jacob and Sophie search the crash site in the hopes of finding Kate, while Luke and Mary are in the Batcave, seeking answers as to what happened to Kate.  She was supposed to meet Kara in National City about destroying the last of the Kryptonite.  Luke is VERY broken up this episode, as he feels HE is to blame for Kate being on that plane.  Mary...while also distraught, shows us the continued strength from HER own tragedies by being the strong one here.  

Never one to miss an opportunity, Tommy Elliot---now parading around as Bruce Wayne, makes his way into Wayne Enterprises, and meets up with Luke and Mary.  Luke takes him down to the cave, and Tommy plays the part well, selling Luke on his ID, and discussing the Kryptonite and the Batsuit....and Tommy feigning concern over Kate's disappearance.  We later see him living it up at Wayne Manor before Alice---dressed for a funeral---shows up to ruin HIS night.  And FINALLY....we got Alice's master plan:  She was going to give a gun loaded with the Kryptonite to her father, and watch him shoot Batwoman, thus killing Kate as well.  Tommy has a BETTER idea though....get the batsuit and BE Batman.  He then heads to the Crows HQ to talk to Jacob...letting him know where to find Alice.  This is also where Tommy slips up.  He just happens to run into Julia Pennyworth, who's trying to console Sophie, whom she believes STILL has feelings for Kate, but also upset that Kate is gone as well....AND trying to protect Kate's double ID.  Tommy talks to Julia about Alfred, and she told him to contact him, and Tommy says he would.  Turns out, though, Julia fed him wrong intel, and discovered that he was a fake.  Meanwhile, Sophie, dealing with the loss of Kate, searches her apartment, only to have Julia show up later, looking to get into Kate's safe for something.  

Luke and Mary end up tracking down Ryan in the tunnels, after she had beaten down a couple of False Face Society thugs, as they were partially responsible for her mother's death.  It's here that we see that Ryan HAS the ability to fight...just hasn't honed her skills.  When they finally meet up with her (the suit has GPS...go figure), she says that she's not giving up the suit until she's finished what she's set out to do.  We end up getting a montage between Mary & Luke, and Ryan, who end up reading about each other (well, Ryan about Kate), and Ryan realizes that Kate was a hero, and that Ryan herself didn't deserve the suit.  

Alice and Jacob meet up again, and it's here that Alice FINALLY spills the beans to Daddy Dearest:  That Kate was Batwoman.  And she takes delight in rubbing salt in the wound about him hating her, about him wanting to kill her, and so on.  Jacob's shook by this, and doesn't want to believe it.  Alice simply tells him to turn on the Batsignal and see if she comes.  

While the cats were away, The mouse did play, as Tommy got ahold of a gun, and had the Kryptonite shard he got from Luke.  He then managed to find a spot in the wall of the cave that was hollow, and smashed it to expose the hidden Batmobile.  Tommy takes off, intent on getting the Batsuit back, and become Batman.  Luke, Julia, and Mary find out about this a little late, and they look to warn Ryan about him...which they do.  This leads to Tommy chasing Ryan, and trying to kill her, until Luke manages to gain control of the Batmobile and stop it.  Tommy then goes after Ryan, now suited up, and before the fight's on, he blasts Ryan with the gun.  To everyone's surprise, however, Ryan survives the attack, and goes after Tommy.  

Ryan ends up beating Tommy's face off....literally.  He then winds back up in Arkham, and Ryan returns the suit to Luke and Mary.  Mary hugs Ryan in sympathy, for what she's gone through---got a kindered spirit there.  Because...BOTH women suffered a loss at the hands of ONE woman:  Alice.  Turns out, the hoodlums that injured Ryan that night, and killed the landlord and her mom were part of the Wonderland Gang.  THAT is something I HOPE gets brought up between the two more....especially where Alice is involved.

We also got Julia and Sophie to discuss what Julia was looking for in Kate's safe - a letter to Sophie.  Kate pours her heart out in it, admitting she's Batwoman, and that she still loved her.  This has also been a slippery slope, now that Julia and Sophie are targets for Safiyah.  

And speaking of Safyiah, she sent a note down into the sewers, letting Alice know that they are even.  Alice knows a war is coming...and there's not Batwoman to stop it...as she lays by the rotting corpse of her dear "brother" Mouse.  She then looks up to see the Batsignal shining in the sky....as Jacob turned it on....hoping Batwoman would show up. 

Ryan finally sees the Batsignal as well, and says that she will do right by her mother, and find her killer.  However...as we see the wound where Ryan got hit with the gun Tommy had....we see her exposed Kryptonite wound....something to keep an eye on.

So....a few thoughts on this season premiere:

 - I like Ryan already.  I like that we got her background all set up.  Though I DO expect a few more nuggets to arise as the season progresses, I do like that we get the origin stuff out of the way.  We now have the motive for her to BE Batwoman, and we can see she CAN handle herself in a scrap.  With more training from Julia perhaps, she'll get better.  

 - Alice isn't going away...I like that as well.  I was worried that Alice would be lost in the shuffle with Kate gone.  But as it is, she's our resident Joker - all about watching the chaos unfold.  Plus...with members of HER gang responsible for the death of Ryan's mom....it gives us a fresh take on Alice. 

- How will Julia, Sophie, and Jacob fit into this upcoming gang war?  Will Jacob FINALLY come to the realization that---like it or not---these crazies aren't there BECAUSE of Batman....or Batwoman.  They've BEEN there.  The city NEEDS a Bat...and he's going to have to come to terms with that sooner rather than later. 

It seemed a bit herky jerky at first, the episode smoothed itself out, and it kept me engaged.  So, NOW I am ready for Ryan to begin to take up the cowl.  Not a bad first act for the start of the second season.  I also feel Javicia Leslie's presence on screen will get stronger the more she grows into the role, and we'll see her carry this show no problem. 

That's MY thoughts on the season premiere....what're yours?  Subscribe and leave a comment below.

Until next week....the Signal is OFF!

COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK

 

COMIC BOOK OF THE WEEK

Welcome back!  I know....I've been gone for awhile....writing more than one type of blog, and with several life changes.  But I am now getting ready to gear up for another run, as the Arrowverse shows crank up again, and I also have a review to write of Wonder Woman 84, and the 2nd season of The Mandalorian, so be on the lookout for those.  But for NOW....it's time to finish up a series I had started last year, but didn't get to finish....our final installment of our Green Lantern series, in honor of the 80 years of the Emerald Gladiator's existence.  For our last ring-slinger....we take a look at Kyle Rayner.  This young man would end up becoming one of the most powerful of all Lanterns...and an essential ally to both the JLA as well as the Corps.  

GREEN LANTERN (VOL. 3) #84

COVER ART: Darryl Banks, Romeo Tanghal

WRITER: Ron Marz

ARTIST: Bill Willingham

INKS: Romeo Tanghal, Robert Campanella

LETTERS: Albert DeGuzman

COLORS: Anthony Tollin 

EDITOR: Kevin Dooley, Eddie Berganza

COVER DATE: January 1994

PUBLISHER: DC Comics

TAGLINE:  The Resurrection of Coast City

STORY TITLE:  "Emerald Twilight - Part One:  The Past"

Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #84 brings to us one more new character to the Green Lantern mythos:  Kyle Rayner.  Rayner comes to us courtesy of Ron Marz, Bill Willingham, and Darryl Banks.  He makes his first appearance in this particular issue, as we jump right into the beginnings of the Emerald Twilight storyline, as we witness the fall of Hal Jordan, and into his decent into madness.  Kyle is an artist who lives in Los Angeles, and our first contact with him is when he witnesses a green streak flying upon the sky, which is a raging Hal Jordan, ordered by  the Guardians of the Universe, streaking towards Oa after having been told he violated Oan law, and must return the ring.  Hal, in the middle of a breakdown after watching Coast City get destroyed.  After Hal's fall and attack on the Guardians, destroying the Corps, and taking as many power rings as he can to increase his power, he becomes the being known as Parallax, and thus responsible for the event known as Zero Hour.  Ganthet turns to Rayner as a new hope for the Green Lantern Corps, and thus a new GL is born.  After Hal's subsequent death, Rayner became the main Green Lantern, and took over this series as its main star beginning in issue #51.  Rayner would then secede the title back to Hal after Hal's resurrection and he became the man known as Ion.  He has since become a GL once again.  

THE STORY:  Hal Jordan....having watched the destruction of his hometown of Coast City, tried to resurrect his city, and remembers the past.  About his family, about finding the Abin Sur, and getting the ring.  He starts to reconstruct Coast City, and meets up with a girl named Jennifer he was in love with prior to meeting Carol Ferris.  But eventually, all the images fade, as the ring's power dies out.  Ganthet then speaks to him, and tells him to return to Oa, for he has violated the rules of the Green Lantern Corps - using the ring for personal gain.  Hal tells them it's because of LOSS that the made the constructs.  They order him to Oa, to give up the power ring.  However, Hal streaks towards Oa NOT to give up the ring....but to gain more power so that he can re-create Coast City. As we see Hal streaking across the sky, we notice a couple on the ground making a wish upon Hal, thinking he was a star, and wishing for escape.  

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This issue was the first of a MAJOR storyline that would not only see the downfall and eventual END of the Green Lantern Corps as we'd known it, but of Hal Jordan as well.  The creative team decided that it was time for a NEW Green Lantern, and it fell upon Marz, Willingham, and Banks to come up with Kyle Rayner.  Rayner would soon take the reigns of the series, in much the same way Wally West took over for Barry Allen as The Flash.  It was new heroes for a new generation.  Rayner has gone on to become one of the "Big 4" of the GL Corps along with Hal, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner.  

NEXT WEEK:  Another stellar comic pull from the past....