Name: Hydrology
ISBN: 9781401234652

J. H. Williams (III.)

W. Haden Blackman

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics--The New 52 event of September 2011, Batwoman's new series finally begins! The creative team of J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman launch the ongoing Batwoman series, as Batwoman (a.ka. Kate Kane) faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City's underworld-and new trials in her personal life. Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her new sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government agency suddenly taking an interest in her? These are some of the questions that will be answered in this long-awaited series! This deluxe hardcover colllect issues 0-5 of Batwoman, part of the DC Comics--The New 52 event. From the Hardcover edition.

Hydrology

Megan Cooper

Batwoman: Hydrology 
(Batwoman Issues, 0-5, to be issued as a Trade Paperback in June 2012)
 
After a couple of successful story arcs in 52 and Detective Comics, DC finally got around to launching the Batwoman series as part of their revamp/re-launch of all their titles late last year. 
 
The Batwoman series starts immediately after Elegy, carrying over the events and aftereffects of that story arc. Issue 0 is kind of a standalone where Batman is stalking Batwoman in order to figure out who she is and whether she’s an ally or a menace. It serves as an introduction and transition for Batman fans who may not have warmed up to the idea of Batwoman The actual Hydrology story arc starts with Issue 1, with Batwoman confronting a ghostlike woman who has been stealing young children from their homes. There are six children who have drowned and thirteen more that are missing. The only clue that Kate and the Gotham City Police Department (actually Maggie Sawyer, Kate’s romantic interest) is an urban legend of La Llorona, or Weeping Woman, that tells of a woman who drowned her own children and then herself, only to return as a vengeful spirit who steals children. 
 
There are quite few more plotlines being woven together in the series – some which will be resolved in this arc, others that will carry on through the rest of the series and this gives the writers a chance to further develop both the characters and the arcs to make some interesting reading. Kate’s main goal is to solve the kidnappings and return the children to their parents, but at the same time she is struggling with the guilt and anger over what happened in Elegy, her ambivalence around training her cousin Bette as a sidekick, developing a relationship with Maggie, the arrival of a new and unknown crime cartel setting off underworld massacres, being approached by Batman and being hunted by the Department of Extranormal Affairs. Sounds like a lot, but the writers balance it all quite well, and things dovetail quite nicely with the impact of one subplot affecting the others. At times, Kate can be a bit of an asshole, especially with her cousin, but at the same time you can see the pressure she’s under as she takes on more responsibility and risks. 
 
The art is great – all my positive comments from Elegy still stand – fantastic action scenes with some mesmerizing panels. I’m happy to see that Maggie is being drawn a bit less stiff and stilted and the artwork lets you see a bit more of her character in some of her scenes. Together, Maggie and Kate have a much better flow and they seem much more comfortable on the page (if that makes any sense). In the first few issues, Kate (out of costume) is portrayed as pale … vampiresque pale … which I found a bit distracting especially in a club scene where she all but glowed in the dark. This appears to be resolving in the later issues and the colourists are starting to pink her up a bit so she looks a bit less like she should be in the Twilight series. 
 
Overall reaction: I’m enjoying the series more than Elegy arc that was featured in Detective Comics. Kate has more room to grow in her own series and the plots are allowed to expand and intertwine. The artwork is still stellar. I’m going to be visiting the comic shop on a monthly basis now.