First Page Follies--At Least There Won't Be Snakes

In Batwoman #25, we learn...

...that Professor Indiana Jones is now teaching at West Point.

It's good to know that, in the nu52, cadets are getting a good archeological education...Are we ready with our "Batwoman And The Temple Of Doom" fanfic?

Differing Definitions

From the latest USA Today article on Flushpoint:

The recent emphasis on diverse characters such as lesbian superheroine Batwoman, Hispanic hero Blue Beetle and African-American adventurer Cyborg (who will be a core member of Johns and Lee's new Justice League) also will continue.

Obviously, DC has a different definition of "emphasis" than most of us do.

Maybe actually publishing a comic book starring Batwoman, Blue Beetle or Cyborg would help, as opposed to perpetually putting off Batwoman, cancelling Blue Beetle, and having Cyborg "star" in a series that is explicitly not in current DC reality.

(Or maybe if USA Today actually, you know, reported, rather than blindly passing along DC press releases as news...squawk, Polly want a cracker!)

I'm just sayin.'

DC Dies Many Times Before Their Death

As Occasional Superwoman noted the other day, DC has been, well, completely not interested in actually doing anything with the Batwoman character they announced to great fanfare 9 months ago. You remember that, right? Press releases, interviews on CNN, write-ups in the New York Times...that's dream publicity for a new launch, right?

Tick, tock....

Since then, we've seen Batwoman only in a handful of issues of 52, and one token guest appearance in the Crime Bible mini-series. Both by Greg Rucka.

Crickets chirping...

And that's it. Period. No new series or mini-series in the near future. Nada. In the year of a new Batmovie, when anything vaguely Bat-related is going to gussied up and put into a trade or a prestige edition or a mini-series, a brand new, exciting Bat-character is going to be completely ignored. This despite all the trouble they went to get the mainstream press to take notice. It's as if after announcing the new Captain America, Marvel suddenly said, "Ahh, never mind."

But really--it's not because she's a lesbian. Really. No, seriously.

Except...

This is Gotham City. Home of the Batman (Goddamned or otherwise). And let's look at how Batman typically reacts to new vigilantes in his town. From last week's Robin #171 (really? Is it #171 already? Sheesh, I'm gettin' old...):

We've all seen this a hundred times, right? A new vigilante dares to set foot in Gotham, and Batman shows up or sics his minions on them, seemingly within minutes, and gives them The Speech: You're an amateur, this is my town, get out. Hell, he gives The Speech to established heroes he already knows when they dare to trespass his turf.

And you'd think that, since someone was using his Bat-motif, he'd be especially interested.

But in all the time since he returned to Gotham after 52, not only hasn't he sought out Batwoman to give her the speech, he's not even MENTIONED or acknowledged in ANY WAY that there is a Batwoman. Not a single mention. Nothing.

Does anyone believe for an instant that, if we had a heterosexual vigilante running around Gotham ripping off Batman's act, Bruce wouldn't have shown up, at least to spy on them or warn them? Hell, a minor leaguer turns up in Robin, and he's ready to run her out of town by the next issue. But with Batwoman...?

Sounds of the ocean...

Let's see...DC announces a new gay character, and then suddenly shrugs and decides to do nothing with her. And Batman completely ignores her existence, despite that being completely atypical for him.

I'm not sure one can infer anything other than this: that DC is so homophobic (or more likely, scared of homophobic backlash), that they won't even let Batman mention a gay character. And if they have to have him act completely out of character to avoid meeting or even mentioning that gay person, well, so be it.

I really can't see any other conclusion.

That's sad. And it's chicken-shit.

Law & Order: Superhero Investigation Squad

This is why Batman should be spending less time with JLA and the Outsiders and more time taking care of the home front:


Yup, only smart people are murderers. Jails are full of 'em.

PS-when, o when, is Batman going to realize/react/acknowledge to the fact that someone called Batwoman is operating in Gotham City? He hasn't even freakin' mentioned it yet...

Keystone cops--uhh, I mean Gotham heroes from the inimitable Countdown #38. Remember, as the issue number goes down, so does the series' IQ!!