Batwoman #39 Review

Written by: Marc Andryeko
Art by: Georges Jeanty
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: February 18, 2015

Rhymin' and Squealin'

I have been a supporter of Marc Andreyko since he took over this book.  All you haters, please step back a bit and look at what the guy walked into.  Batwoman had a fan base that may not have been huge, but was hugely loyal.  By the way, I was part of that group and it killed me when DC not only dashed all of our dreams, but forced our beloved creative team to quit the book.  I really can't remember a tougher situation facing a creative team as when Andreyko and artist, Jeremy Haun, agreed to continue this book.  Maybe some of you out there would have preferred the alternative, for it to just end, but I was glad and even optimistic that we would continue getting great stories involving Kate and Maggie.  Well, it didn't quite work out the way I was hoping and the book has slipped away from the things that made it a must read for me and most of it's fans.  Gone is the Kate-Maggie relationship and the whole balancing a personal life with a secret superhero one has gone out the window.  This final arc has been an action packed slug fest with Kate teaming up with a ragtag bunch of villains and heroes that will ultimately lead to a showoff in space.  While this story has been inconsistent at best, I was really hoping that the last two issue of the series would give Kate a good sendoff that everyone could be happy about.  Does this issue do just that?  Let's find out...

One good thing about this issue is that I get to say it's the penultimate issue of the series.  I just love saying (and writing) that word because I don't ever get to say it much in my regular boring life.  "I'm eating my penultimate hamburger"...it just doesn't work.  Unfortunately, this issue doesn't work for me either.  Fans know where this story is going and I for one, want to get there.  Since that first issue of the arc, we have had to sit through a bunch of team building issues and we are still doing it.  This issue we deal with Alice.  I must admit that I'm not a big fan of Kate's sister and she is by far the least interesting member of the Unknowns in my opinion, so i just wanted her introduction to end fast.  It does, but not before some awful dialogue and forced tension.  Seeing Natalia play the victim was laughable and I'm not sure if Andreyko was trying to get sympathy from the reader because that's never going to happen.  If the other fans are like me, I hate her and always will.

Cry me a river

We then get a peek at the other Unknowns...Clayface is upset that he is evil, Ragman randomly transforms and Jason Blood may not need his pal's protection, but Etrigan just might.  That's where we get to the meat of the story.  Morgan Le Fey has captured Etrigan and wants answers.  Answers that Jason doesn't know. This leads to Le Fey getting what she wanted, Jason getting thrown out a window and Etrigan breaking the cardinal rule of Rap.

I like Etrigan.  I like his rhyming.  He reminds me of a demon Nipsey Russel and that is why I had a huge problem with Marc Andreyko this month.  He got lazy.  Two times in this issue, Etrigan rhymes a word with the same word.  "Blind" with "blind" and "death" with "death".  Blasphemy!  Poor old Nipsey is rolling over in his grave as we speak.

The Original Rapper

The issue ends in a brief highlight as Morgan Le Fey raises her army and we are one step closer to that awesome space battle that started off the arc.

This was not a good issue.  The dialogue was the worst since Andreyko took over and the parts that didn't feel rushed, felt forced.  I would like to let him off the hook by saying that he had to do things this way to get everything in line with the final issue, but he's responsible for that.  Sure, the book was canceled, but this arc would have ended in March either way.  It makes no sense.  At least everything is lined up for the book to end on a high note...I hope.

I did think Georges Jeanty did a good job on art.  I haven't been a fan of his Clayface, but all the other Unknowns look great.  Etrigan and Ragman look awesome.

Bits and Pieces:

I have tried to keep an open mind and support this book, but even I can't pretend this is a good issue. It is not.  The dialogue and situations felt so forced and rushed that they were almost laughable. Almost.  I can only hope that this mess of an issue leads to a good finale next month because Kate Kane and her loyal fans deserve it.

3.5/10