Review: Batwoman #5

Wow. Just wow. If you want to be consistently blown away be a comic book’s beauty, then you should be reading Batwoman. The story that Williams is telling has been exciting and he has a great handle on Kate Kane, but it is his art that makes this book consistently one of the best on the shelves.

Batwoman #5 wraps up the first story arc in this book, and Kate finds herself having to make a tricky deal with an old foe.
While the story is yet to reach the greatness of Rucka’s run on Detective Comics, Blackman and Williams have been steadily improving, and plot thickens in this issue. We’re in for a ride! The supernatural elements in this issue were spot on, as Kate deals with the Weeping Woman, and the watery setting was enhanced by Williams III’s fluid art.

In fact the art in this book continues to be amazing. JH Williams III is, in my opinion, the best artist currently in the business. His loose layouts flow from action to action, like a lucid dream. The nearest thing I can compare it to is the stream of consciousness style of Kerouac’s On the road. The watery inks, fluid lines and crazy detail make this book a visual delight. This is one of the best looking comics I’ve ever read. Stewart’s colours cannot go ignored either, because they create an extra layer to the beauty of this book.