Title: Batwoman: Elegy (Deluxe Edition)
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: J.H. Williams III
Rating: 
Review by: Eric Stuckart
DC stories don’t get much better or much more epic than this. Greg Rucka knows how to weave a thrilling tale, and his ability to walk the tightrope between boilerplate action and nuanced drama is bested only by the book’s excellent artwork. Elegy essentially tells three stories weaved into one: Batwoman’s hunt for Alice, the new leader of a crime-based religion, who already tried to kill her once; an origin tale of how the erstwhile Kate Kane became Batwoman; and a short look back at her childhood, which ends up overlapping into the other two stories in very well-integrated fashion. While Williams’ artwork fantastically tells the story, it’s Dave Stewart’s colors that really steal the show. While most of the book is saturated in deep reds, Batwoman’s scenes with Alice are portrayed in a dreamy color palette, dominated by blues, purples and greens. Especially enjoyable is how the flashback sequences to Kate’s past look more reminiscent of the comics of old, compared to the more modern, gritty present day artwork. As a bonus, the Deluxe Edition of the book features a covers gallery and a few script pages and draft sketches, making Elegy Deluxe worth every penny. (more…)
