Batwoman earns her wings

When it was first announced, the idea of a new superheroine named

Batwoman

didn't exactly excite the masses. A huge reason is that it seemed that even traffic noise in Gotham City was about to be drowned out by the flapping of bat wings.

Indeed, the number of costumed vigilantes with some connection to Batman has grown exponentially recently. Besides Bruce Wayne as Batman, there is the Dick Grayson Batman, Robin, Red Robin, two Batgirls, Oracle, Black Canary and Huntress.

So other than the fact that she was introduced as one of the few lesbian characters in comics, what would set Batwoman apart? What would make her uniquely interesting? Answers to both those questions and more can be found in the magnificent "Batwoman" No. 0.

While most "zero" issues simply rehash a character's history in chronological order to bring new readers up to speed, "Batwoman" No. 0 reads like a good Tarantino film. Rather than using linear storytelling, J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder shift back and forth between two scenes. One is set in the current day and features a battle between Batwoman and a cult called the Religion of Crime. This allows readers to feel as if they walked right into the middle of an action movie. And this is not cartoonish violence, either. We get to see how skilled a fighter Batwoman is and how fluid and precise her moves are.

The other story arc is Bruce Wayne learning what he can about the newest vigilante to set up shop on "his" turf. Using Wayne's notes rather than a generic narration to educate readers gives the character more gravitas and pulls readers into the story.

We learn that Batwoman is wealthy socialite Kate Kane and that she is at least partially motivated by the murder of her sister and mother by terrorists.

That part of her origin not only challenges Wayne's for tragedy, it also is a sign that the character is living in a post-9/11 world. Another political point is raised when it's revealed that Kane's fighting ability is at least partially the result of military training she received at West Point before being prematurely discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

One key difference between Kane and Wayne is that although she works hard, she plays hard, too. She either is or portrays herself as the stereotypical young, rich socialite.

The high point of the issue is when Batman, in disguise, decides to test Batwoman personally. Not only does she beat him with a move even he's never seen before, what impresses him the most is that no matter how many criminals she takes down, she will always have the drive to continue the fight.

So he decides to meet her and have a serious discussion - and that's where things get really interesting.

While many of DC's launches and relaunches have fizzled in recent years, this one was planned perfectly and hits the target.

He's Golden

Though the word "legend" has been contaminated by overuse, it definitely applies to artist Michael Golden, who received the latest honor in his amazing career when the University of Maryland presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 28.

"When one works alone in the confines of one's own mind most of the time, it's surprising, and also, I must say, modestly gratifying, when our efforts are acknowledged," Golden told Comics Guy. "Much thanks to the University of Maryland, not only for the award and for their honest enthusiasm for comic art, but also for offering one of the only sequential-art programs offered by a state-run university."

"It wasn't until recently when Mr. Golden started appearing at a select number of trade shows that he fully realized the impact that his art has had on pop culture these past 20 years," Golden's agent, Renee Witterstaetter, told Comics Guy. "I distinctly remember, for example, the first time an individual approached him and told him that Michael's artwork and storytelling had literally changed his life. Michael was stunned. That scenario has repeated itself countless times in the last six years that Mr. Golden has been making appearances, and each time is no less stunning to him.

"To Michael, it is a job," she said, "the job of being a commercial artist. And thankfully it's a job that he does very well, bringing a nuance, an empathy and a sophistication that is oft copied, but never truly duplicated."

E-mail comicsguy@phillynews.com