Batman and Catwoman’s daughter Helena Wayne finally makes her long-awaited debut as the new Batwoman, in the pages of Tom King’s Batman/Catwoman comic book. Batman/Catwoman #3 helps further interweave the three (convoluted?) timelines that King’s story covers: we learn about twisted sort of unholy alliance formed in the early days of Batman and Catwoman’s respective careers; we see the threat of Phantasm arrive on Catwoman’s doorstep; and in the near future, we see a new rivalry take shape between the elderly Selina Kyle and her daughter, Helena Wayne/Batman. In the process, we get to learn a lot more about what this new version of Helena Wayne is all about.
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Warning: Batman/Catwoman #3 SPOILERS Follow!
Batman/Catwoman #3 seems to establish that Selina and Helena aren’t exactly on the best of terms. Much of the issue sees Helena (as Batman) investigating the brutal murderer of the Florida man who turned out to be The Joker, hiding in plain sight as a retiree in a trailer park. Of course Helena doesn’t (yet) know that it was Selina who tracked down and killed Joker, over deep grievances and grudges of the past. And so Batwoman and Catwoman are now locked in a cat-and-mouse murder-mystery game, that has big stakes. The issue ends with the reveal that Helena is onto Selina being Joker’s murderer, but she lies to her mother at dinner, telling her she found nothing.
On a personal front, there is an awkward matter of money that seems to be hanging over Selina and Helena’s relationship. After his death from cancer, Bruce Wayne apparently left the fortune to Selina, who promises it to Helena upon her death. Helena is still seen to be in contact with Dick Grayson, who has become the commissioner of the GCPD.
Helena’s Batwoman look is equal parts ode to her original look at Earth-2’s Huntress, as well as the classic DC Comics, look for Batman. By contrast, details of Helena’s Batsuit like the chest plate, utility belt, and gloves are more akin to Bruce Wayne’s combat soldier Batsuit in the current DC Future State series, Dark Detective. Later scenes show that in lieu of having a traditional cape, Helena’s suit goes for the Batman Beyond approach of having wings expand and retract from the back and arms, to give her flight/glide capability. All in all, the costume combines the looks of both her parents: Batwoman is basically wearing a Catsuit with a Batman chest piece and cowl on top. Fans aren’t necessarily loving the look – but then, when is a new Batsuit universally popular?
The Helena Wayne character has always occupied a tricky place in DC Comics canon, having started as a Multiverse alt-reality future for Batman and Catwoman. The 2000s briefly brought her to life in the main DC Universe as just Catwoman’s daughter, but Tom King’s Batman run has now made her origin and future a mainstay of DC Comics. It will be interesting to see what kind of space her Batwoman occupies in the franchise, after this.
Batman/Catwoman is now on sale from DC Comics.
