DC Teases New Role for the Arrowverse’s Batwoman

The Infinite Frontier initiative has brought a lot of characters into (or back into) the fold of DC Comics, setting up stories that are expected to play out in some fascinating ways. One of the most surprising additions to the canon as of late was the debut of Ryan Wilder — the current holder of the Batwoman mantle on the eponymous The CW series — in Batgirl #50 late last year. While Ryan was specificially created for the world of the TV show, seeing her canonized in the comics definitely made fans happy, and made them wonder exactly how her comic lore could unfold. In the most recent issue of Batman: Urban Legends, fans got their answer, and it just might have set Ryan on an interesting path. Spoilers for the “Wildcard” story from Batman: Urban Legends #5, from Marguerite Bennett, Sweeney Boo, Marissa Louise, and Becca Carey below!

The story saw Barbara Gordon recruiting Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown to follow a lead for her, surrounding a series of red calling cards left at the supposed scenes of crimes. While Cass and Steph had looked into the red cards before, they agreed to go out into the field and follow the trail, especially because it led them to an abandoned convention center that had hosted a VR gaming championship. In the convention center, they found a woman set up with a table of evidence — who proceeded to dodge every single attempt Cass and Steph made to fight her.

As the woman explained, the evidence was tied to the murder of a gaming programmer, and would be what Cass and Steph would need to track down his killers. As she ran away, the woman remarked that the police wouldn’t help in serving justice, and that it’s up to the Batgirls to do so.

Barbara realized that the woman was behind all of the red card crime scenes, and called her a “wildcard.” The story’s final panel showed that the woman was none other than Ryan, with her van and her beloved plant behind her.

Javicia Leslie, who portrays Ryan on Batwoman, recently took to social media to share a few panels from the story, and to praise the creative team behind it.

This provides the best indication yet of Ryan’s role in the main DC universe, after she’d previously bumped elbows with Barbara as civilians in Batgirl #50. The idea that Ryan is taking getting justice into her own hands — not unlike her TV counterpart — is definitely promising. It has also led some to speculate about what her long-term future in the comics could be, and whether or not she could cross paths with the Batgirls again.

What do you think of Ryan Wilder returning to the comics in Batman: Urban Legends #5? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!