Batwoman & Rachal Maddow...Hmmmmm

Batwoman and Rachel Maddow, a lesbian's nerd wet dream!

I just heard that Rachel Maddow wrote the introduction to the highly anticipated compilation of Batwoman comics, entitled Batwoman: Elegy. And with the release only a few weeks away, I can't wait to read what my favorite lesbian Pundit has to say about my favorite lesbian Comic Book Hero!

For more about the June 30th release, check out the DC Comics website.

Lesbian Superhero Gets Her Own Comic Book Series

DC Comics heroine Batwoman, who was originally introduced in 1954 and then reintroduced as a lesbian in 2006, is finally getting her own series later this year.

Batwoman, whose her alter ego is wealthy socialite Kate Kane, has recently been the lead feature in Detective Comics, while Batman (Bruce Wayne) has been lost in time. Her starring role in that series was all part of DC’s strategy.

"I'd like to think of it as not a big step, but really something that's well deserved," said Dan Didio, DC's executive editor.

"We had some negativity at the early stages when we first introduced her, but people have really embraced the character over the past three years."

“We wanted to make sure she was introduced properly and that people got to know the character,” said Dan DiDio, who is co-publisher of DC Comics with Jim Lee. “The response has been so strong that we decided to spin her out to her own series.”

The Detective stories, by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams, received a GLAAD Media Award last month for Outstanding Comic Book and included a look at Ms. Kane’s past service in the military and her discharge for being a lesbian.

The move by marks the first ongoing series by a major comic book publisher with a lesbian character in the title role.

Lesbian Super Hero Hit's the Comics, Again!

DC Comics’ highest profile lesbian character, Batwoman, will take over Detective Comics with issue #854 in a story line written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by J. H. Williams. The new story line will feature Batwoman, who was re-introduced in the eleventh issue of DC’s 52 and is timed to coincide with Batman’s “death-induced” absence from his Detective Comics series.

Batwoman first showed up in the comic world in 1956, but was later killed off in 1979. Originally named "Kathy" Kane, Batwoman was first introduced as a love interest for Batman to help dispell the rumors of his homosexuality, which came about after the book "Seduction of the Innocent" in 1954. (A bit ironic that Batwoman's incarnation is now a lesbian.)

When the character was first re-introduced in 2006 for DC's 52, Vice Pesident and Executive Editor Dan DiDio explained "This is not just about having a gay character." "We're trying for overall diversity in the DC universe. We have strong African-American, Hispanic and Asian characters. We're trying to get a better cross-section of our readership and the world."

Although DC Comics says they will proceed cautiously and gauge reaction to the character’s appearance, the series is set to run for 12 months.