Batwoman #12

I think this cover is a metaphor about legitimate rape. And the justice Wonder Woman is going to stab all over the faces of the people who believe the ideas behind phrases like that.

I wasn't going to talk about it but since the picture brought up the whole legitimate rape thing, I guess I should say my piece. Besides, this is supposed to be a kind of memoir as well as my unfiltered thoughts as I read DC's New 52, so I should be discussing moments history and pop culture. So here are my thoughts on Todd Akins.

No, you know what? Fuck Todd Akins. People need to stop discussing Todd Akins and what he said and begin discussing the real problem. The real problem is that what Akins said is what the GOP believe! This has been a standard belief in the Republican Party for some time! They seriously think that women can't get pregnant during rape because of the trauma. Can they also not get pregnant during a full moon because of Werewolf pheremones? Wait, wait! I don't think you get how ignorant these people are yet. Let me give you another example.

The religious right believe that people can be possessed by demons and the devil but they don't believe women can get pregnant during a sexual assault. I really feel sorry for sane conservatives who simply believe in fiscal responsibility of the government and corporations! But fuck it! You want to swim with clowns, you're going to...well, I don't know how to end that analogy. I'm sure it has something to do with sharks in greasepaint.

Anyway, the real reason the GOP want this Todd Akins to drop from the race isn't because they think he's disgraced himself with something they don't believe (because they believe it!). They merely want him to drop from the race because he can't win the fucking race now which means another Goddamned liberal is going to end up in DC! Talk about rape!

But maybe this Batwoman cover is actually about something else. Batwoman being devoured by a woman in a mirror vomiting blood while snakes slither out and wrap around her body? Perhaps it's some kind of struggle with the way she sees herself. Although it's probably just because she's battling Medusa. You know? Mirror. Snakes. Gore. And Wonder Woman must be making a guest appearance.

I think this might be Wonder Woman's first actual guest appearance in a non-Wonder Woman comic book! I'm not including the comic books where she's simply a face in the Justice League. You know, I don't think Aquaman has made any cameos either! I could be wrong and I probably am since remembering things is difficult.

This issue begins with Batwoman still chasing after Urban Legends. Set side by side with her story is a story of Wonder Woman tackling Myths. And then the splash page is just really clever. Too bad I won't be able to scan the entire thing!

I just really like the parallel of the Urban Legends with the mythical creatures. Also the way the Bat Symbol merges with the Star.

Batwoman has come to an old abandoned house of mirrors to search for Bloody Mary (of course! I'm so stupid!). She has brought a Werewolf with her so that she can't get pregnant, I guess. Actually, the Werewolf is her tracker. He's the one that followed Mary's scent to this place. Mary has the ability to screw with people's minds when they look in the mirror, so Batwoman just concentrates on ignoring the reflections she sees. She also tries the Bloody Mary chant to see if she can summon her.

Really loving the art and the layouts here!

Wonder Woman's story mirrors Batwoman's. Wonder Woman is attacking a serpent worshiping cult that has been stealing children. It's synchronicity in its definitive form. I mean, it's not the coincidence form of synchronicity that most people think of when they use the term. It's the actual Jungian synchronicity. You know, the kind The Police sing about as opposed to the kind where you're thinking about your junior high school crush and then notice she's serving you at the Burger King drive-in. That's kind of like lesser synchronicity! Although still the same thing. You know what? Never mind. Forget I said anything about it!

Bloody Mary eventually crashes out of the mirror and attacks the Werewolf. I would think she would slip out of the mirror as if it weren't there but apparently she likes the drama of smashing into the bathroom's of little girls at slumber parties and scarring them for life.

Batwoman shatters Bloody Mary by shooting her. She then interrogates the shattered pieces but the only information they offer up is that Medusa is not a group but a woman. She's the Queen of the Monsters. Batwoman, who seems to be against killing, then steps on and smashes Bloody Mary to splinters. What if Bloody Mary is just a normal person who became a super villain instead of an actual ghost and urban legend? Did Kate just kill her? Maybe Batwoman has dealt with her before and understands that she'll simply re-materialize in another mirror at the next slumber party. Kate has some of the same misgivings after the fact but she's fairly certain that Maro's magic has caused Bloody Mary the urban legend to become real and that she wasn't an actual person the way Killer Croc was transformed. But if that's true about Bloody Mary, then a whole slew of little girls at slumber parties are now in for the worst shocks of their short lives.

Afterward, Kate Kane reports to Mister Bones of the DEO.

Mister Bones in his casual get-up. By the way, does he have a bionic left leg? Oh! I just remembered something, I think! Didn't get get it bitten off by some Shark enemy back in Infinity, Inc? Was that King Shark back then? Or someone else? Holy crap, I'm going to have to dig into the internet on this one.

Okay, it was Carcharo that bit off Mister Bones' leg. Another shark-like guy. I can't believe that memory came back just from seeing Bones with a fake leg. But, of course, this is The New 52! Mister Bones had to lose his leg some other way because it certainly wasn't due to his involvement in a team of super villains named Helix that fought against the sons and daughters of the heroes of DC's Golden Age! Sheesh. That's a lot of fucked up continuity simply because Mister Bones has a cybernetic leg!

Later, Kate Kane and Maggie Sawyer have a fight. Maggie is being crucified in the media because she's leading the investigation for the missing children and there have been no solid leads. And Kate needs to head out of Gotham to speak with Wonder Woman. But Maggie doesn't understand why she can't stay with her for comfort. She walks out on Kate until Kate can begin telling her the truth. Kate doesn't stop her because the only real way she can help Maggie is by finding the children and defeating Medusa. And for that, she needs Wonder Woman's help. Or Jason's. Or maybe even Bellerophon's.

Batwoman #12 Rating: +2 Ranking. A double move up the rankings to account for an intriguing story and a superior layout with beautiful art. I'd like to see more of this out of this comic book. If only Williams could continue to do the art for each month's issue.