From the Guardian, news of the new lesbian Batwoman:
Fans at Comic Con in New York this week were treated to a sneak preview of DC Comics‘s highest profile gay superhero, Batwoman, described by her creator as “the kind of sexy that makes you think of a succubus with a very bad attitude”.
With fiery red hair, a skin-tight leather cat suit and knee-high red stiletto boots – complete with a blood red bat symbol on her ample chest – Batwoman, the alter ego of Kathy Kane, is set to make her debut on bookshelves this June in Detective Comics 854. Her appearance follows the shock – apparent – demise of Bruce Wayne, the multi-millionaire philanthropist who has protected the streets of Gotham City as Batman since 1939.
Writer Greg Rucka said that Batwoman – who first appeared in 1957 but was killed off in 1979 – was “exceptionally cool”.
“Yes, she’s a lesbian. She’s also a redhead. It is an element of her character. It is not her character. If people are going to have problems with it, that’s their issue,” he told Comic Book Resources. “Frankly, she should be judged on her merits.”
The article has a link to Greg Rucka’s blog with some sample art dialogue. It looks pretty cool. I’ve never really done comics or graphic novels but given the love Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8 has been getting, and this, I should probably just get over it. (But, oh, they’re not available for Kindle. How dim are these publishers?)
Though, ooof, having said that I’ve looked over Maus and Funhome and Strangers in Paradise; I’ve read a zillion Dykes to Watch Out For and Hothead Paisan and Asterix and Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers–oh, I loved those as a teenager–so it’s not the pictures-with-words that don’t work for me, it’s the masked superhero thing. I wonder why…
Nicola Griffith 
Okay, here is the sitch, as I see it (comics nerd). Greg Rucka is a wizard– when he's on, he's ON. & he's good with writing “the ladies,” & with those ladies occasionally being gay. So as far as I'm concerned, HE has his credentials.The problem is that Batwoman sort of came into existence as a stunt– & has been ignored for two years. She doesn't have anything to do with the Batman mythology, & is sort of an ad hoc addition. Plus, DC has been…less than awesome with its handling of the property.My verdict? I'd like to see it be awesome, but it would need to win me over, first.I'm all about comics as a vibrant form of literature. If you want to give Rucka a dip, try his “White Out,” which is going to be a movie soon, in fact. Or his “Queen & Country” which I bet you'd really groove on– one is a law enforcement officer in Antarctica, the other is about a British spy lady.
I agree with mordicai, it was a stunt. Rucka is a great comics writer, but what has DC done with Batwoman since creating her? All I can remember is the time she almost got stabbed and almost killed, and the time where she got possessed by the dark god Darkseid and used as one of his foot soldiers. I’ve been one of Darkseid’s foot soldiers, and I can tell you, it’s humiliating.So I agree with your blog, and hope the people at DC are reading it and thinking of ways to make Batwoman awesome!
If you’re a fan of BtVS TV show, then you should definitely at least stop by a comic book store and leaf through one of the graphic novels with several issues of the comic collected in it. I would recommend the Faith driven, No Future For You. It’s not perfect, but I’d be hard pressed to name a better realized hero on the fringe.
I wish this stuff was available for Kindle. I never go to comics stores.But, oh, okay, I’ll go buy a copy of < HREF="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TSNNBG?ie=UTF8&tag=theofficialnicol&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000TSNNBG" REL="nofollow">No Future For You<> right now…
Fantastic!I’ve never read comics books, but I’m definitely willing to give this one a try. .grin.
Kindle, schmindle!Anyhow Brendan– we are ALL Darkseid’s foot soldiers, in our way.
you might also consider the /fray/ paperback collection, an sfnal slayer tale that appeared first in comics form while buffy was still on the air [and, in fact, set up a key element of the finale].
Baby steps, baby steps… I’ll wait for <>No Future for You<> then see.
I wasn’t too happy with the Buffy graphic novels but it’s probably because I was so upset when they cancelled the actual show. I think they tried to get to whedonesque with the storyand since comic dialogue is so concise, it was just choppy and confusing. The art was nice, though :)