5. Elegy
Published: August - November 2009
Author: Greg Rucka
The Big Bad: Alice, Religion of Crime
The Premise: A madwoman known only as Alice - inspired by the character from Alice in Wonderland - plots to unleash a toxic cloud over Gotham and it's up to Batwoman to stop her.
Why it Would Work: Okay, okay, we know this is a Batwoman story and not Batman, but the comic is pure gold and Kate Kane deserves to have her story told as well. We can see the character of Batwoman being introduced earlier in the series before the story would premiere and being developed as the series goes on. Eventually she would receive her own tale and Elegy is the one to choose. Giving the spotlight to Kane would require a story that further develops not only her persona as Batwoman but as the woman she is outside of the costume. Elegy perfectly opens the window for glimpses into what drives Kane, what makes her tick, and her nuanced similarities to Bruce Wayne himself. The character of Alice is a wonderful addition to the crazed costumes of villainy that Gotham has become known for. Like Kate, she appears fragile and feminine while exhibiting extraordinary resilience and cunning. The hybrids Batwoman teams up with and the finale of the plane's wing are incremental parts of the formula that give the overall story its well-defined flavor. The artwork for the story has been especially praised, and the producers for the television series would do well to take notice of Williams' talent incorporating his art design into the costumes and setting. While it's highly doubtful that Batwoman would ever receive her own episode within a series that focuses on Batman we cannot deny that Elegy would be a great move.