“Fear and Loathing”, Part 4
Writer: Marguerite Bennett
Artists: Fernando Blanco & Marc Laming
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
WELCOME BACK TO WONDERLAND!
We return to Wonderland once again in this week’s issue of Batwoman!
After getting kidnapped by Scarecrow, Batwoman is taken to his underwater laboratory where she is subjected to Scarecrow’s fear toxin. Now, Batwoman and soldier Colony Prime must fight their way through a terrifying landscape in the dark reaches of their minds called “Wonderland”. At the end of the previous issue, Scarecrow pushed Batwoman over the edge. Her rage and fury manifested within her, transforming her into a giant-fox-bat monster.
Now, it’s Scarecrow’s turn to stare in the face of fear. Or rather the jaws of death.
A grueling fight ensues between the transformed Batwoman and Scarecrow. Jaws piercing flesh. Scarecrow’s finger needles rip through the air. Batwoman’s claws tear at her opponent.
Batwoman ultimately defeats Scarecrow and proceeds to chase after Fatima, Scarecrow’s correspondent to the Many Arms of Death. Batwoman is stopped by- here it comes- Safiyah!
Or rather a hallucinatory illusion fabricated by Scarecrow’s fear toxin.
Batwoman’s own father- Jacob Kane- arrives and apprehends Scarecrow. Batwoman soon makes a shocking discovery, Safiyah was actually here. But she’s dissappeared and has left behind a red rose.
SCARY BATWOMAN!
Oh boy, that Bat-Batwoman was scary! Not only was she visually terrifying, but her transformed bat state represents her darkest latent thoughts. Unlike The Dark Knight, Batwoman isn’t bound by a lot of moral restraints. She has no quarrels working with warlords and killers. Batwoman will not hesitate to use Scarecrow’s weapons for her own gain.
Batman doesn’t kill- Batwoman on the other hand, well…
It was quite unsettling to witness Batwoman’s savage bestial side. However, it made for an interesting character study. I questioned as to whether she would actually resort to killing, or if it was all a ruse to terrify Scarecrow. Batwoman’s monster form was a clever metaphor for her questionable moral compass. I commend writer Marguerite Bennett for implementing this excellent plot device.
Safiyah’s re-appearance, while brief, was a great way to show how much of an influence she is in Batwoman’s life. In retrospect, Safiyah had a key role in shaping Kate Kane as Batwoman. I’m intrigued to when she’ll reappear again. I’ll be looking forward to the long-awaited (non-fear toxin induced) reunion between the two lovers.
MONSTER BATWOMAN’S DESIGN
While I was disappointed Monster Batwoman didn’t remain big, I was still won over by her design. It’s a combination of a fox and bat, in humanoid form, while retaining the Scarlet-haired crusader’s costume. At times it looked truly unsettling. This was amazingly done by artists Fernando Blanco & Marc Laming. I did find Monster Batwoman’s design was better than the environmental design. They looked bland and lacked any distinct features.
Conclusion
Batwoman #10 offers readers with a deep character study of Batwoman and delivering an interesting fight scene. Although the conclusion wasn’t as memorable as “The Many Arms of Death” story arc, I commend “Fear and Loathing” for still prioritising to flesh out the titular character.
