Batwoman #8 Review

 

Batwoman #8: Bad Seeds Week 9 Part 1 Review

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: DaNi

Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: DaNi & Matt Hollingsworth

Variant Cover Artists: Stjepan Šejić & Javi Fernández

Bad Seeds Spot Foil Variant Cover Artist: David Nakayama

Editors: James Reid & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99 US | Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock) |Variant $6.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: October 21, 2026

 

Derivative. Performative. Woke. Call her what you want. But when an emergency strikes, Batwoman races to the rescue. Batman sent her to the St. Dumas Cathedral, but Commissioner Savage's private army followed.

 

Her sister’s demise gutted her. Beth’s resurrection destroyed her public image. Now, her brainwashed sister is getting the treatment she desperately needs. But Kate Kane is still hurting. How will Batwoman react when soldiers storm the catacombs? And will more skulls adorn the walls when her battle with the TUCOs ends? Let's leap into Batwoman #8 and see what happens!

 

Story

Forget about transporting your injured friends or family to Gotham General. Poison Ivy's superbloom rules the streets. Still, the TUCOs want civilians to stay clear so they can hunt down the Bat-family. After shooting her, one squad pursues Huntress. Her blood trail leads them toward St. Dumas Cathedral.

 

In Batwoman #8, Batwoman has a chip on her shoulder. While it ended on a hopeful note, her time in Greece was a nightmare. Thanks to a viral video, everyone thinks she's a killer. People know Batman and other members of the Bat-family better and think she's an opportunist. After completing her assignment for Batman, Batwoman was eager to prove them wrong. Then, Huntress stumbles into St. Dumas Cathedral and overturns Batwoman's battle plan.

 

While Greg Rucka’s story follows Batwoman and Huntress’ efforts to escape the TUCOs, it also follows the TUCOs’ search for two Bat-family members. Vandal Savage's private army may have bounties on their minds. Yet despite their callous attitude to civilians, the two squads fear attacks from Poison Ivy's hyperaccelerated plant life. Savage touted his private army as superior to his highly trained police force. Still, venturing into the skull-lined catacombs to apprehend two highly trained vigilantes gives the TUCOs pause in Batwoman #8.

 

Art

As the TUCOs search the darkened streets, their helmet lights cast each in a spotlight. Green vines and flowers sprawl near their boots, while red ribbons appear in the beige circles of light. When a helmet light captures Huntress, she clutches her bleeding side. The next moment, she slips back into the darkness. Their gray visors and night-vision goggles evoke Anarky, also out somewhere on this crazy night. Yet the smiles on the TUCO visors evoke another villain’s madness.

 

As Matt Hollingsworth colors DaNi’s dark art with restraint, the green plants and airborne spores link with glimpses of Cathedral infrastructure. Kate's actions and her red costume elevate fears of the supernatural. Pink links a moment of confusion with Huntress's costume, while the two TUCO squads meet amid blue and red. Yet down in the catacombs, hints of blue and green struggle to dominate the gray, skull-lined interior in Batwoman #8.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou fills white dialogue balloons with uppercase black letters. Lowered voices appear as small lowercase letters, while scribbles indicate muttering. Raised voices swell words and distort balloons. White letters also haunt the violent night. Sound effects accompany danger, confusion, and sounds that raise the hairs on the back of your neck. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Kate Kane wanted to be a soldier like her father. She wanted to have a normal relationship with a well-balanced sister. Kate may not have the public’s respect. Still, she has two families, and she loves them both. Batwoman and Huntress may be distant Bat-relations. But even if they don’t share the same outlook, Kate is determined to rescue Huntress from the TUCO squads while upholding her ideals in Batwoman #8.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

 

To look inside see Batwoman #8 Preview.

 

For why the TUCO soldiers fear her, see Batwoman #7 Review.

For the events that shaped this series, see Batwoman #6 Preview. 

For Beth's reunion with Mother Despina, see Batwoman #5 Preview.

For Kate's reunion with someone she loves, see my preview of Batwoman #4.

For the murders that rock Greece, see my preview of Batwoman #3.

For Jacob "Jake" Kane struggle to see his daughter, see my preview of Batwoman #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of Batwoman #1.

For the Batwoman story, "Second Date," see my preview of Justice League Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event #1. 

 

 

 

Batwoman #8 Preview

 

Derivative. Performative. Woke. Call her what you want. But when an emergency strikes, Batwoman races to the rescue. Batman sent her to the St Dumas Cathedral, but Commissioner Savage’s private army followed.

 

Her sister’s demise gutted her. Then, Beth returned from the dead. Now, her brainwashed sister is getting the treatment she desperately needs. But Kate Kane is still hurting. How will Batwoman react when soldiers storm the catacombs? And will more skulls adorn the walls when the battle is over?

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

 

Batwoman #8: Bad Seeds Week 9 Part 1

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist & Cover Artist: Dani

Variant Cover Artists: Stjepan Šejić & Javi Fernández

Bad Seeds Spot Foil Variant Cover Artist: David Nakayama

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US | Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock) | Variant $6.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: October 21, 2026 

 

 

Outnumbered. 

Not Outmaneuvered.

A Batman: Bad Seeds Tie-In!

 

 

In the Cathedral of St. Dumas, the members of a GCPD TUCO squad think that they’re about to kill Batwoman, score a victory for Vandal Savage, and make themselves rich in the process.

They are wrong.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

For why the TUCO soldiers fear her, see Batwoman #7 Review.

For the events that shaped this series, see Batwoman #6 Preview. 

For Beth's reunion with Mother Despina, see Batwoman #5 Preview.

For Kate's reunion with someone she loves, see my preview of Batwoman #4.

For the murders that rock Greece, see my preview of Batwoman #3.

For Jacob "Jake" Kane struggle to see his daughter, see my preview of Batwoman #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of Batwoman #1.

For the Batwoman story, "Second Date," see my preview of Justice League Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event #1. 

Batwoman #7 Review

 

Batwoman #7: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 1 Review

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: DaNi

Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: DaNi & Matt Hollingsworth

Variant Cover Artists: Stjepan Šejić; Javi Fernández & Tomeu Morey; Dan Panosian

Editors: James Reid & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock)/Variant $6.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: September 16, 2026

 

Kate Kane thought her sister was dead. She blamed herself for the fall that killed Beth. Yet after the tide washed Beth away, she awakened on the shore in Gotham. And while Kate sought counseling in Greece, Beth found a new way forward. She was tired of playing the villain. She no longer wanted to be Alice, or even Beth. Perhaps she could learn to be a hero like her sister, Kate.

 

Now Kate Kane is back in Gotham, while Dr Zena Sidaris treats Beth as she once treated Kate. But has Kate recovered from her ordeal? And is she ready to take up the mantle of Batwoman once again? Let's leap into Batwoman #7 and see what happens!

 

Story

Kate Kane went to Greece to reconcile with having caused her sister's death. Instead, she battled a cult that worshipped Darkseid, and the people who had transformed her sister into a living incarnation of Alice from Lewis Carroll's novels. Along the way, her friend Renee Montoya vanished, and Kate only reclaimed her sister by deceiving her. Now, as she flies back to Gotham, Kate learns how some in Gotham feel about her.

 

In Batwoman #7, Kate Kane is physically and mentally exhausted. Yet when the lights go out in the city and electronic communication dies, nature takes inspiration from JRR Tolkien. Still, like any hero, Kate leaps into action. She asks, "What can I do?" It's not a high-profile assignment. Still, Kate rides out to help the Bat-family prevent nature from taking its hyperaccelerated course.

 

Amid the desperate circumstances, Greg Rucka shines a light on the TUCOs. Vandal Savage has convinced Gotham that the Bat-family makes things in Gotham worse. The "strong" Police Commissioner has drafted in his Tactical Urban Combat Officers to empower an institution that relies on vigilantism to keep Gotham safe. Yet the TUCOs view themselves, and their relationship with Gotham's people, differently.

 

Still, while the story reveals the TUCOs’ individual personalities and how they work together, Greg Rucka keeps the focus on Batwoman. Kate Kane has something to prove to Gotham and herself. Part of her may remain in Greece. Still, Kate knows that no one will survive in Gotham, Greece, or anywhere else if she and the Bat-family cannot nip Poison Ivy's hyper-accelerated evolution in the bud in Batwoman #7.

 

Art

As Kate Kane sits reading in First Class, she hears more of the social elite watching "Batwoman" shoot Master Slays' soldiers on a tablet. DaNi uses double-page layouts to portray Kate's rough homecoming and her realization that a nightmare has overtaken Gotham. Kate dons a fluffy robe after reaching her residence. Yet when she realizes she is needed, Kate dons different attire. Like the well-heeled elite, the TUCOs use a tablet to study Batwoman. Yet unlike her unique mask, the mercenaries wear identical face shields.

 

While Matt Hollingsworth adorns the daylight hours with a loaded palette, Kate Kane's red-and-gray shirt and pants evoke her costume. When night falls, violet and indigo fill Kate's world. A dance with death while wearing her white robe recalls the traumatic event that prompted Kate's journey overseas. Yet in the Batcave, the blue Bat symbol centers Kate and directs her actions.

 

Lowered voices appear as small lowercase letters in balloons. Transmitted communication fills spiky balloons. White letters haunt the surrounding darkness, which seems to follow Kate Kane wherever she goes. Just as the small lowercase letters contrast with the larger uppercase letters of normal speech, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s giant and jarring sounds of Kate's motorcycle highlight how silent Gotham becomes when the power dies. Yet the TUCO soldiers and the public pleading for help, using shaky or spiky balloons and lightning bolt arrows, show how Poison Ivy's actions have put everyone on edge in Batwoman #7. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

We always like people to think highly of us. But the test of who we are comes when people don't. Public opinion of the Bat-family is wavering in Gotham. Some members of society also fear the change Kate represents. Yet even though she has given Vandal Savage and the news media another weapon to attack the Bat-family, Kate Kane strives to protect others, regardless of what they think of her, in Batwoman #7.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For the events that shaped this series, see Batwoman #6 Preview. 

For Beth's reunion with Mother Despina, see Batwoman #5 Preview.

For Kate's reunion with someone she loves, see my preview of Batwoman #4.

For the murders that rock Greece, see my preview of Batwoman #3.

For Jacob "Jake" Kane struggle to see his daughter, see my preview of Batwoman #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of Batwoman #1.

For the Batwoman story, "Second Date," see my preview of Justice League Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event #1. 

 

Batwoman #7 Preview

 

Kate Kane thought her sister was dead. She blamed herself for the fall that killed Beth. Yet after the tide washed her sister away, Beth awakened on the shore in Gotham. And while Kate sought counseling in Greece, Beth found a new way forward. She was tired of playing the villain. She no longer wanted to be Alice, or even Beth. Perhaps she could learn to be a hero like her sister, Kate.

 

Now Kate is back in Gotham, while Dr Zena Sidaris treats Beth as she once treated Kate. But has Kate recovered from her ordeal? And is she ready to once again take up the mantle of Batwoman?

 

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

 

Batwoman #7: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 1 Preview

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist & Cover Artist: DaNi

Variant Cover Artists: Stjepan Šejić & Javi Fernández

Bad Seeds Spot Foil Variant Cover Artist: Dan Panosian

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock)/Variant $6.99 US (Foil)

Release Date: September 16, 2026

 

 

Batwoman Returns To Gotham City…

Just As Bad Seeds Take Root!

 

 

It was supposed to be a quick return trip before heading back to Greece, but with Batwoman now seen as a cold-blooded killer in the public eye, Commissioner Savage declaring open season on anyone who wears the Bat, and Poison Ivy’s “urban renewal initiative” sprouting chaos in the streets, it’s going to be a long night…especially when Batman reaches out with a mission to get comms back up between the heroes. Maybe she should’ve watered her plants before she left…

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For the events that shaped this series, see Batwoman #6 Preview. 

For Beth's reunion with Mother Despina, see Batwoman #5 Preview.

For Kate's reunion with someone she loves, see my preview of Batwoman #4.

For the murders that rock Greece, see my preview of Batwoman #3.

For Jacob "Jake" Kane struggle to see his daughter, see my preview of Batwoman #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of Batwoman #1.

For the Batwoman story, "Second Date," see my preview of Justice League Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event #1. 

 

Batwoman #6 Preview

 

 

Some people, like Mother Despina, find their path via religion. Others, like Mr Gores, forge business empires to bring their lives meaning. When Kate Kane's sister felt lost, the beloved fiction of a classic storyteller helped her reinvent herself. 

But now, has Beth Kane become Batwoman? And why did she reinvent herself as Alice, while her "sane" sister checked into a Greek Sanatorium?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

Batwoman #6 Preview

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: Jeff Spokes

Cover: DaNi

Variant Cover Artists: Stjepan Šejić, Jeff Spokes & Jorge Fornés

Dark Knight Returns 40th Anniversary Variant Cover Artists: Walter Simonson & Laura Martin

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (Card Stock)

Release Date: August 19, 2026

 

 

Eisner Award Winner Greg Rucka 

Teams With Superstar Artist Jeff Spokes 

To Turn Back The Clock!

 

 

Broken by Alice’s death, Kate Kane was left in pieces. How did the fall that claimed her sister’s life lead to a rebirth in Petalon, and what does it mean for the future? Witness the truth of what happened that night in Gotham as Batwoman’s DC Next Level journey continues in a special issue drawn by guest artist Jeff Spokes!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For Beth's reunion with Mother Despina, see Batwoman #5 Preview.

For Kate's reunion with someone she loves, see my preview of Batwoman #4.

For the murders that rock Greece, see my preview of Batwoman #3.

For Jacob "Jake" Kane struggle to see his daughter, see my preview of Batwoman #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of Batwoman #1.

For the Batwoman story, "Second Date," see my preview of Justice League Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event #1. 

  

Batwoman #5 Preview

 

Forge a new future. Be who you want to be. In a world where you can remake yourself, does your name matter? Kate Kane lost her sister Beth. Then, she became Alice. Now, Alice has become Batwoman. And unlike Kate, she injures and kills anyone in her path. Will Kate or Pagona win the battle for Beth/Alice's soul? And why is "Batwoman" targeting the Eschaton Tower?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batwoman #5 Preview

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist & Cover Artist: Dani

Variant Cover Artists: Stjepan Šejić, Nicola Scott & W. Scott Forbes

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (card stock)

Release Date: July 15, 2026

 

 

A last chance for 

Redemption…or Damnation!

 

 

As Batwoman’s quest to avenge her sister’s death reaches its apex, she discovers the Dark Faith has a new, much more terrifying plan. A Kane must be the Alice who ushers in the era of Darkseid…and if Beth is dead, Kate must take her place. How do you fight the devil when the devil is real? Greg Rucka & DaNi bring an epic conclusion to their first arc of this blockbuster Next Level series.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Batwoman #4.

For what happened before that, see my preview of Batwoman #3.

For what happened even before that, see my preview of Batwoman #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of Batwoman #1.

For the Batwoman story, "Second Date," see my preview of Justice League Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event #1. 

 

Batwoman #4 Preview

 

As Brigadier General Verdanis admits, Despoina Angelos knows how to host a mean party. He just didn't expect it to include murder. Still, a little money goes a long way in Petalon, Greece. While Milo Gores staves off a police investigation, Mother Despoina is more concerned. Kate Kane is a soldier. And after she slew two of Master Slay's monks, and executed a third, Kate has declared war on them. 

Yet, they're not alone. Batwoman is attacking the people who are trying to help her. Can anyone prevent Kate Kane from sneaking out of the Epione Sanatorium at night? And when will Kate Kane meet Alya again?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batwoman #4

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist & Cover Artist: DaNi

Variant Cover Artists: Stjepan Šejiċ, David Talaski & Gerald Parel

DC Pride Variant Cover Artist: Betsy Cola

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (card stock)

Release Date: June 10, 2026

 

 

Greg Rucka and Dani put Kate Kane through the wringer!

 

 

Batwoman has declared war against the Dark Faith, and the body count continues to rise. As her actions raise alarms among friends and foes alike, the Question has come to Petalon in search of answers. But what she uncovers will force Kate into the most desperate fight of her life.

 

If you thought last issue’s climax was shocking, just wait until you see what Greg Rucka and DaNi have in store as their acclaimed Next Level series continues!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

 

  

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

For what happened last time, see my preview of Batwoman #3.

For what happened before that, see my preview of Batwoman #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of Batwoman #1.

For the Batwoman story, "Second Date," see my preview of Justice League Dream Girls: A DC Pride Event #1. 

Batwoman #3 Preview

 

When you spend your life battling evil, how do you hold true to your beliefs? And when battling villains that wield dark supernatural forces, how do you hold onto reality? Jacob Kane has traveled from Gotham to visit his daughter. But the doctor caring for Kate in Greece has kept him at a distance. 

Then, "Jake" discovers that, instead of focusing on her recovery, Kate is slipping out at night. When he ventures out to protect her, Jake wonders if he should have remained in Gotham. Is Kate too far gone for anyone to help? Or has Kate never been more sane?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batwoman #3 Preview

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: DaNI

Cover Artist: DaNI

Variant Cover Artists: Stjepan Šejić, Yanick Paquette & Cully Hamner

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/4.99 Card Stock

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Release Date: May 20, 2026

 

To find the answers, Rucka and DaNI need the Question! A DC Next Level series!

 

In the aftermath of Batwoman’s brutal showdown with the Monks of the Stone, Jacob Kane fears his daughter may have crossed the point of no return. If there’s any chance of pulling Kate back from the brink, he’ll need the help of Renee Montoya, a.k.a. the Question—but neither of them may like the answer they find. The sparks will be flying in more ways than one when Greg Rucka and DaNi’s Next Level tale continues!

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 

 

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

For what happened last time, see my preview of Batwoman #2.

For how this series started, see my preview of Batwoman #1.