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. 

 

 

 

The Forever Home #2 Review

 

The Forever Home #2 Review

Writer: Christian Ward

Artist: Sami Kivelä

Colorist: Jason Wordie

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Christian Ward, Sami Kivelä & Elsa Charretier

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: October 21, 2026

 

Tommy wants to go outside and play. His sister, Sarah, tells him he can't because the adults killed the world. But neither of Henry's children truly understands the situation. People may have destroyed themselves and their ecosystem. Yet the world survives. And it changes rapidly as Henry watches the view outside his home. Nature may once again thrive on Earth. Still, Henry has preserved the best of Humanity inside his Forever Home.

 

But for every 20 minutes inside his engineering marvel, one year passes outside. After his son disobeys his instructions and runs outside, a few hours pass inside. As Henry watches the windows, his son returns a man. Will Henry let his son and his new friends inside his perfect home? And what has Tommy done in the years he spent outside? Let's leap into The Forever Home #2 and see!

 

Story

Twelve years have passed since Tommy ran outside. But he has never been alone. Tommy always had Dodo. When his dog pursued one of the foraging robots, Tommy hurried to bring him back. But after Tommy reached his dog, a grand adventure beckoned. His father never let him run and play. Henry expected Tommy to mind his manners and be a perfect little gentleman. But outside his father's strictly controlled environment, Tommy could explore the world outside his home. Then, when he was ready, he could return through the robots' entryway.

 

Then Tommy met a girl he liked. Her community took him in. Suddenly, Tommy had other options. The Forever Home #2 reveals how Tommy has fared outside his father's realm. It also explains why, once Tommy left, returning to his parents and sister proved more difficult than retracing his steps.

 

Christian Ward's story doesn't travel through time to the scene that opened the first issue. Nor does it reach the shocking end. Instead, it reveals Tommy's journey to adulthood. His grand adventure with Dodo is nearing its end. But perhaps the girl who returns his affections can be his next traveling companion, if he fully invests in their future together.

 

Tommy's father, Henry, would regard Briss's father as a savage. Yet while Henry preserves the cream of his civilization, World-Father Ensor seeks to preserve his culture and traditions. Tommy has brought joy to his daughter and contributed to his community. Still, Tommy's parents shaped his worldview. And Tommy's mother and father cling to the old ways that led to Humanity's destruction in The Forever Home #2.

 

Art

Dodo was a golden puppy who ate from a bowl nearly as big as the basket he slept in. After six years in Henry’s time-traveling house, Dodo's head reached Tommy's waist when he sat on his haunches. Now, Dodo's vitality is abandoning him. Tommy sits beside his aged dog. Yet time has also changed Tommy. A dark braid falls below his breastplate. Paint decorates his features. Bracers protect his forearms. An animal skin covers his right shoulder, while a giant leaf adorns his left.

 

As Sami Kivelä portrays Tommy amid his community, Jason Wordie adorns The Forever Home #2 with a vibrant palette. A cloaked man travels along a red-and-purple ledge. Trees choke tilted gray buildings in the valley below. Yellow lightning crackles through an orange sky. As his eyes reflect the yellow-and-red scene, the tribe's yellow-and-orange campfire links with the nearby wildfires. Yet a story recalls a boy pursued by nature gone wild. And nightmarish black creatures rise above the structures of yesterday, their red eyes and mouths evoking jack-o’-lanterns.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places black uppercase letters in dialogue balloons and colored narrative boxes. Giant white letters locate Tommy's tribe in time. White lowercase letters fill the darkened wall behind him. Remembered conversations fill beige balloons and boxes, while white letters in red balloons haunt Tommy's sleep. Sound effects accompany a dog’s barking, a monster’s scream, and a warning that rings through Tommy’s community. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Stories celebrate our way of life. They also preserve our traditions and culture. For the Tall Shadow Commune, campfire stories remind them of why they do what they do. Yet, evolving threats may require new approaches. So, as danger approaches, a clash of worldviews shakes Tommy's adoptive home in The Forever Home #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more collectible covers, see The Forever Home #2 Cover Preview.

 

For how this series started, see The Forever Home #1 Review. 

Legion of Super-Heroes #2 Review

 

Legion of Super-Heroes #2 Review

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Hayden Sherman

Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Hayden Sherman & Tamra Bonvillain

Variant Cover Artists: Alex Eckman-Lawn; Hayden Sherman & Ulises Arreola; Jonboy Meyers; Yasmine Putri

Editors: Chris Rosa & Paul Kaminski

Publisher: DC Comics

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

Release Date: October 14, 2026

 

A thousand years from now, the United Planets are struggling. On Earth, R. J. Brande spearheaded efforts to help troubled planets remain in the union. Yet while the rich man sought to help stabilize the UP, he secretly researched a forbidden topic. In a galactic society where Super-Heroes are illegal, Brande sought to learn what he could about them. Yet on distant planets like Winath, young people like Garth yearn to use their unregistered superpowers to safeguard their societies.

 

His partner may wish Brainiac One of Five would stick to investigating paying jobs. Still, Tenzil helps his partner break into R. J. Brande’s office. Why does the United Planets fear unregistered Super-Heroes? And what did Brande hope to accomplish? Let’s lose any nearby Persuaders, leap into Legion of Super-Heroes #2, and see!

 

Story

After deactivating the robot guard and accessing Brande’s surveillance records, Brainiac learns who killed the United Planets Council member. Then the Persuaders arrive. The UP police don’t want anyone to know about R. J. Brande's secret and illegal obsession.

 

While Legion of Super-Heroes #2 follows Brainiac's search for the truth, the story checks in with Rokk Krinn and Imra. It also links the disgraced Magnoball player on Braal with the Princess of Titan. But the primary focus remains on how Brainiac and Tenzil’s investigation of R. J. Brande’s death links with Garth and Ayla’s reunion with their older brother. Mekt’s retelling of his recent adventures enthralls Garth. Yet his sister worries their older brother could damage their family's future.

 

Joshua Williamson’s story reveals the power factions that rule the struggling interstellar society. It also shows how the authorities rule their worlds with an iron hand. As a truly omnivorous Bismollian, Tenzil may hunger for the Persuaders’ armor. Yet Brainiac’s thirst for the truth antagonizes the people who control the narrative. When the private detectives and the Persuaders discover that Mekt killed R. J. Brande, both parties race across the galaxy to question him first. Yet what a telepathic princess on Saturn’s richest moon has discovered could be even more important than R. J. Brande’s repository of Super-Hero knowledge in Legion of Super-Heroes #2.

 

Art

Amid Earth's rounded towers, the circular Persuaders emblem adorns a cracked tablet. As circles or partial circles frame events on Earth, the Persuaders' masks bear a frown. The leader swoops through the sky on wings, while Princess Imra's jacket evokes feathers. Yet on Winath, diagonal lines and diamond patterns define pages as Mekt reunites with his siblings. On Braal, circular panels show glowing circles surrounding Rokk's hands. On Titan, symbols in white circles represent Princess Imra's psychic communication with her elders.

 

As Hayden Sherman weaves the tapestry of life across the United Planets, Tamra Bonvillain adorns Legion of Super-Heroes #2 with a vibrant palette. While Garth and Ayla wear blue and yellow, their red hair links them to their blonde brother’s red-and-green costume. As violet-and-indigo Rokk works on his orange world, Princess Imra walks past orange columns to behold her violet-and-indigo city. While the blue Persuaders seek to crush hope in unlicensed Super-Heroes, Brainiac One of Five's red-and-green skin links him with Mekt’s costume. Yet his violet-and-indigo clothes link him with Rokk Krinn and Princess Imra.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou fills white balloons with black uppercase letters. Intonation emboldens words. Lowercase letters convey lowered voices. Raised voices swell letters, change text color, and deform balloons. While Brainiac One of Five speaks white letters into red rectangles, the Persuaders speak black letters into light-blue boxes. Yellow letters with red outlines identify places, while violet words in white shapes interest one character. Yet as sound effects enhance the detectives' flight and aspiring Super-Heroes' fight, one non-Persuader's offscreen comment appears as black uppercase letters in a blue box. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

The United Planets struggle to govern so many solar systems. Anyone with superpowers must register with the authorities, and only the oppressive Persuaders can legally use them. Either R. J. Brande forgot that Super-Heroes nearly destroyed their society, or he began to question his government’s official history. Either way, now he's dead. And anyone he interacted with could become the Persuaders' next target in Legion of Super-Heroes #2.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To look inside see Legion of Super-Heroes #2 Preview.

 

For how this series started, see Legion of Super-Heroes #1 Preview. 

Poison Ivy #48 Review

 

Poison Ivy #48: Bad Seeds Week 6 Part 1 Review

Writer: G Willow Wilson

Artist: Marcio Takara

Colorist: Arif Prianto

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artist: Jessica Fong

Variant Cover Artists: Noobovich, Dan Mora & Manny Vincent Carbonilla

Dark Knight Returns 40^th Anniversary Variant Cover Artist: Hayden Sherman

Bad Seeds Spot Foil Variant: Alexander Lozano

Editors: Jessica Berbey, Arianna Turturro & Rob Levin

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

The Parliament of Trees wanted her blood. Gotham turned against her. The Order of the Green Knight elected a new leader. Even Janet from HR admitted she was considering abandoning her. So, Poison Ivy turned defeat into victory the only way she knows. She delivered Gotham to the Parliament of Trees. Then she dialed plant growth up to 11.

 

Can anyone talk Poison Ivy into giving Humanity a second chance? Or will she let a superbloom make Earth uninhabitable to anything but plants? Let's grab a mug of Ghost Pipe tea, leap into Poison Ivy #48, and see!

 

Story

As Pamela Isley wanders through the terraformed streets of Gotham, she believes global warming will inevitably kill off Humanity. She is just helping nature root out an invasive species so a more diverse garden can flourish. Yet as she walks the streets without Vandal Savage’s police officers or TUCO soldiers, she cannot hide from the people who voted for her. So, Pamela heads for a place of safety, where her connection to Earth and Humanity feels strongest. Instead, Robinson Park becomes a symbol of her failure to protect Humanity, Nature, or the Parliament of Trees.

 

Mayor Isley may have lost her popular support. But in Poison Ivy #48, friends surround Pamela Isley. But despite their love for her, Pamela hasn't always treated them with the love and respect they deserve. She wants them to understand all the great things she has done for them. Yet, like people caught in a dysfunctional relationship, her friends and allies remind her that relationships necessitate trust and compromise. And perhaps something more that Pamela seems incapable of giving.

 

As Pamela Isley stumbles through her personal valley of the shadow of death, G Willow Wilson doesn't let her off the hook. People from her past try to give Pamela a wake-up call. Those she has betrayed confront her. Perhaps even now, at the 11^th hour, Pamela can still correct the situation. She may assert that Humanity’s need to become the dominant species has made its extinction inevitable. Still, Pamela Isley struggles to recognize that her need to dominate every situation is “boiling her alive” in Poison Ivy #48.

 

Art

Poison Ivy is used to thinking of herself as nature's master. Yet as she pushes through the foliage overtaking Gotham, glowing pollen floats through the air. If she lingers close to a plant, another leaf erupts upward. Her hair flows with the wind that carries terraforming seeds through the streets and neighborhoods. When she meets two people clutching each other, Pamela Isley meets their frightened faces with a smile. Yet when they stand, and anger overcomes their expressions, the woman they voted for turns her back on them.

 

As Marcio Takara shows nature overtaking Gotham, Arif Prianto adorns Poison Ivy #48 with a verdant palette. Amid rampant greenery and orange spores, Poison Ivy’s red hair symbolizes her anger at Humanity. Yet indigo plants arise beneath the blue sky, as Mr Hill regards her with his jack-o’-lantern features. Pamela may think she has brought renewed vitality to Gotham. Yet the black creatures that arise from the ground show mere vestiges of color.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou fills white and colored balloons with uppercase and lowercase dialogue. The letters grow bold for intonation and shrink for lowered voices. Mr Hill, who has stuck with Pamela during her mayorship, addresses her with yellow balloons. And another friend rebukes her using violet balloons. Yet the leader of the invaders reclaiming Gotham employs orange balloons, while her companion speaks white letters into black balloons. As enlarged dialogue reveals shock and pain, sound effects accompany the rampant growth and an unexpected attack. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Mayor Isley never had a plan for Gotham. Nor did she seek the leadership of the Order of the Green Knight. She only assumed positions of responsibility because people like Vandal Savage and Bella Garten threatened her life and liberty. Now, as she suffers amid the catastrophe she has unleashed, Pamela Isley lacks the power to protect herself. And unless she can somehow pull off another inspired victory, Pamela Isley’s prospects for the future have never been bleaker in Poison Ivy #48.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see Poison Ivy #48 Preview. 

 

For more of the Bad Seeds Event, see

 

Poison Ivy #47: A Batman: Bad Seeds Prelude: Preview 

 

Batman: Bad Seeds – Sunset #1 Preview 

 

Batman #13: Bad Seeds Week 2 Part 1 Preview 

 

Batgirl #23: Bad Seeds Week 2 Part 2: Preview 

 

Batman: Bad Seeds: Gotham Central #1--Bad Seeds Week 3 Part 1 Review 

 

Batwoman #7: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 1 Review 

 

Detective Comics #1113: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 2 Preview  

 

Catwoman #91: Week 4 Part 3 Preview 

 

Nightwing #142: Bad Seeds Week 4 Part 4 Preview  

 

Harley Quinn #66: Bad Seeds Week 5 Part 1 Preview  

 

Bleeding Hearts #8 Review

 

Bleeding Hearts #8 Review

Writer: Deniz Camp

Artist & Cover Artist: Stipan Morian

Colorist: Štef Bartolić

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Variant Cover Artist: Martín Morazzo

Editors: Chris Conroy & Mathew Levine

Publisher: DC Comics

Price: $3.99 US/Variant $4.99 US (cardstock)

Release Date: September 30, 2026

 

Poke didn’t ask for his heart to start beating. But when it did, the blood pumping through his cold, dead veins changed everything. He’s tried to walk a line between embracing the Live Ones while remaining in the dead community. Yet, keeping a foot in both camps has forced him to start killing his fellow Zombies. He’s lost his best friend, Mush. And for what? A Live One who’d prefer he vanished from their lives? And a Live One girl that he cannot understand?

 

A half-alive Zombie doesn't belong anywhere. At least, anywhere that he knows of. Can Poke help Rabbit and her mother reach safety? And can Poke make peace with his past and embrace this unique new form of existence? Let’s leap into Bleeding Hearts #8 and see!

 

Story

When Finds-Whole-Family found Rabbit, he could have taken her to the search parties. After Live Ones ruined their Out-Break celebration, a Horde might have accepted the shunned Zombie. Instead, his selfishness drove him to attack Rabbit. And after he killed the girl and her mother, Finds-Whole-Family once again intended to keep them for himself.

 

After Mama and Poke destroy Finds-Whole-Family, they carry Rabbit's broken body on a stretcher through the snow. When search parties find them, Mama and Poke defend Rabbit side by side in Bleeding Hearts #8. But Rabbit isn't always with them. She inhabits a world of visions, fueled by memories and her imagination.

 

While Rabbit shares her journey with us, Mama and Poke's thoughts reveal their concern. Neither the big Live One nor the “Flower Boy” can understand the other. Rabbit was always the bridge between them. Now that Rabbit is fading, Mama knows she needs his help to save her. Yet unlike Rabbit, her cynical outlook hampers her attempts to communicate with the “Brain Dead Kid.”

 

As Mama struggles to save her daughter’s life, she remembers all she has lost. The Zombie apocalypse destroyed her world. Although she had hoped to find another defended outpost of Human civilization, she has learned she cannot trust other people. If Rabbit dies, she loses her entire world, but Poke and Rabbit's social bonds will strengthen in Bleeding Hearts #8.

 

Art

As she runs through the snow, she chases Flip's many friends. Unlike the stuffed animal her father gave her, the white bunnies hop around her. Her left eye is swollen shut. The pupil of her right eye no longer focuses. Still, Rabbit dances with her new friends. Yet when both eyes close, and stitched scratches adorn her cheek, Rabbit clutches a symbol of transformation. As she returns to the present, the girl sees Mama, Flower Boy, and the bunnies regard her with concern. Yet instead of opening her eyes, Rabbit frowns down at them like the girl on the moon.

 

As Stipan Morian shows Mama and Poke’s desperate journey to save Rabbit, Štef Bartolić matches differing palettes with scenes in Bleeding Hearts #8. As the girl continues to forge her own path, her footsteps and shadow cast blue on the snow. Blue dominates Mama and Poke's night journeys, as they carry Rabbit on a stretcher between them. Her orange tongue matches her jacket as she prepares to join another community, while Rabbit's green pants link her with the Zombies' skin. Yet Poke turns gray when he slays his fellow Zombies to protect the Live Ones. Yellow flames may awaken painful memories. Yet, they also provide food and light as Mama attends her dying daughter.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places Mama and Poke's black uppercase thoughts in white boxes. The letters in narrative boxes and dialogue balloons grow bold for intonation, and shift to lowercase for lowered voices. As she flits between two worlds, Rabbit speaks enlarged letters into distorted balloons. While yellow and red sound effects heighten moments of violence, Poke's heartbeat abandons its normal red to link the Zombie with the sounds of Rabbit’s name and her hopping friends. Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this story with us.

 

Final Thoughts

Mama has sacrificed everything for Rabbit. Likewise, Poke defied his community to save the girl and her mother. Both want Rabbit to get better. But in a rapidly changing world, new values, morality, and outlook are redefining society for Mama and Poke. Saving Rabbit may necessitate radical steps that, like her half-dead, half-alive Zombie friend, prevent the girl from fitting in anywhere in Bleeding Hearts #8.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

To look inside, see Bleeding Hearts #8 Preview. 

For Poke, Rabbit, and Mama's art appreciation, see Bleeding Hearts #7 Review. 

For the Out-Break mall hunt that changed everything, see my preview of Bleeding Hearts #6.

For how Rabbit met Ms Ruby, see my review of Bleeding Hearts #5. 

For Rabbit's Tea Party, see my preview of Bleeding Hearts #4.

 

For the strange emotions that stress Poke out, see Bleeding Hearts Preview #3. 

 

For why Rabbit likes bunnies, see Bleeding Hearts #2 Preview. 

 

For Poke's full name, see my preview of Bleeding Hearts #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. 

 

The Forever Home #1 Review

 

The Forever Home #1 Review

Writer: Christian Ward

Artist: Sami Kivelä

Colorist: Jason Wordie

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Christian Ward, Frany, Sami Kivelä, David Rubín & Miguel Mercado

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: September 9, 2026

 

Sarah and Tommy love their parents. But they want to play and explore the world around them. While their mother sympathizes with their struggles, their father seems less approachable. Then one day, Henry shares his concerns with them. Their father wants to protect them from a world that threatens them in innumerable ways.

 

Will Sarah and Tommy abide by their father's wishes? And how long can they stay cooped up inside, when there is a world outside to explore? Let’s leap into The Forever Home #1 and see!

 

Story

Henry enjoys the comfort and refinement of home. Yet Tommy wants to run and play, and Henry’s smart house isn't set up for that. When Tommy asks why he can't go outside, his father decides he's old enough. He activates a wall of viewscreen windows that reveal the devastated world outside. Everyone else may have died. Still, a plant arising from barren ground suggests that the Earth will recover.

 

The Forever Home #1 begins in the future, with Henry seemingly experiencing his final moments. Then, Henry explains the world to his son in the past. When the issue arrives in the present, Tommy and his sister have grown. Sarah is no longer a child bored by her father's condemnation of the world. The teenager looks after Tommy, who enjoys doing art. Yet the world has changed greatly in the six years they have been locked inside. What was once a desert has become a jungle. And creatures climb through trees to study the seemingly impregnable home.

 

As the camera switches between Henry and Tommy, Christian Ward’s story addresses the clash inherent in generational change. Henry has fashioned an ideal life for his family. He wants them to embrace his values and takes drastic steps to protect them. Tommy and Sarah may challenge his authority in small ways. Yet, neither attempts to usurp his authority. Still, a time will come when Henry and Tommy's paths will diverge. Then, each must choose how to navigate the chasm that divides them in The Forever Home #1.

 

Art

Henry, dressed in a suit and sporting a trimmed goatee, sits at a dining table heaped with appetizing food and sips tea from fine bone China. After pouring the tea, Cecil rolls away. As the robot departs, his wife and daughter arrive. Sarah toys with her bacon, eggs, and potatoes. Elizabeth helps their young son sit in an upholstered chair. A puppy sleeps in a basket at Henry's feet.

 

While Sami Kivelä works across pages to reveal the grandeur awaiting the family outside and how their house sustains them, smaller panels provide close-ups and dramatic reactions in The Forever Home #1. Jason Wordie adorns the home in browns with accent colors, while brightly colored paintings hang on the walls. Against the unchanging 1970s interior design, the view outside the diamond-shaped wall of windows grows increasingly green. A limited palette enhances the foliage as it surrounds the A-frame house. Black silhouettes against red hint at more dramatic changes than Henry is prepared to accept.

 

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou places black uppercase letters in dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. Small, lowercase letters indicate lowered voices and may appear in backgrounds outside balloons. Words grow bold for intonation and swell for raised voices, while cloud-like balloons signify distress. Like his metal housing, Cecil speaks using green dialogue. The house addresses its father, Henry, in rectangular balloons. Sound effects accompany the Golden Labrador's actions as it grows up to be a family friend and proves just as curious as Tommy. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As in Robert Charles Wilson’s Hugo Award-winning novel Spin, Humans live behind a protective barrier. It keeps them safe from the world outside. Yet, it restricts their movements and inhibits growth. As mythology replaces the facts they cannot learn while trapped inside, Henry fights to keep his family safe and secure in The Forever Home #1.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

For more cover art, see The Forever Home #1 Cover Preview. 

 

For more from Christian Ward, see Event Horizon: Dark Descent #1 Review. 

 

For more from Sami Kivelä, see Doctor Who: The Prison Paradox TP Review. 

The Forever Home #1 Cover Preview

 

Cover A By Christian Ward

Sarah and Tommy love their parents. But they want to play and explore the world around them. While their mom sympathizes with their struggles, their father seems less approachable. But one day, he opens up, and shares his concerns with them. The world outside is strange and dangerous. Their father wants to protect them from a world that threatens them in innumerable ways. 

Will Sarah and Tommy abide by their father's wishes? And how long can they stay cooped up inside, when the world outside intrigues them?

Here's all the info from Oni Press: 

The Forever Home #1 Cover Preview

Written By Christian Ward

Art By Sami Kivelä

Colorist: Jason Wordie

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Cover Artists: Christian Ward, Frany, Sami Kivelä, David Rubín & Miguel Mercado

Also Available: Blank Sketch Cover

Publisher: Oni Press

Issue Description: 32 Pages, Full Color

Series Length: 6 Issues

Price: $4.99 US

Release Date: September 9, 2026

 

THEY HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD . . . WILL IT BE ENOUGH TO SAVE THEM? From comics superstar Christian Ward (Event Horizon: Dark Descent, Batman: City of Madness) and visionary artist Sami Kivelä (Abbott), prepare to challenge the limits of time, technology, and human endurance itself as one family’s refuge from the end of the world becomes a mind-bending nightmare reaching far beyond the future. Inside: Time stands still. But outside: something even worse than the apocalypse awaits...

 

Famed scientist Henry D’mour tried to save the world. He failed. But, in a desperate bid to save himself, his wife, and their two children, he constructed THE FOREVER HOME—an ark of luxury and ultramodern convenience insulated from the agony of the planet’s death throes outside its walls . . . and even time itself. Inside THE FOREVER HOME, only 20 minutes pass for every year on the outside . . . allowing the D’mour family to slowly enact their plans for a new world as their automated environment and robotic companions keep them safe. Safe on the inside. Always inside. Until a childish misstep accidentally breaks THE FOREVER HOME’s barrier... and what’s outside decides it wants back in . . .

Here are more cover options:

 

Cover B By Frany

 

Cover C By Sami Kivelä

Foil Variant ($8.99) By Christian Ward

Full Art Variant (1:10) By Frany

Variant Cover (1:20) By David Rubín

Variant Cover (1:50) By Miguel Mercado

Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for sharing this cover preview with us.