How will Ruby Rose's 'Batwoman' fare in comparison to 'Supergirl', 'Jessica Jones' and Dagger?
The CW's 'Batwoman' will be joining the likes of 'Supergirl', 'Jessica Jones' and 'Cloak and Dagger,' as shows that have a female superhero playing the titular role. When it comes to women superheroes Batwoman aka Katy Keene joins fellow superheroes such as Black Canary aka Dina Lance from 'Arrow', Supergirl aka Kara Danvers, XS aka Norah West-Allen from 'Flash' and Starfire aka Koriand'r from 'Titans.'
Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) from the comics is a layered, complex character whose love life is a part of who she is. It is not what her entire life would revolve around, but from the trailer of the show, it seems like Kane's biggest mission is to find her ex-lover Sophie Moore (Meagan Tandy).
We also see that Kate is intent on differentiating herself from Batman and does this by adding a red wig. The trailer provides a compass if the show is to be judged before release. The first episode of the show also premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con 2019.
There is definitely a chance the show gets much better after the first episode, but for now, we have a character who is influenced to fight for personal gain. Yes, she does fight Gotham's enemies but it is a by-product, not the main agenda.
Now, let's look at the other female superheroes and how they have been set up in their respective universes.
1. Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones from the beginning has been a forced superhero. In the sense, following a traumatic experience with Purple Man all Jessica wanted to do was stay away from the world of superpowers. Yet, she begins to dabble when the need arises and that tug of war is what makes the show interesting.
The complexity portrayed by actor Krysten Rytter who plays Jessica is top-notch and the writing goes hand in hand making the show an interesting one to watch. There is a lot you can take away from 'Jessica Jones,' the show and the character and it is going to be tough for Batwoman to come close to the characterization we see here.
2. Supergirl aka Kara Danvers
Kara (Melissa Benoist), who is also Superman's cousin, begins parading around in her super suit after an attempt at saving the flight her sister was on. She was never meant to be Supergirl, but fate pushed her towards it.
Her first scene as Supergirl is in fact a hark back to the time Superman saved a flight full of people. The plotline is pretty similar to what one would see of Supergirl's male counterparts such as Superman, even Flash. Now that the show is about to premiere its fifth season, it has begun to feel repetitive, of sorts, and this is something 'Batwoman' has a chance to beat with its storyline.
3. Laurel Lance aka Black Canary
Black Canary aka Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy), one of the first female superheroes to emerge in the Arrowverse is an interesting character to compare to Kate Kane because she also ends up becoming a superhero after her sister Canary died.
Laurel also doesn't have superpowers and uses an external device to help her alter ego. Over the 7 seasons of Arrow, we have seen other Black Canaries as well, but Laurel was the first. Since then, there have been some interesting developments with the alter ego
Batwoman has the potential to fare better than Black Canary as her character arc in the first season traces her origins. This puts the spotlight on who Kate Kane was and how she came to become Batwoman, which would be better than Black Canary's overall presence in the Arrowverse.
4. Starfire aka Koriand'r
It hasn't been too long since Starfire aka Koriand'r debuted on TV. The first season of 'Titans' saw actor Anna Diop portray the role beautifully as Starfire, a hero with no memory of her past on a journey to trace who she really was. By the end of the first season, she did get her answer and that journey of learning the truth was fascinating to watch especially since she is one of the Titans and there are other Titans who influence her life as well. There is a lot more variety here and in comparison, Batwoman can end up being one-dimensional if not supported by strong writing.
5. Dagger aka Tandy Bowen
She is a teenager and one part of the duo with Cloak. By far one of the best superhero characters on television, coming close to this character will be hardest for Batwoman simply because the character portrayed by Olivia Holt is another great combination of performance and writing. The two go hand-in-hand and when you add the role that Cloak plays in further enhancing Dagger's role it is near perfection.
Batwoman will premiere on The CW Sunday, October 6.