Bat-Woman Kicks Bat-Butt!

DETECTIVE COMICS Vol.1, No.233, July 1956; Cover Art: Sheldon Moldo , Ira Schnapp; Writer: Edmond Hamilton; Penciler: Sheldon Moldo; Inker: Stan Kaye

At the dawn of the Silver Age of Comic Books, DC added Batwoman as a new member of the Batman Family.  Batwoman, in her alter ego of Kathy Kane, was a rich heiress and socialite who had been an expert circus acrobat and trick motorcycle rider before she inherited her fortune.  Kathy built her house over an abandoned mine tunnel and used the cave as her secret base of operations.  She also created a bat-themed costume, and numerous gadgets that she used to thwart criminals. 

While Batman and Robin had their Batmobile, Batwoman had her bat-themed motorcycle.  In her first few encounters with our heroes, she saved them from certain doom, but Batman was wary of her carelessness and the threat that criminals might discover her secret.  Batman used his detective skills to discover her identity and convinced her to stop her crime fighting activities.  Or did she?  It didn’t take long for her popularity to bring her back in many adventures through the early 1960s.

Kudos and big thanks to Bill Jourdain for his expert commentary and to the talented artists and writers of DC Comics who captivated and inspired millions of readers during this magical Golden Age.  Bill Jourdain has been an avid reader and collector of comic books for over 40 years. He has an extensive collection of comics spanning the 1930s to the 1970s. Bill previously produced a podcast devoted to the Golden Age of Comic Books, has penned articles about the Golden Age for Alter-Ego magazine and Comics Now! magazine, and has maintained websites devoted to the Golden Age of Comic Books and the Golden Age of Batman. Bill resides in north Georgia with his wife and children, and somehow finds time away from comic books to practice law.