by Jennifer Matos

NEW YORK – June 2006

As if lusting after Wonder Woman wasn’t enough, lesbian superhero fans can rejoice.  There’s a new(er) girl in town.  Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  No, it’s Batwoman, and she’s not coming out of the sky, she’s coming out of the closet. 

Dan DiDio, vice president and executive director at DC Comics said “We wanted to make her a more unique personality than others in the Bat-family.  That’s one of the reasons we went in this direction.”

“Unique”?  You can say that again! The updated Batwoman that will be unveiled in July is said to tower at 5’10”, comes with a stunning outfit that includes knee-high boots with spiked heels and flaming red hair and comes with another accessory: an ex-lover named Renee.  Sounds like someone who should be in the “L Word” especially since Batwoman is a Gotham City, high-society, socialite.

DiDio asserts that this is more than a gay character and that DC Comics is “trying for overall diversity in the DC universe.  We’re trying to get a better cross-section of our readership and the world.”

Will the creation of an extreme makeover Batwoman fly, or will it flop? Reaction among readers is mixed. Some are outraged while some are taking it with a “wink wink nudge nudge”.  Readers will just have to stay tuned…”Same bat time, same bat channel.”