A review by bengriffin
Batwoman, Volume 2: To Drown the World by W. Haden Blackman, J.H. Williams III

4.0

If you want to know why I love this series so much you're best off reading what I wrote about Elegy and Hydrology. This volume is probably the weakest in the series but that's only because the others are all excellent. One of the main reasons I enjoyed it less was the more conventional superhero artwork. It's fine, there's the odd iffy pose here and there, but compared to how fluid and fascinating the art is when JH Williams is drawing it, it's quite disappointing. This part of the story felt a bit more conventional too with the main thread being find and fight the baddies, and whilst the narrative does jump around a lot, it feels like a slightly messy trick to jazz it up a bit. That said, the elements I love are still in there. The main strength is the writing of relationships and the interactions between key characters. The dynamic between Kate and Maggie feels very real and I found Jacob's interactions with Bette tender and powerful. It's only because the other volumes set the bar so high that this stands out slightly, but it's far from a low point, and still provides some great moments. I still devoured it in one sitting, and I still couldn't wait to read more.