A new mystery emerges involving an artist that committed suicide in 1929.  In the present, a thief called the Wolf Spider sets about stealing this artists paintings and isn’t afraid to kill in order to get them.

Batwoman and Hawkfire get drawn in when one of Kate’s best friends since childhood, Evan Blake, is revealed to be an expert on the artist and owns some of his paintings.  The villain proves to be a more difficult opponent than the ladies anticipate.

I’m actually astonished by how great I thought this comic was.  I was a MONSTER fan before when J.H. Williams and W. Haden Blackman were creating it, so of course I was ready to wince when reading it crafted by different creators, but no– I loved it!

It wasn’t as innovative, but new writer Marc Andreyko does an amazing job!  The plot is interesting and unique.  I mean a suicide of an artist in 1929?  That’s got to be a new one.  Kate and Maggie’s relationship is handled excellently as is the attempt to write off their engagement.  We knew it was coming.  DC didn’t want them to get married, not for anti-gay reasons, but because they felt it aged them.  So how does Andreyko address this?  By tapping into modern celebrity culture and painting Kate and Evan as famous socialites, at least in the Gotham City social scene.  The pair discuss their teenage years and paints them as basically the Gotham City version of ‘Gossip Girl’.  I mean… I just loved that!  I think that’s brilliant and so “now”!

The art by Jeremy Haun is likewise, obviously not as innovative as Williams’, but it’s stunning!  Just really gorgeous.  The last panel of the last page was just excellent, but then so was all the rest.

Yeah, so this book is in good hands.  As much as I loved the series before, I didn’t think I could love it any more… and maybe I don’t love it MORE, but I love it in a different way.  Andreyko brings a fresh voice that honors the prior writers but adds so much that’s brand new.  Haun likewise rises to the challenge and delivers some really excellent art.  I’m just going to go there:

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BATWOMAN #26
Written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Jeremy Haun
Cover by Stephanie Roux