Batwoman is here!  Back in May, it was announced that another new DC superhero was entering The CW’s Arrowverse and the biggest news was that it was a member of the Batman family.  While several Bat villains have made a mark on ‘Arrow’, in particular, the existences of Batman, Bruce Wayne and Gotham City have always been only vaguely referenced.  But this year’s crossover event, which will air in December, introduces Batwoman, the first CW character to actually wear “the Bat” and will take place in crime-riddled Gotham City.  Not only that, but the crossover will serve as a backdoor pilot for an ongoing ‘Batwoman’ series, that could arrive next fall.

Here is the show’s logline:

“Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.”

In the comics, Batwoman made waves by being one of the first openly gay superheroes to headline her own series.  The Arrowverse and other CW shows have embraced diversity and have included major storylines involving LGBTQ characters.  Sometimes the characters are played by actors who are actually gay in real life.  Other openly gay actors have played straight characters.  But for the first gay headlining character, the creators felt it was only right to cast a gay actor.  Enter Ruby Rose, the Australian actor best known for ‘Orange is the New Black’ and this summer’s mega-hit ‘The Meg’.

There was some fan backlash to her casting, which caused her to quit Twitter.  But producer Greg Berlanti recently announced, “[Ruby] is terrific in the role, and we’re excited for people to see the story.”

Does she look terrific in the role?  You decide.  Here is the first image of her in costume:

Image Number: Batwoman_1stLook_V5_.jpg — Pictured: Ruby Rose as Batwoman — Photo: JSquared Photography/The CW — © 2018 The CW Network, LLC. All rights reserved

The costume is designed by four-time Academy Award winner Colleen Atwood (‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’, ‘Alice In Wonderland’, ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’, ‘Chicago’).  Atwood has also created costumes for ‘Arrow’ and ‘Supergirl’.  As was probably to be expected, the costume is toned down a bit from the comics, with her gauntlets, gloves and boots rendered in black instead of red.

The crossover event was scheduled to begin filming today, Tuesday, October 9.  The crossover event is also reported to include a return by Tyler Hoechlin as the Arrowverse’s Superman and will introduce Lois Lane, portrayed by Elizabeth Tulloch.  For this event, ‘The Flash’ and ‘Supergirl’ will switch time slots, with ‘The Flash’ airing on Sunday, December 9.  Part two will take place on ‘Arrow’, in its normal times lot, Monday, December 10, at 8pm, and wrap upon ‘Supergirl’ on Tuesday, December 11.  ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ is sitting this year’s crossover out.

How do you think Batwoman looks?

Source: IGN