YMMV / Batwoman (Rebirth)

• Ass Pull: In issue #16, Kate uses a recording of a gunshot from the same model of gun used in the Waynes' murder to make Bruce hesitate just enough to subdue him. Such a thing had not been set up whatsoever, and is arguably out-of-character for how Kate usually operates in a few respects. Bruce being momentarily fazed by it is a lesser example, since that seems like an obvious thing he'd prepare for, not to mention the sound wouldn't be so distinct.
• Awesome Art:
  • Steve Epting's artwork (particularly his splash pages) is gorgeous, and anyone familiar with his work on titles like Velvet and Captain America knows how suitable he is for a noir-ish spy tale like this.
  • Stephanie Hans is the guest artist for issue #5, and her work is stunning.
  • Fernando Blanco and John Rauch make the most of their work on the "Fear and Loathing" arc, with creepy imagery and garish colors throughout that are appropriate for something involving Scarecrow.
• Base-Breaking Character:
  • Julia Pennyworth. Some readers have voiced concerns that she seems too servile in comparison to her portrayal in the New 52, while others have gone further and mentioned the problematic elements of a woman of color acting as a servant to a white woman. On the flip side, others point out that Julia's snarky personality is still intact despite her job change, and far from being a yes-ma'aming robot, Julia teases Kate repeatedly and the two seem to have a more co-worker sort of relationship. Plus, Kate doesn't treat her rudely or like a subordinate.
  • Kate herself is another. Some readers didn't like that issue #1 started out with her having so much new tech and a butler as well (a Pennyworth, even), claiming that this makes her nothing but a clone of Bruce, when a big part of Kate's appeal as a character is that she is markedly different from Bruce in many ways. Others counter that these new accoutrements and such are just window dressing and that, as with Julia, Kate's character hasn't changed, even if her surroundings and story have. Plus, Julia even teases Kate at the first sign of Bruce-like broodiness, since that's not a typical emotion for Kate, so there is some self-awareness on the part of the writers. However, the stories are indeed a marked departure for Kate, who is a character known for dealing heavily in the occult.
  • Opinions are mixed on Tahani's codename of Knife. It's either uncreative and boring and or blunt and unpretentious, while also calling to mind the similarly simple name of recurring Batwoman rogue Shard.
• Informed Wrongness: The series goes to quite some lengths to rake Kate over the coals for both her past and present misdeeds, including having multiple characters harshly berate her, and generally presents her in a negative light. However, the acts she's blamed for by the narrative are either unintentional (such as spreading the disease that decimates Coryana's foxes), heroic (raiding Julia's equipment stash in order to save thousands of lives), or cases of self-preservation (like escaping Coryana when people were trying to kill her).
• Narm:
  • Julia's Bat-monitor. It's one huge monitor shaped like the Batwoman symbol. Yes, it looks as impractical as it sounds. Even Bruce, the guy who puts his symbol on everything, just has normal monitors in the Batcave!
  • The GCPD's Cold Storage, which is depicted as a computery sort of room with a giant brain in the center. It looks like something more from a Silver Age comic than a modern one.
• Narm Charm: Issue #4 features Knife swinging Kate by her wig into a rock pillar (the wig should've detached, as it's been shown to do in earlier Batwoman comics), and blocking a strike from a stalagmite club with her forearm (not only does it not hurt her, a woman with no apparent superpowers, but the club shatters). Both are pretty silly, but they end up working due to Knife being built up as a genuine physical threat to Kate in earlier issues, without sacrificing Kate's abilities. They also make Kate look good in a way, since she both takes that kind of a beating like a champ and was the one who broke the stalagmite from its base to start with.
• Wangst: Even in light of the struggles Kate went through in the second arc (including the demoralizing ending), Kate's constant and sometimes irrational self-blame in issue #11 can come off as this.