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In Detective Comics #1047, Batwoman cements a partnership with an ally who is set to become her own version of Batman’s Jim Gordon.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Detective Comics #1047, on sale now from DC Comics.
One of the most important relationships Batman has is with James Gordon, the longtime commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department. Their friendship and alliance has been a major factor in Batman’s work to help Gotham. Now, one of the Dark Knight’s allies just got their own version of the commissioner — and it’s perfect.
Batwoman and Deb Donovan are revealed to be working together in Detective Comics #1047 (by Mariko Tamaki, Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Brand Anderson, and Ariana Maher), setting up the reporter as Batwoman’s version of James Gordon.
Detective Comics #1047 focuses largely on the Bat-Family and their attempts to deal with the newly constructed Arkham Tower shortly before its opening. One of the more notable heroes involved in an early investigation of the tower is Batwoman, who ends up gaining an ally in the form of Deb Donovan. A no-nonsense reporter for the Gotham Gazette, Deb has been featured in the core-Bat titles more frequently as of late. She seems to have developed a particular rapport with Batwoman, meeting her while in disguise at a small diner. There, the pair discuss their recent findings — Deb’s investigations into Doctor Wear with the Arkham Tower, and Batwoman’s fights against criminals like the Party Crashers.
The pair are shown to have a quick rapport, joking slyly while still relaying useful information to one another. The two working together is a promising sign for Batwoman, who will need to step up in light of Batman’s absence from Gotham City. Having allies like Deb is a good step in that direction. It’s also a promising development for Deb, giving her a more cemented role in the DC Universe. In effect, Deb Donovan can serve as Batwoman’s equivalent of James Gordon, a civilian ally who can relay information and official support while having some degree of distance from the Bat-Family. Like Gordon, Deb can snark with her ally while still providing a fresh and down-to-earth perspective on their mutual crusade.
Deb adds a couple of unique layers to the partnership that Gordon could not. Deb isn’t a part of any formal authority force in Gotham like Gordon was, instead of serving as an intrepid reporter for a local paper. This makes her more capable of investigating the police for their crimes, as opposed to Gordon being forced to live with dirty cops. In light of the recent examinations of the connection between superheroes and the police, this feels like a conscious move away from that problematic aspect of the genre. The pair could develop a friendship much as Batman and Gordon did, but one with a pricklier surface layer to it, considering the two sardonic women at the center of the relationship. Deb also has a slight advantage over Gordon in that she is ingratiated with the upper echelon of Gotham City, whereas the former commissioner was more familiar with crime families.
It’s a promising development for both characters, especially as Batwoman becomes more prevalent in the overall protection of Gotham. This also gives Kate Kane a new member of her supporting cast in the core DC Universe who she can develop both an interpersonal and working relationship with. This development also gives Deb a more fixed place in the Bat-corner of the DC Universe, placing her in a much more prominent position. Batwoman getting her own Gordon-like figure who wasn’t also a relation or romantic interest (like Red Alice or Maggie Sawyer, respectively) is a great development for the character, and is long overdue.
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