THE ORIGINAL BATWOMAN COVER TOUR

When I was 12 years old, I discovered a coverless giant-sized Batman comic in one of the boxes of outdated comics sold for a nickel or dime (depending on size) at Andrews Tobacco Stand in my hometown of Calais, Maine.  This particular comic was filled with reprinted tales originally published in the 1950s.  Among the many tales was one containing a character called Batwoman.   From the story, it was obvious this was not her first appearance.  In fact, Batman and Robin treated her as part of their "team".  Who was this woman?  Why had I never heard of her before now?  What happened to her?

I became obsessed with finding out all I could about this intriguing woman... clad in shadowed yellow and red, who at some point before I began reading comics, had been a regular partner of the caped crusader! 

In this tour, I'll take a look at every comic book that featured the original Batwoman (Kathy Kane) on its cover.  Along the way, I'll provide some narrative to provide some insight into her character and some of her adventures with Batman and Robin.

First off, let me clarify that this tour will cover the original Batwoman's adventures up through the DC continuity-altering event known as Crisis on Infinite Earths.  You know.... her time from DC's Silver and Bronze ages!

Secondly, I'd like to clarify that this tour is a "cover tour" featuring Batwoman.  It should be noted that she appeared in many other issues during her heyday without being featured on the cover.  Those particular adventures will not be included in this tour!


COVER #1

Detective Comics #233 (July 1956)

One of several stories within this issue is titled "The Batwoman". In this tale, socialite Kathy Kane makes her debut. She is a woman with lots of money and who is also a former circus aerialist. She has moved back to Gotham City and decides to take on the side hustle of being a crime fighter like her idol Batman! As Batwoman, she has her own cave headquarters and instead of a utility belt, she has a utility purse full of feminine-style weaponry!

She helps Batman and Robin on several occasions. They insist on continually telling her that crimefighting is dangerous work and not intended for women. Eventually, Batman figures out Batwoman's secret identity. He convinces her that because he was able to deduce who she really is, criminals could do the same. (Of course, the fact that Batman is the "world's greatest detective" voids the notion that he's also the world's most chauvinist detective!)

At the end of her initial tale, she insists that she will quit her career as Batwoman. Since we are taking a lengthy tour of her adventures, that obviously didn't happen! (A continuity note... on the cover of this issue she is referred to as Bat-Woman. In the story itself, the hyphen never appears and is never used again in the future.)

COVER #2

Batman #105 (February 1957)

Seven months after vowing never to wear her Batwoman costume again, Kathy is back at it!! In this issue's tale titled, "The Challenge of Batwoman" she dons the costume again to attend a masquerade ball.   

Circumstances lead to Batman having a twisted ankle. He has Robin team with Batwoman for a while so he can protect his secret identity as he recovers.

COVER #3

World's Finest #90 (October 1957)

After hearing about an escaped convict, Kathy convinces herself that surely Batman and Superman would welcome her assistance as Batwoman. When she shows up, both Batman and Superman reject her offer to assist them.

Shortly after her encounter with the chauvinistic duo, she swallows a Kryptonian super-power pill (This is the Silver Age... go with it!), temporarily granting her all the powers of Superman. Using her powers, she won't accept "no" from the men and forces her assistance upon them, while also spending a lot of time trying to figure out their secret identities.

The two men eventually decide by the end of the story that Kathy employed cleverness and courage (apparently she hadn't exhibited enough of these traits in her first two outings!!), so Batman graciously informs her that they will allow her to continue being Batwoman, so long as she's careful!! She's now officially a part of the Batman "Family".

COVER #4

Detective Comics #249 (November 1957)

As part of an elaborate (ie absurd) plan by Commissioner Gordon, Bruce Wayne finds himself locked up in jail to act as a spy. Bruce ends up being framed for murder when the inmate he was there to spy on winds up dead.

Lacking confidence in the sidekick he has spent years training, Bruce tells Robin to get help from Batwoman. Robin tells Batwoman that Batman is out of the country and that he needs her help freeing Bruce Wayne. Thanks to the duo's crackerjack detective skills, Bruce is found innocent just as he's walking his "last mile" to be executed!

Following this adventure from November 1957, 1958 would come and go without a single cover appearance by Batwoman.

COVER #5

Batman #122 (March 1959)

Batwoman is featured front and center marrying Batman and sending Robin into a dramatic dither wondering what his fate will be... as if he might be sent off to the same boarding school that the Baroness wanted to send the von Trapp children to!

As it turns out, the sentiment expressed by Robin on the cover pretty much conveys the story within. Dick Grayson falls into slumber and dreams of what might happen should Bruce Wayne and Kathy Kane marry. Sadly, the result is not good. Batwoman, now sporting the exact same type of cowl that Batman has worn for years, somehow has hers blown off by an industrial-sized fan! Her identity, and Bruce's as well, are now known by the criminal underworld, and their careers as crime fighters are over. Fortunately, Robin wakes up!

COVER #6

Batman #126 (September 1959)

Kathy Kane decides that Bruce hasn't been giving her enough attention, so she begins dating Ted Carson. Soon, through some misunderstandings that could rival a Three's Company plot, Kathy becomes convinced that Ted is actually Batman.

As Batwoman, she assists the dynamic duo in battling Firefly, a new villain plaguing Gotham City. One battle with him has the trio confronting Firefly and his henchmen in the Gotham Glassworks Plant. Apparently, Gotham Glassworks makes beakers, graduated cylinders, and test tubes for a race of giants somewhere.

Kathy eventually learns she was wrong about Ted being Batman. It turns out that he's actually Firefly. With this adventure wrapped up, she returns to giving her attention to millionaire Bruce Wayne!

COVER #7

World's Finest Comics #104 (September 1959)

Batwoman and some of Luthor's henchmen arrive at the same gas station to re-fill their respective vehicles and Batwoman overhears that Luthor is planning the "crime of the year".

Later, she is kidnapped by Luthor's men, but is able to leave a clue to her whereabouts using yellow lipstick (). Meanwhile, Luthor begins his plan to destroy Superman using his vibrator of incredible power (yes, you read that correctly). Ultimately, a freed Batwoman exposes Luthor as the disguised Professor Guthrie, and we learn that Superman was able to escape yet another trap... the "atomic transporter". The Bat-trio of Batman, Robin, and Batwoman are then transported away by Superman, with a captured Luthor in tow.

COVER #8

Batman #129 (February 1960)

We move into 1960, a year that will see Batwoman grace the covers of five different comic books.

In Batman #129, Batman and Robin slowly collect clues as they take on Gotham's newest villain, the Spinner. Meanwhile, Batwoman begins investigating a new man in town, Swami Ymar, who she believes is cheating people out of money by pretending to be a psychic.

Good guys and bad guys have a battle in an old windmill, and it turns out that Swami Ymar is none other than the Spinner. Case solved!

COVER #9

Detective Comics #276 (February 1960)

This outing is a doozy! Batwoman identifies with Bat-Mite's tale of woe "trying to help Batman but being rejected" and she teams up with him. Let's see, from there Batman and Robin isolate themselves in a crate together and everyone is out to defeat the Hobby Robber (an obese criminal).

The Hobby Robber captures Batman and Robin and puts them in a swimming pool and threatens them with small model ships!! Thankfully Batwoman is able to free them, and the Terrific Trio subdue Hobby and his henchmen. Bat-Mite assists and he becomes smitten with Batwoman. Ah... the 1960's!!

COVER #10

Batman #131 (April 1960)

In his spare time, Alfred has decided to type out imaginary stories of a future where Batman appears on television to announce his retirement because he's gotten too old to fight crime. He also announces that Robin will be taking over as Batman II.

Bruce Wayne has married Kathy Kane and their son, Bruce Wayne Jr. is determined to become Robin II. Both Dick and Bruce Jr. wear Batman and Robin costumes with a giant II on the chest, lest the public forget they are replacements!

COVER #11

Batman #133 (August 1960)

When Batwoman gets into some trouble battling bad dudes, Bat-Mite not only gives her some assistance, but he reveals himself to the press and announces himself to be her new partner. Batwoman is taken aback, but agrees to this only on the condition that Bat-Mite doesn't start "acting up". Batman and Robin tell her that she'll be sorry!

With Bat-Mite's help, Batwoman gets lots of great publicity. He now thinks he should make her the most sensational crime-fighter of all time. Somehow, that leads to him shrinking all three Bat-fighters and the villains down to a tiny size... but with the help of Ace the Bathound, things end up ok. Realizing he had broken his promise, Bat-Mite scurries back to his home.

COVER #12

Detective Comics #286 (December 1960)

Batman and Robin encounter a new foe, Star-Man. In their initial confrontation, "only their superbly trained bodies save Batman and Robin from crushing death". This battle takes place at the Gotham Museum, where Star-Man was seeking to steal a belt from Tibet. But it turns out that the museum curator felt the belt was worthless so he donated it to a curio shop..... where it was purchased by... Kathy Kane. Seems the millionairess loves some good curios!

Turns out the belt has three parts and when they are all assembled, they give the wearer super-powers and immortality. Star-Man obtains two parts and needs the belt that Kathy purchased. In the final battle with Star-Man, it is Batwoman who ends up with the fully assembled belt... thus granting her superpowers for the second time in her career. Batwoman determines that the belt is too dangerous for a mortal to possess so she decides it must be destroyed!

COVER #13

Batman #139 (April 1961)

Our story starts out with Batman, Robin, and Batwoman becoming trapped in an "electronic-ring" by King Cobra. But fear not, a young girl identifying herself as Bat-Girl (though her costume would seem more like Robin-Girl) drops in from an extremely high window, riding an extremely well-secured and lengthy curtain, knocks over King Cobra, frees the Bat trio and swings back out the window, leaving everyone wondering who she is.

When Batwoman returns to her Batwoman Cave, she is greeted by this Bat-Girl, who identifies herself as Kathy's niece, Betty Kane. Seems Betty decided to just show up with a suitcase in hand, without ever telling Kathy she was coming... as teenagers apparently do in the 1960s! Within a few days, Betty, who is quite the detective, figures out that her aunt is Batwoman. Behind the scenes, Betty goes to the fabric store, gets the fabric back to Kathy's home, and being a teenage prodigy in seamstress skills, makes herself a Bat-Girl costume without Kathy ever noticing!

To dissuade Betty, Batwoman and Batman decide to keep her busy with some crime-fighting training (walking on a tightrope and reading). Realizing that she's being stalled, Betty engages her detective skills once again and realizes where the Cobra gang is hiding out. She heads their way and engages them alone using a giant self-inflating balloon! When this blows up in her face (literally) she is captured by the gang and locked in an office. But quick-witted Betty cuts up some copy paper into bats and uses them to send a signal as to where she is being held (thank goodness for the night-time shoe-shine boy just walking around the warehouse district!). Batwoman, Batman, and Robin show up, rescue her, and the four of them take down the Cobra Gang. The elder Bats decide Betty has proven herself and say they will allow her to continue being Bat-Girl. The tale ends with Bat-Girl making Robin blush!

COVER #14

World's Finest Comics #117 (May 1961)

The villainous Lex Luthor creates an artificial multi-appendaged being called Golanth. Golanth is intended to give Luthor superpowers. In the course of battling Superman, Batman and Robin, and Batwoman, Lex's creation accidentally gives Batwoman superpowers!

She gets superpowers yet again. Take it in. For the third time since donning her bat-suit, Batwoman gets superpowers. I mean... seriously, it's like she's competing with Jimmy Olsen for the "I temporarily got super-powers award"!

Oh, and don't get me started on how silly it is that even though Lex Luthor was able to find a way to gain superpowers, he never rebuilt another Golanth to do it again!

COVER #15

Batman #140 (June 1961)

In "The Eighth Wonder of Space", Batwoman and Commissioner Gordon wait on the roof of the Gotham Police Building, wondering why they were summoned. Batman and Robin show up but are now green aliens (amazingly their costumes were able to stretch to fit their new forms!). As they explain, they were simply flying over Gotham in the BatPlane when they were "caught in some sort of ray" "coming from outer space".... as rays so often happened to do in the early 1960s.

Having been instantly transported to the planet Xlur. Over three days there, their bodies morphed due to the planet's "weird atmosphere" (more grounded comic science). After explaining their new appearance, Batman and Robin head off to battle the "Yellow Sweater Gang" (they are called this because they all wear yellow sweaters).

Eventually, the transformations wear off on their own, and Batman and Robin are able to maintain their secret identities throughout the entire ordeal.

COVER #16

Detective Comics #292 (June 1961)

Batwoman's next cover appearance, tiny as it is, is when he's seated in the passenger seat of the Batmobile as Robin drives!

After inhaling some "upper atmosphere gas" samples, Batman grows to the size of a four-story building. Naturally, the gases he inhaled affected his costume too.

In his gigantic form, Batman retreats to live in a large cave outside of Gotham City while waiting for a professor to get more samples of the "space gases". Ironically, his giant form also comes in handy for things like catching falling water tanks and failing prop planes.

Batman instructs Robin to have Batwoman help him cover Gotham while he's stuck in this giant form. At one point, Batman is captured by Rockets Rogan and his gang, and tied up in a Gulliver's Travel display. But in the end, thanks to Batman's preparedness and a tiny assist from Superman, Batman can keep his secret identity safe until, with no explanation, his giant size reverses itself.

COVER #17

Batman #141 (September 1961)

Just two issues (and four months) since her initial appearance, Betty (Bat-Girl) Kane is back visiting Gotham City. In the opening battle scene against, the Moth (the villain of the month) not only does he recognize Bat-Girl as being "back in Gotham City" (how he's privy to the fact she doesn't live there permanently remains a mystery!), but Batwoman refers to her as "my partner". Seems Betty has secured her place in the Bat Pantheon.

After single-handedly kayoing the Moth, the press makes Bat-Girl a media sensation. Soon the Robin and Bat-Girl Fan Clubs throw a dance, and Robin and Bat-Girl attend, dancing slow and close! Meanwhile, Batwoman and Batman head off to battle the Moth (who escaped prison after Bat-Girl's initial capture) but end up captured. Bat-Girl and Robin leave the dance to assist them, and the foursome is victorious. The story ends with Bat-Girl making Robin blush by kissing him on the lips.... and then Batwoman joins in by giving Batman a cheek kiss. Blushing again ensues!

COVER #18

Detective Comics #302 (April 1962)

"The Bronze Menace" is a fairly mundane tale where Batman, Robin, and Batwoman attempt to assist a sculptor, the Great Vulcan, whose exhibits are being robbed. It isn't until far into the story that the trio figures out that Vulcan himself is using a special ray device (more 1960s science) that can turn living beings into bronze.

It turns out that his statues aren't being stolen, they are actual criminals turned to bronze and then reanimated once the museum is closed so that they can rob it from inside. It's not long before Batman and Robin are turned to bronze. But thanks to Batwoman, they are reanimated and able to wrap up the case!

COVER #19

Detective Comics #307 (September 1962)

This tale starts out when an unnamed scientist uses the machine he's created to produce Alpha, the Artificial Man, the first living creature made entirely of synthetic material. Once he is schooled and trained, he's supposed to evolve into a super being. The government requests that Batman assist with this training.

Eventually, Alpha begins accompanying Batman and Robin on regular patrols of Gotham. When Alpha meets Batwoman (apparently the first female he's seen), he becomes obsessed with her. He subjects himself to further experimentation seeking to obtain emotions.

With all the heightened powers, emotions, etc., Alpha becomes paranoid and believes that Batman is out to get him. Eventually Batwoman meets up with Alpha and in a true "Beauty and the Beast" moment, she calms him. After that, circumstances place Batwoman on the side of a cliff. Alpha sacrifices his life to rescue her. Days later, Batman, Batwoman, Robin, and the unnamed scientist who invented him, hold a funeral ceremony for Alpha.

COVER #20

Batman #153 (February 1963)

Typical Batman comics during the era would contain three separate stories. In Batman #153 readers were treated with a full-length, 3-chapter tale featuring Batman, Robin, Batwoman, and Bat-Girl. And what a tale it is!

An alien named Karn flies into Gotham City on his space sled and breaks into the Jewelry Exposition. Batman and Robin attempt to intervene in his robbery, but Karn stuns them into unconsciousness and escapes. Later as Batwoman and Bat-Girl are zooming around on the Batwomancycle, they see Karn and radio the men-folk to join them in following him to his next crime. Karn brings out a "fantastic machine" and blasts the four crimefighters with it. Robin and Bat-Girl seemingly disintegrate, while Batman and Batwoman are weakened to the point they can barely stand. (Continued in chapter two!)

Turns out the fantastic machine is a teleporter. Robin and Bat-Girl have been transported to Karn's dimension. But because Batman and Batwoman were standing on a steel manhole cover when blasted, they were split into two beings (60's science). Their physical selves remain on Earth, but electrical versions of them are transported to Karn's dimension. The electrical versions struggle to stay alive in the foreign dimension, meanwhile, the physical versions attempt to figure out a way to reverse the transporter's effects. But believing they may be dying, Batman and Batwoman admit their love for each other as chapter two draws to a close.

Chapter three reveals what has happened to Robin and Bat-Girl as they struggle against other citizens from Karn's dimension. During their adventure, Bat-Girl plants a big kiss on Robin's hesitant lips! Back on Earth, the physical bodies of Batman and Batwoman are finally able to get the transporter rigged to reverse its effects. Robin and Bat-Girl are transported back, and the electric versions of Batman and Batwoman are re-integrated with their physical bodies. The four of them subdue Karn, and Karn's partner Zebo (he transported himself to Earth just a short time earlier), and send them back to their dimension, where Robin claims that government soldiers in their dimension are waiting to put them in jail.

When Batwoman reminds Batman that she heard him say he loved her, Batman does a 180, and tells her that it was simply because he thought they were dying and he wanted her last minutes to be happy ones. What a cad!

COVER #21

Detective Comics #318 (August 1963)

Batwoman is asked to hand out the cash prize at the rodeo (The Bat folk did a lot of public service appearances during this period). Out of nowhere, Cat-Man arrives to steal the prize and head on out. Batwoman follows after him while Batman and Robin work to capture all the bulls that escaped the rodeo during Cat-Man's departure.

After Batwoman falls over a cliff (she does this a lot), Catman decides to save her. Convinced that his deed will be rewarded, Cat-Man has a Cat-Woman suit created for Batwoman. Soon, Batwoman publicly breaks up with Batman and pretends to join Cat-Man. But things go awry and soon Cat-Man is sealing Batman and Robin in a brick room. Apparently the mortar he uses sets and dries at super speed, because the duo are unable to push the wall down minutes after they escape the ropes binding them to chairs. But fear not, Batman uses a signal device built into the heel of his boot (Holy Get Smart Batman!) to signal Ace the Bathound. Ace soon arrives on the scene with some explosives!

Batman rushes to help Batwoman and the two of them escape the Cat-Man's cataract moments before it explodes. It is assumed that Cat-Man has perished.

Though Batwoman will appear in 8 more adventures (in Batman, Detective Comics, and World's Finest) over the next year, this issue of Detective Comics is Batwoman's final cover appearance in the Silver Age.

In 1964, editors of the Batman line of comics would jettison Batwoman, Bat-Girl, Ace, and Bat-Mite. This move was made so that a more serious tone could be integrated to Batman's stories. There was no formal departure, the characters all just stopped being used or referenced.

But hang in there, this tour still has a few more stops to make before we reach our finale!

COVERS #22 and #23

Batman #208 (February 1969) and Batman Family #3 (February 1976)

Batwoman's next two cover appearances would be 5 and 12 years after her abrupt departure. In both instances, it would be to promote a repeat story contained in the issue.

COVERS #24

Batman Family #10 (April 1977)

She's back!! After being featured in a repeat tale in Batman Family #3, reader Brian Scott expressed his dismay in the letters page of issue #5 over her not having an original story. Editor Bob Rozakis responds by saying that maybe it will happen if enough readers request it. I guess they did!

In Batman Family #10 (April 1977), Kathy Kane dons her bat-costume again for the first time in 13 years! And her reappearance teams her with the new "Batgirl" (Barbara Gordan) in her first ever, full-length story!

Batgirl ponders some letters forwarded to her from her father, Commissioner Gordan, while in her Washington DC offices (this is during an era when she had been elected to serve in Congress). One of the letters asks why she doesn't go by the name Batwoman rather than Batgirl since she is an adult. Barbara then spends some time providing thoughtful exposition about the original Batwoman.

Later, Dick suggests that Barbara meet up with an old friend of Bruce Wayne who was visiting the DC area at that time. Her name is Kathy Kane, and she manages a carnival. Barbara and Kathy meet, and as fate would have it, they each end up in costume, fighting old-time Batman villain, the Cavalier, and Batgirl's first villain, Killer Moth. The two women spend lots of time conversing, battling the two villains, swinging on ropes that are attached to unknown and unseen structures, and then later, while in the close confines of a boat, they mutually discover each other's secret identities! How convenient!

After they wrap up the bad buys, the two spend some time at Kathy's carnival where Kathy tells Barbara it would be fine for her to take the name Batwoman. But Barbara expresses there is, and always will be, only one Batwoman. Kathy claims she's returning to retirement.

COVERS #25

Batman Family #14 (October 1977)

Sadly, in this issue Batwoman is nothing more than a plot device, appearing in just a few panels at the beginning and end of the story. She is seemingly disintegrated, but after a lengthy Batgirl & Robin team-up, they are able to apprehend the villains responsible for Kathy's situation, and with a little help from Kid Flash, Kathy is brought back to physical existence.

COVERS #26

Freedom Fighters #14 (June 1978)

The members of the Freedom Fighters (on the lam) visit the Kane Kolossal Karnival (not a great name in hindsight, were it to be abbreviated). When they are called into action, they meet up with Batwoman and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon is visiting Kathy). Eventually, the FF join the Karnival in order to hide-out for a bit.

Batwoman and Batgirl and our tale continue into Freedom Fighters #15 (no cover appearance for Batwoman though) where everyone combines forces to overcome the aliens threatening to transport their race to take over Earth!

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Sadly, Kathy Kane's next appearance would be two years later in Detective Comics #485 (Sept 1979). In this issue, she is murdered by the League of Assassins. She isn't even given the honor of having a final cover appearance.

With that said, this tour has a few more stops before it pulls into the final gate.

COVERS #27

The Brave and the Bold #182 (January 1982)

A little over two years after the death of Batwoman, DC readers were given a shock when they found out that Earth-Two had its own Batwoman. She turns up to help the Batman of Earth-One as he teams up with the Robin of Earth-Two.

Though technically not the Kathy Kane we've been following on this tour, it seemed appropriate to include her in this tour. There was a touching scene where the Earth-Two Batwoman is introduced to the Earth-One Batman. Each of them is shocked for a moment, as each of them feels like they are being introduced to ghosts.... given that the Earth-Two Batman and the Earth-One Batwoman are deceased when this story takes place.

This Earth-Two version of Batwoman would make one additional appearance... in the forthcoming The Brave and the Bold #197 about a year later. The Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series would be around the corner, and both versions of Batwoman were erased from existence.

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As various Crisis and Flashpoint events repeatedly rewrite DC continuity, the original Kathy Kane is eventually erased, and replaced by an updated version of Katherine Kane who goes by the name "Kate" (circa 2007). She too becomes Batwoman, complete with an updated costume and a military background. Kate Kane is the cousin of Bruce Wayne (Kate's father, Jacob, is the brother of Bruce's mother, Martha. I have fond memories of the original Batwoman. She was an integral part of the Batman Family for many years. Whenever I read adventures with her, I'm instantly whooshed back to my tween years! I hope if you are a fan of Kathy, you've enjoyed this trip down Memory Lane. On the other hand, if you were unaware of her existence, I hope you've enjoyed this serving of a slice of her many appearances!

Batwoman and all related characters, names, and elements and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of DC Comics, Inc.