When it comes to DC, they arere a comic book brand that has shined on television. Whether it be animated or live-action, the medium has introduced a whole generation of new fans to the universe’s lesser-known characters. Particularly, shows in the shared-CW world dubbed the “Arrowverse”. Spanning over a decade and featuring more than a half dozen shows like Arrow, The Flash, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, every type of comic fan had something to enjoy. However, one of the more divisive series during that time was Batwoman. Based on the Bat-family member, the show was full of production troubles and story woes. That being said, now Batwoman has a second chance to fly as it has found a new free streaming home.
All three seasons of Batwoman are now protecting Gotham City on Tubi. While the series wasn’t well received by fans, holding a dyer 21% on Rotten Tomatoes, the critic score is much more positive, featuring a fresh 65%. Batwoman ran for 51 episodes, but faced a lot of turbulence throughout. The main one being star Ruby Rose‘s abrupt departure from the show after Season 1. While the studio claimed the actress was fired for “multiple complaints” on set, Rose later cited an on-set injury that led to back surgery was a big factor in her leaving the cape and cowl behind. However, even before the show premiered, Batwoman and Rose faced backlash just given the nature of the DC hero, with Batwoman’s modern interpretation as an openly gay woman was sadly too much for the internet to handle. The series arguably never recovered from this.
What’s ‘Batwoman’ About?
Once you get past all the needless and harmful internet labels, Batwoman Season 1 follows Kate Kane, Bruce Wayne’s cousin, as she takes on the heroic persona in the wake of Alice and her Wonderland gang taking over the city. With the help of Luke Fox, Lucius Fox’s son, Kate vows to protect Gotham in the wake of Batman disappearing three years prior. While the series as a whole featured the same low-budget CW feel as shows like Supergirl and Black Lightning, Batwoman had some promise in terms of costume design and storylines involving Kate’s deeper relationship with Alice. The latter felt like a second-rate Mad Hatter at times, but Rachel Skarsten was fully committed to the campy nature of the villain. However, once Kate was replaced by Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie), a completely original character, in the Batsuit for Season 2 and 3, the cracks in this series’ armor really started to show. Despite crossing over with other Arrowverse shows regularly, even after its cancelation in 2021, Batwoman never felt like she had a true chance to spread her wings.
Batwoman is joined by fellow DC series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Gotham on Tubi.