A character goes full circle, and becomes a full member of the DC Universe.
DC Comics stirred up controversy in 2006 when it decided to reintroduce the Batwoman as a “lipstick lesbian.”
Yet, it seemed ironic. A character created in 1956 as a means to show that Batman was no homosexual was being reinvented as a lesbian herself. Katherine “Kate” Kane herself was a former lover of Renee Montoya, and (like her 1956 precursor) was part of one of Gotham City’s wealthiest families.
There was a hint of this character in the 2003 DVD release Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. Here, three women are posing as this character, avenging wrongs perpetrated by The Penguin and Rupert Throne. One of them is Kathy Duquesne (pronounced “du-kane”), is a homage to Kathy Kane.
This latest version of Batwoman has appeared in the weekly comic 52. Additionally, she was featured in Detective Comics, beginning in June 2009. She received her own comic book title in 2011, and has been a regular part of the DC Universe in the 2010s. In 2019, the character received her own series on The CW.