I don't normally write reviews on TV shows, but I just HAD to go out of my way for this one. I'm three years behind on Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl. As that is, I went out of my way to watch the first two parts of the "Elseworlds" crossover event between the latter three shows because I had read that Batwoman would be making an appearance, and maybe I'm still riding the endorphin high, but I have to say: that was two hours of the most exciting television I have ever seen in my life.
I'm a massive, lifelong fan of Gotham City's stories, and especially a fan of Bruce Wayne's sadly less-famous cousin, and the way she was played by Ruby Rose was a dream that I never thought I would get to see come true. I'd seen Ruby in several other things, like John Wick 2, The Meg, and xXx: Return of Xander Cage, but here, all I saw was one of my favorite comic book characters brought to perfect life. The power she gave to this character was incredible, and her brief appearance behind the red-wigged cowl was a thing of absolute beauty.
Even "Elseworlds, pt. 1", despite missing Batwoman, was still an unbelievable setup and a powerful reminder of why I love the Arrowverse so much. I love Jeremy Davies's work in Lost and God of War, and his version of Dr. Destiny was a little cheesy, but still so much fun. As for Part 2 -- I have never freaked out so much watching 20 minutes of anything. The climax at Arkham Asylum was filled with amazing Easter eggs and setpieces, and featured a wild re-imagining of Nora Fries, as well as what I'm pretty sure was a cameo of Lonnie Machin, Anarky himself, of all people. The way they even worked Jonathan Crane's fear toxin into the overall "Elseworlds" plot was pure Bat-fanservice at its best.
Even though I watched this only to see Kate Kane, I still found myself enjoying the crossover story itself just as much as seeing Gotham City's newest depiction, and even teared up at one of the more emotional moments. I can't wait until I get the opportunity to watch Part 3, but even more than that, I am 100% sold on the forthcoming Batwoman TV show, and I'll be dropping everything (maybe even Kingdom Hearts 3) to finally be able to watch one of my favorite heroes in action. Now, if only I had confirmation that they're reviving her comic book series...
Review of Elseworlds, Part 2
