New Batman Family Series Opens With Shocking Death & Possible DC Retcon

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Many characters in the Batman universe are motivated by the loss of a family member. When Batwoman, Kate Kane, first began her crime-fighting career, she was unusual in not having that kind of tragic backstory. But her new comic series begins with a shocking and puzzling death that will surprise even longtime readers.

Okay, so I just started reading this new Batwoman series, and it’s a really interesting setup. It’s written by Greg Rucka, who did some great work on the character before, and the art is by DaNi. It kicks off in a mental hospital in Greece, which is already a bit of a shock. We find out Kate Kane is actually a patient there, and her therapist thinks she’s dealing with some serious survivor’s guilt. A lot of the early stuff focuses on the therapist trying to get Kate to open up about her twin sister, Beth, and what happened when she seemingly died when they were both twelve. It’s setting up a really intriguing mystery!

Whenever Kate recalls seeing her sister, she’s actually remembering their last argument. After Kate became Batwoman, her sister Beth transformed into a villain named Alice, who led a dangerous cult called the Religion of Crime. This cult’s ultimate goal was to kill Kate, believing it would fulfill a prophecy and allow the villain Darkseid to take control of Earth.

Who dies in Batwoman #1?

A past memory reveals Batwoman fighting her adversary, Alice, who was attempting to unleash a powerful weapon from the New Gods. Batwoman managed to disable the weapon, but the fight continued on a dangerous cliff during a storm. It’s unknown whether Alice fell from the cliff or was struck by lightning, but Batwoman believes her sister died that day, and the loss deeply affected her.

This scene shares similarities with the Batwoman story “Elegy,” where Beth Kane, also known as Alice, was first introduced. That story concluded with Alice seemingly dying in a fall from a plane. While it was later revealed she was brought back to life by the Religion of Crime, those events were explored in stories written by different authors than Greg Rucka.

Why Alice’s death may be a retcon

When a new Batwoman series was announced at New York Comic Con in 2025, writer Greg Rucka revealed it would explore a story he’d originally planned to tell after finishing his run on the character in 2009. He said it was a story he’d always wanted to share, but the timing hadn’t been right. However, the show’s portrayal of the character Alice diverged from Rucka’s original vision.

Alice’s body was found by the Religion of Crime, and they tried to bring her back to life using a magical sarcophagus. The DEO intervened and resurrected her, hoping to force Kate to reveal Batman’s identity. Ultimately, Kate’s father had Alice committed to a mental health facility in Switzerland to help her recover.

When Batwoman faced danger, Beth stepped up as the hero Red Alice to rescue her. For a short time in 2018, during the ‘Fall of the House of Kane’ storyline, her former villainous persona, Alice, resurfaced. But the last time Beth appeared in a comic, she was living with her sister and attending private therapy sessions.

It’s uncertain whether Greg Rucka is disregarding events that happened after the ‘Batwoman: Elegy’ storyline. One explanation is that Beth simply reverted to her Alice persona. However, considering Alice’s complicated past, it’s also possible DC changed the established timeline to allow Rucka to tell a previously untold story.

Batwoman #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.

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2026-03-19 20:37