Batwoman has gone through some big changes in the Arrowverse recently. As comic book readers know, that's actually in keeping with the character's history in DC Comics. Several women have held the title in various versions of comic continuity, going back to the original iteration in the Silver Age of Comics.
Batwoman's history in the comics is almost always reflective of her era, and her role within the larger Bat-Family shifting depending on the times. But she is always at the leading edge of comic books, as her most recent version, Kate Kane, has proven since her debut in the early 2000s.
Kathy Kane
The story of Batwoman in DC Comics actually begins with Kathy Kane, a wealthy socialite introduced in Detective Comics #233 back in 1956. Introduced as a colleague and potential love interest, Kathy was primarily created in reaction to a major cultural controversy about comics.
In 1954, Dr. Fredric Wertham’s book Seduction of the Innocent suggested, without any real evidence, that comic books were turning America gay. Specifically, the book promoted the fear that Batman and Robin were gay. To counter this mindset, DC Comics introduced Kathy as a love interest to Bruce Wayne.
Death & Resurrection
Kathy Kane remained part of the Batman mythos for several years, but once the controversy about Wertham's book was in the past, she fell out of favor at DC Comics. She was essentially replaced by Batgirl, who had been introduced via the 1966 Adam West Batman television series.
In the 70s, she was killed off and more or less forgotten about. With the shifting versions of DC continuity in events like Crisis On Infinite Earths, she also never existed. Grant Morrison would later revive her in their 2011 Batman Incorporated comic book series.
The Selina Kyle Batwoman
DC Comics has been a multiverse of many alternate realities from the start, thanks in large part to the time travel ability of The Flash. In one dimension, Selina Kyle, Catwoman, was actually Batwoman.
In the 1998 Elseworlds story JLA: The Nail, Catwoman becomes Batwoman and joins the Justice League Of America in a world without Superman. She bases her costume largely on the orange and red hues of the original Kate Kane costume, though with her own stylistic flourish.
Stephanie Brown
There have been many versions of Batwoman in many universes over the years. One of the most recent is Stephanie Brown, who becomes Batwoman in the pages of the Young Justice comic book. This team exists on Earth-3, home to the villainous version of the Justice League, the Crime Syndicate of America.
In main DC Comics continuity, or at least versions of it, Stephanie Brown had been both Spoiler and Batgirl. Her resurrection as Batwoman follows her death in regular continuity, and erasure from existence following the reboot of the entire line in the New 52 era introduced in 2011.
Kate Kane
The modern version of Batwoman, Kate Kane, debuted in 2006 in 52 #7. She carries over some biographical elements from Kathy Kane, being a wealthy socialite, but she's now the cousin of Bruce Wayne. She takes up the mantle of Batwoman after his apparent death.
As part of the Infinite Crisis revamp of the line at the time, Batwoman had initially been imagined as Batgirl, with Barbara Gordon returning to the role. But she remained as Oracle, at least for a few more years, and Kate Kane took center stage.
One Of The Most Prominent LGBTQ+ Superheroes
DC Comics announced Kate Kane as a lesbian from the beginning, generating a lot of media attention for the character. At the time, she was considered one of the most prominent LGBTQ+ characters in DC Comics.
She was initially in a relationship with Renee Montoya, a detective with the Gotham Police Department (and an original character from the iconic Batman: The Animated Series). Kate later began dating another member of the GPD, Maggie Sawyer.
Controversy Over Potential Marriage
The relationship between Kate Kane and Kathy Sawyer has generally been very positive, but one aspect resulted in a lot of controversy.
In 2013, co-writers J.H. Williams and W. Haden Blackman left the title after they claimed that DC Comics wouldn't allow them to marry the couple. The result in the comics was that the two characters broke up. Kate eventually reconnected with Renee Montoya, and that relationship has continued through the recent series of line-wide revamps like DC Rebirth.
Teaming With Wonder Woman
In 2012, Batwoman teamed up with Wonder Woman for the first time. The two search for Medusa while going through the Greek god equivalent of Arkham Asylum. The burgeoning trust between the two powerful characters gets them through some truly mythic stakes in the story.
Given the huge canvas of the story and the great team-up at the heart of it, Batwoman could easily be a character who could appear in the upcoming third Wonder Woman movie.
Fall Of The Batmen
In a storyline that could have a potential impact on both the Batwoman television series and a potential movie is Fall Of The Batmen from 2018, this story is a great example for comic book readers of how Batwoman distinguishes herself from Batman.
Whereas Batman rejects outright violence, she's open to any means necessary. When Clayface is driven into a violent rampage, nothing is able to stop him. Kate Kane takes matters into her own hands and shoots him dead. This leads to a huge falling out between Batwoman and Batman.
The Joker War
A recent storyline in the comics saw Batwoman come back into the fold of Bat-Family to help Batman face off against one of his deadliest foes. In The Joker War, Batwoman leads the assault on taking back Wayne Tower, which had been invaded by Joker's gang. She also rescued Lucius Fox, who had been captured and infected with the Joker Toxin.
She diffuses the situation at the tower, but the Joker's insane plot spirals out to the rest of Gotham, forcing Batman and his allies to protect citizens all over the city.