Posted in: Batman, Comics, Current News, DC Comics | Tagged: catwoman, Gotham War, Marquise, red hood

Red Hood Vs Batman, and The Marquise Revealed (Gotham War Spoilers)

Today sees Catwoman, fresh from her Knight Terrors, join the Gotham War, and pit Red Hood against Batman - but what about Marquise?

Today sees Catwoman, fresh from her Knight Terrors, join the Gotham War that has seen her train Gotham's henchmen into becoming high-end cat burglars, depriving the Gotham Big Bads of their usual cannon fodder, and has requested Batman look the other way for the greater good, and the reduction of murders and violent crime, down 75% while Batman has been away for two months. It did not go down well. And while the various other Bat-characters of Gotham take sides or abstain, it is Red Hood who Catwoman seems to have relied on to make the case to Batman. Or if he won't listen…

… get a bit handsy. Batman's second Robin, Jason Todd, who died at the hands of the Joker, only to be revived and take on an even more murderous streak than he had done before his death. using the crowbar that killed him as a weapon, as well as a gun or three, he was always going to be the first that Catwoman could rely on to step away from Batman's moral absolutes…

Things may never be able to be the same between the Bat and the Cat after this, but it looks like the already strained relationship with the Hood will also be severed. But while the evidence, the statistics and the moral relativism are on Catwoman's side, is she being played?

Over the weekend, Bleeding Cool made some deductions regarding the identity of the Marquise, who has become Catwoman's right-hand woman in the Gotham War, and how this might be part of a pincer movement set up by the immortal Vandal Savage. But we didn't realise that we would get confirmation so soon…

Because Scandal Savage it is… go on, let's run what we did on the weekend with a tiny bit of editing for tenses. Marquise is a character who first appeared in Catwoman #51, as one of Selina Kyle's jailmates, and one of a number of new heads who made their first appearance in that issue.

She also introduced herself and made herself quite useful to Selina Kyle. Not that she knew who Seline Kyle was at that point. Apparently, Catwoman's identity is not known in the wider world.

But there was more behind Marquise, and she put herself in danger to aid Selina. Even risking death.

Except it seems that Marquise had a way of cheating death.

Eventually Selina Kyle admitted to her that she was Catwoman…

…and included her in her prison breakout.

Since then, she has appeared a kind of sidekick to Selina Kyle, her right-hand woman in the current Gotham War storyline.

But who is she really? Spoilers ahead, I guess. It all depends if this plays out the way it looks, I suppose.

And it seems that she has been a plant all this time, planned by writer Tini Howard from the beginning, in concordance with Batman writer Chip Zdarsky. From another power source looking to create as well as exploit the Gotham War situation. So, at the end of the most recent Batman, we discovered that Vandal Savage had bought Bruce Wayne's Wayne Manor, very aware of the link between Bruce and Batman.

It seems that Catwoman has been similarly infiltrated, from Vandal Savage;s daughter, Scandal Savage. Managed to get those tattoos off…

Scandal Savage first appeared in Villains United #1 in 2005, and was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham as the daughter of Vandal Savage, and was a member of the Secret Six. Wielding lamentation blades, she is as immortal as her father, and was an early lesbian lead character in the DC Universe.

Well, we know now that she definitely had heard of him!

CATWOMAN #57 CVR A DAVID NAKAYAMA (BATMAN CATWOMAN THE GOTHAM WAR)
(W) Tini Howard (A) Nico Leon (CA) David Nakayama
BATMAN/CATWOMAN: THE GOTHAM WAR PART 3! The Gotham War, part three. While Batman finds himself more and more isolated, Selina is never alone. With a volunteer army and two powerful generals by her side, the ballet between her and Bruce enters its next act with a shocking twist. Retail: $3.99 In-Store Date: 9/19/2023

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