Batwoman’s latest episode subverted an iconic aspect of the Waynes’ deaths and Batman’s origin - actually changing it for the better. The show stars Australian actress Ruby Rose as Kate Kane who, after an extended absence from Gotham City, returned home in order to help rescue an old flame. With Bruce Wayne (and, therefore, Batman) having vanished three years prior, Kate then opted to stick around - ultimately taking up the titular mantle in the face of emerging threats. The primary of those was her own long-lost twin sister, Beth, who had, in the intervening years, taken on the villainous persona of Alice.
In recent weeks, however, Batwoman has come up against more case-of-the-week type foes. After foiling the machinations of Tommy Elliot (aka Hush) and banishing him to Arkham Asylum, the latest episode saw Kate dealing with the renowned thief and serial bomber known as Magpie. After pilfering a number of valuable pieces and almost killing a security guard in the process, the career criminal turned her attention to a truly iconic target: Martha Wayne’s pearl necklace. Even after his disappearance, the jewelry had enjoyed pride of place in Bruce’s Wayne Tower penthouse office. Its encasing also served to provide entrance to the Batcave. After posing as a photographer working for a museum looking to showcase them, Magpie was able to case the building and successfully secure them.
Kate understandably made it her mission to recover the extended family’s tragic heirlooms - risking her life on multiple occasions in the process. The history of the pearl necklace has become a staple of pop culture over the decades, as well known to hardcore DC Comics fans as it is to even the most casual of film fans. At this stage, it goes as much without saying or revisiting as Uncle Ben’s death being the inciting incident for Marvel’s Spider-Man. Rather than reiterating the details of Thomas and Martha Wayne’s deaths, Batwoman actually delved into what happened in the years afterward. According to Luke Fox, Bruce spent a large portion of his adult years tracking down the necklace - ultimately offering a bid in excess of $1,000,000 to recover them from an auction.
This particular detail flies directly in the face of what many fans know and have come to expect from adaptations of this particular comic book world. The majority of versions share a common trait. When the Waynes are killed, one way or another Martha’s necklace is broken and the pearls are sent clattering to the floor. Christopher Nolan used that imagery in Batman Begins. Zack Snyder utilized it in Batman v Superman. Even the TV show Gotham and numerous animated adaptations featured that particular moment. The implication in Batwoman, however, is that such detail never occurred and the necklace was actually stolen - successfully and firmly intact. After all, it’s unlikely that Joe Chill would have stuck around to claim each individual pearl and then took them to be repaired, especially after murdering two people.
While this may seem like a stark deviation from the source material, it is actually more in line with the original comic books. In fact, such imagery only debuted in 1986, with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. As iconic as the imagery was and still remains, Batwoman’s choice to distinguish itself was a smart one. Not only does it continue the show’s already impressive faithfulness to the page - especially regarding specific moments between Kate and Alice - but fleshes out the character of Bruce Wayne without him needing to be present. After all, it would take top-notch detective skills to be able to track such an item down and an extraordinary level of tenacity to keep going after presumably years, if not decades, of dead ends. Whether or not Bruce will ever make a physical appearance on Batwoman remains to be seen. Whatever the case, even in mention, the legacy of character is definitely being done justice.
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