A Batman: Arkham Knight Easter egg shows that Batwoman is set to marry Maggie Sawyer, which DC prevented during its New 52 comics reboot.
The story of Batman: Arkham Knight may have run into criticism for different reasons, but it at the very least addressed one of the biggest mistakes DC made with the New 52, where editorial prevented Batwoman, aka Kate Kane, from marrying her partner, Maggie Sawyer. Though she is only briefly referenced in the game (unlike Barbara Gordon, who received her own DLC as Batgirl in Batman: Arkham Knight), Kate is finally allowed to pursue her engagement with her fiancé Maggie Sawyer despite DC's wishes against this in the past. A beloved character getting to fulfill her betrothment is nice to see, but it begs the question as to why Batwoman was not allowed to marry her partner in the first place.
For those unfamiliar with the comics, the New 52 was a revamp of the DC universe that started in 2011. In the New 52's story for Batwoman, Kate becomes engaged to Maggie Sawyer, a former Metropolis police officer now working in Gotham. Creative team JH Williams III and W. Haden Blackman planned to see the two marry each other in the Batwoman series, but DC forbade this move. Williams and Blackman - along with the fans of the comics - were made upset by what felt like Batman's editorial committing a crime against one of its characters. The duo ended up leaving Batwoman prematurely, and though Kate and Maggie's marriage wasn't the only casualty of the New 52 - with Superman's longtime partnership with Lois Lane being removed from DC canon with the reboot as well, among other iconic couplings - it still felt like an injustice to those characters.
Batman: Arkham Knight offers some much needed fan service regarding this initial controversy, a whole two years after it took place. Those who not only wanted to see Batwoman and Maggie's relationship progress but also quality LGTBQ representation were seeming denied by DC for little cause. DC's then co-publisher Dan DiDio shared with The Hollywood Reporter that the reason behind forbidding the marriage came down to the lives of those in the Batman Family: "Tim Drake, Barbara Gordon, and Kathy Kane - it’s wonderful that they try to establish personal lives, but it’s also just as important that they put it aside as they know what they are accomplishing as the hero takes precedence over everything else." Although the Batman: Arkham series has aged in some ways, Arkham Knight seems to stand by Batwoman more than DC did by allowing her to marry her partner. News of the marriage is small and brief, but it is sweet for fans who have been waiting for it to happen.
To find out about Batwoman and Maggie's engagement and marriage plans in Batman: Arkham Knight, Batman needs to access his voicemail in his Wayne Tower office. He will find a series of messages from several big names like Lex Luther and Vicki Vale, but the most exciting message of them all is the last one from Kate Kane. Kate hints at her Batwoman persona subtly to Batman in Arkham Knight, as well as confirming her upcoming engagement: "Bruce. It's Kate. You're coming to Maggie and I's engagement thing next week, aren't you? No one's seen you in months, Bruce. And you taught me the importance of keeping appearances." It's a small moment, but one that correctly reverses one of the biggest errors DC committed with the New 52, and may even hint at a future role for Batwoman in the future of the Batman: Arkham series.
Kate and Maggie may not have been able to tie the knot in the mainstream DC Universe, but this voicemail at least offers fans some relief by letting them know there is a Batman continuity in which she and her partner are allowed to progress in their relationship. Such a sentiment is especially nice for the Arkham series, whose previous depictions of other women characters like Catwoman in Batman: Arkham City felt dated. Despite this, Batman: Arkham Knight delivers when it comes to reversing one of DC's biggest mistakes, and provides at least a small amount of justice for Batwoman and Maggie Sawyer in the process.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
