WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman: The Adventures Continue Season II #4, on sale now from DC Comics.
Batman: The Animated Series is responsible for introducing a number of elements to the Batman mythos that still endure to this day. The most popular addition the DC Animated Universe series that made the jump to mainstream continuity was Harley Quinn and, in the twenty years since her introduction, she's progressed far beyond her animated counterpart, and now other characters are beginning to follow suit.
One of the best detectives introduced in the animated series, Renee Montoya, is reintroduced in Batman: The Adventures Continue Season II #4 (by Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Jordan Gibson, Monica Kubina and Josh Reed). Not only does this latest issue center on the crime-fighting exploits of this GCPD detective, but it also introduces an important part of her character into the DCAU.
Renee shows up at a party in her honor with another woman at her side. When Montoya is called up on stage to speak, a kiss on the cheek makes it clear that this mystery woman is more than just a friend. This is the first time the DCAU's Renee has been shown in a relationship and this new character, Gloria Navarro, is by Renee's side throughout the entire story.
Created by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Mitch Brian for Batman: The Animated Series, Renee Montoya first appeared in Batman #475 prior to making her on-screen debut. In the years since the show ended, the character has evolved to become much more than she was on the animated series.
One of the biggest arcs the character went through was in Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark's Gotham Central. In this series, which focused on the members of the GCPD, Montoya was revealed to be a lesbian. This led to a lot of turmoil in both her personal and professional lives. Her girlfriend at the time, Daria Hernandez, helped her endure many difficulties during this time, including the rejection of her family. However, when she turned to alcohol after the death of fellow officer Crispus Allen, Daria broke up with her.
In the new DCAU series, Renee's love life is much less troubled. Gloria appears as a very supportive partner to her girlfriend, although she disagrees with the detective on her anti-Batman stance. When Gloria is kidnapped by the Muscle in an attempt to lure Montoya into a trap, Renee rushes off to help her partner.
In the mainstream DC Universe, Montoya also had a relationship with Kate Kane (aka Batwoman), with the two initially connecting while both were costumed crime fighters (Montoya was The Question at the time). After being separated for a while, the two reconnected in the DC Rebirth Detective Comics run, in which Renee was once again a part of the GCPD, and they got back together in Kate's Batwoman series as well.
This major part of her character has also made it into live-action. In the television series Gotham, Renee, played by Victoria Cartagena, was once involved with Barbara Keen for a time. With the announcement that Cartagena will also be playing the Arrowverse's version of Montoya in season 3 of Batwoman, it's highly likely that this new iteration will also explore this part of her character.
Even though the DCAU's Renee Montoya doesn't have the same LGBTQ+ history as her DCU counterpart, the inclusion of Gloria and their relationship on display here brings one of the most important and much-loved parts of Montoya to her original animated counterpart.