The Good
Crime stories, by their very nature, have a mystery at their hearts, but depending on who and how they’re centering on, they can also wind up being more about politics than anything else. And the mystery isn’t always a “whodunit,” but can be as specific as “how can the protagonist get what they want,” or even “who can the protagonist trust”? CATWOMAN is still in the process of sorting a great deal of this, particularly after the surprising turns that have taken place over the last couple of issues that have led up to this moment. Genevieve Valentine has reinvigorated this character in ways that it was desperately in need of, not only from issue-to-issue, but in the long run. Selina Kyle was in danger of becoming another Bat-family member, only one who would occasionally steal stuff maybe. And only for fun. There were rarely consequences from her criminal endeavors, either from the characters OR the readers. Since her thefts were always justified, it was easy to just write off what should have been a huge part of her character, but this issue continues to show that not only do her crimes have massive in-universe consequences, but that, as a reader, it’s okay to have very conflicting feelings about her. Valentine is writing an extraordinarily interesting take on a well-established character and it’s a take that hasn’t been seen in all the decades the character’s been around.
Garry Brown handles the linework and brings his usual jagged, edgy style to it. he also makes great use of shadows, both those cast by the characters and those cast on the characters, to communicate a sense of moral ambiguity and looseness that a book like this desperately needs. The close ups look great and his take on Batman is also a fantastic one. The character has a raw physicality to him that makes his and Selina’s tussle have a real edge to it. It’s a brief fight, but it’s silent and the pacing on it is perfect. Lee Loughridge is on colors and his suit this book to a tee. Whether it be morning or night, Gotham looks threatening and the people who dwell in it look either suitably threatened or suitably intimidating.
The Bad
As great as the art is in close, it can be difficult to sometimes either tell characters apart as almost all of them dress similarly and have some very similar physical builds. This isn’t helped when some panels are extremely minimalist, with characters lacking any sort of detail beyond the very basics.
The plot STILL feels like something was skipped over, and while it’s not something critical, its absence is still felt. The plot is winding, but ultimately a simple one that’s not terribly difficult to follow, it’s just difficult to nail down everyone’s motivations.
The Verdict
While we may have seen the end of fun-loving Selina Kyle for the time being, this one brings a certain realistic edge that the character has needed to elevate herself from being a simple distraction for a long time. The best stories featuring her have also featured that edge, but this is the first time it’s been front-and-center. Valentine is taking her in some truly excellent and interesting, even uncharted, directions, and the artistic team seems capable of steering the ship, even if it gets a little rocky at times.