Review: Catwoman #24
It’s been a while since I last looked at a Catwoman book and a lot has changed for sure. Gone is the uber talented Joélle Jones and the city of Villa Hermosa. With her involvement in the City of Bane storyline and the prelude to the Joker War; continuity wise, it’s a hard time being a cat. Following her big 80th anniversary issue, is it time for this cat to land on her feet?
Taking a little busman’s holiday from Gotham, Selina is having a bit of a jungle adventure. It may have come as a bit of shock to her system to realise she wasn’t the biggest cat on the prowl. Yet in the jungle, the hunter can become the prey; with Selina out to claim her prize, how can she hope to compete with the Snowflame for the granddaddy of ‘nock lists?
This two-part story is written by Sean Murphy, of White Knight fame, and DC newcomer Blake Northcott, who has had success on Vampirella and Fathom. Murphy excels at changing perceptions of the characters; by taking Selina out of the city, he and Northcott essentially change Selina’s rather than the readers. There are a few influences hidden in plain sight. For example, the ‘nock list or a variation of it, has been used in more than one Mission Impossible movie. Granted, Selina has been a globe trotter in her previous series, but the thing that caught my attention was that the story includes a mind altering gassing; haven’t we just seen that over in Batman? Is this the great editorial coincidence that seems to pervade the Big Two at work? Northcott provides the script and despite some spiritual mumbo jumbo, pretty much nails Selina well. I have a lot of time for Northcott, having enjoyed her Fathom run; I would love to see her get a chance on a DC book.
The art by Cian Tormey is stylised and at first glance, I have to say I wasn’t keen on it. On second viewing though, I found that I was quite enjoying it. Tormey has a less is more type of approach, which alludes to movement when Selina is in costumer. Out of it, Selina and the other characters have distinctive faces which range from conversational pieces to full on emotive sneers and shouts. A quick word about the costume; Murphy’s love of B:TAS is visually rendered by Tormey and whilst its fun seeing the greys, I can only hope that the purple dress makes another reappearance soon. Colors are provided by FCO Plascencia who does well with the somewhat unusual setting. Finally, Tom Napolitano provide a easy to read font in a surprisingly wordy comic.
This little sojourn acts as a pallet cleanser, clearing the way for Catwoman to step up in to the Joker War. I have to say that with the recent book cancellations and non-extensions, I am a little surprised to see that Catwoman escaped the cull, given that Batgirl didn’t. Hopefully DC can start to deliver a Catwoman book that brings back some of the fun in the character.
Writing – 3.5 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars
Overall – 3.5 Stars
Story by; Sean Murphy & Blake Northcott
Script by; Blake Northcott
Art by; Cian Tormey
Colors by; FCO Plascencia
Letters by; Tom Napolitano
Published by; DC Comics
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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