Review: Catwoman #37

The penultimate issue of Ram V’s Catwoman run sees Selina, Harley, the Gardener and the Alleytown gang look to finally rescue Ivy. As nebulously attached to the Fear State bat-event as any of the books where the outcome has hardly any impact on the main story, there is a kind of conclusion for DC’s favourite loved up couple.

Selina has utilised a range of friends and foes in order to, kind of, bring back the Gotham City Sirens. But where there is a Riddler involves, you can bet your bottom dollar that there is also a hey diddle diddler! How is that going to impact on Selina’s grand scheme?

When he first started on this book, Ram V was something of revitalising hero. For too long the Catwoman book seemed to promise so much and deliver not all that much to be honest, especially when compared to her Marvel feline counterpart Black Cat, which has been great from the get go. The truth of the matter is that even with V, a great writer in his own right, this run has actually been much more a “been there done that” kind of affair. For example, when this volume started, Selina has moved to Villa Hermosa. Now in V’s run, she is transplanted to Alleytown. I am not even sure how the various friends she made in either city are different from each other. Relationships are the focal point of this run. Here, Selina has her strays, Harley and of course their shared desire to rescue Ivy. I had hoped for something fun for this character; as it is I can’t help but think there has been a wasted opportunity to really shine a spotlight on Catwoman.

The art is provided by the trio of Nina Vakeuva, Laura Braga and Geraldo Borges. To say that the adage of too many cooks and broth that is spoil, the same could be said of the art here. Color me shallow if you must, but Catwoman should be sexy, slinky and flexible. Here, she is block, ill-defined and clumpy. I read comics to be entertained and certain characters have with them certain expectations. Nowhere in this run has the visual expectations of Selina been met. It is only through sheer stubbornness that I am still buying this book! Bring back Jim Balent! To see how good Catwoman can look go check out Clay Mann’s Batman/Catwoman book. Colors are provided by Jordie Bellaire who gives the book a dirty downtown look, contrasted with jarring, almost 3D edge effects. It’s a bold choice for a book that is trying hard too hard to be a serious book. Tom Napolitano drops a font that works well in highlighting the different characters.

I am going to stick around for the new creative team, due in a couple of issues (#39), though if truth be told, I wasn’t that impressed with Tini Howards Excalibur book, so I guess time will tell. For Ram V, with news that he’s leaving both Justice League Dark and Swap Thing, I hope he gets the opportunity to get more meta-textual, akin to These Savage Shores, soon.

Writing – 3 Stars

Art – 2 Stars

Colors – 3 Stars

Overall – 2.5 Stars

Written by; Ram V
Art by; Nina Vakeuva, Laura Braga & Geraldo Borges
Colors by; Jordie Bellaire
Letters by; Tom Napolitano
Published by; DC Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

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