Review: Catwoman #5

“A cat can only take so much s#!+ before her claws come out!” That is the lesson taught to us by Selina Kyle in this exquisitely crafted issue of Catwoman. Joelle Jones has created a work of art here and not just with the gorgeous visuals of this issue, but with the storytelling. She tells the tales of Selina and Raina Creel simultaneously, in fact many times throughout the issue on the same page. Laura Allred steps into the spotlight here to work her magic with a palette of muted, subdued hues and tones that she uses to identify exactly which story a certain panel belongs to. Even Josh Reed’s lettering plays an exact role in visually telling these two stories side by side as they are presented here. The page layouts are some of the best I’ve seen in recent memory. With so much praise being heap on a certain writers use of the nine panel grid, Jones’ masterpiece of sequential art storytelling exists in stark opposition of that rigid form of visual narrative. These pages flow, they are alive, your eye moves across each panel in slow languid passes like watching a rose slowly bloom right before your eyes. This comic book is a work of poetry as much as it is a piece of popular culture.

The story centers on Raina Creel’s sinister plan and Selina’s mission to save her sister Maggie. the previous issues fleshed out much of the back story while this issue brings us up to speed in the present. Selina’s actions set her on a collision course with the demented Creel Family leaving a bloody fallout in its wake.

In an issue so visually stunning it would be easy to get lost in the rich, deeply engrossing artwork, however Jones keeps the emotional stakes extremely high and the intricate narrative unfolds at such a methodical pace that it pulls you in beyond the intensely intriguing images. The narrative is perfectly paced, there isn’t a single wasted panel or unnecessary word balloon. Jones budgets her dialog to get the most from each utterance a character makes. There is a weight to each word, balanced precisely for optimum effect. This is essentially a crime noir story and Jones nails that tonal quality both with her script and visually. The blood soaked sheets, the ominous syringe, the close-ups of wide eyes staring into their doom coming from just off page, these images make your blood run cold and they stay with you long after you have read the final word. Like an old black and white Drag Net episode, this book has a visual vocabulary that transcends time, it touches those places inside us all that provoke our fear responses, but there is a sensuality to it as well. Not so much in an erotic sense, but certainly in a carnal sense like the best examples of cinematic noir. There is a David Lychian aesthetic at work here that speaks to the elegance maintained while Selina performs unspeakable acts of violence.

Visually, Jones has made my short list of artists to obsessively watch. Her style is unmistakably her own, beyond unique, it is inventive. The ultra-thick outlines in contrast to the micro-thin interior lines she employs creates such a satisfying visual juxtaposition that the eye is essentially trapped by its beauty in that variety of line weights. No other artist working today has mastered the ability to convey such complex emotion through their line work. Laura Allred is in that upper echelon of colorists whose work is immediately recognizable. The pairing of these two creative minds has yielded one of the most dynamic comic books of the year in a run that has contained work of an equal quality. Catwoman has always been one of my favorite characters in the Bat Universe of characters, however she is rarely used to her full potential as she is here. In just five issues Jones has surpassed every other Catwoman series to date. Sure there have been other good Catwoman books, but none have acheived what this creative team has in this title.

Overall this issue is pretty perfect, in tone, pace, content and execution. Jones, Allred and Reed have obviously found a chemistry that works beyond any limitations. The story is dark, violent and lurid, yet there is a kind of redemptive suffering to Selina that makes her irrestible like driving by a car crash, who can look away from a smoldering twisted heap in hopes of not seeing a body, but not wanting to look away if there is one. Its human nature, its dark as hell but, its in our genes. If you haven’t been reading this series you need to stop looking at those car accidents on the way to your local comic book store and add Catwoman to your pull list. 5/5

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer/Artist- Joelle Jones
Colors- Laura Allred
Letters- Josh Reed