What I love most about the Catwoman series is that, well, THINGS HAPPEN. Both issue one and two have had their own unique adventure yet continued an ongoing plot. It’s something that other books could take note of. Just look at Supergirl #1, what did you get out of that? A girl’s inner monologue describing how confused she is while she fights in the snow with boring looking robots. That’s all that happened in Supergirl’s book, while Catwoman is on the run, avenged a lost friend, and went undercover at a Russian mob party so she could get info on her next big score. Yet, most reviewers out there gave Supergirl solid reviews and Catwoman a 1/10 or a 2/10 because they were so offended by the sexual content. Well, I gave Catwoman Supergirl solid reviews and Catwoman a 1/10 or a 2/10 because they were so offended by the sexual content. Well, I gave Catwoman an 8/10. It’s stupid to me how so many readers will flip through these comics featuring graphic imagery of stabbings and gunshots and faces getting ripped off (I’m looking at you Detective Comics #1 & #2) and be fine. Maybe even applaud it. But then they see Catwoman rounding third base with Batman and suddenly it’s “THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!” time. The sexual overtones in Catwoman #1 were fine by me because it wasn’t a betrayal of her character and, it didn’t distract from the story. Of course, it would’ve been distracting if not much was happening, but there are like three storylines running through this book already. It’s fine. Get over it. Catwoman has always been a suggestive character.
The Morning After
Things start where they left off, with Batman and Catwoman getting off. But it’s nothing as graphic. Just a page worth of panels featuring close ups of Catwoman’s mouth or Batman’s hand. It’s all left up to the imagination and it’s the morning after as soon as you turn the page. Batman and Catwoman have their version of pillow talk which basically consists of Batman asking “So… you’re not, I don’t know, stealing from dangerous mobsters again… are you?” to which Catwoman teases Batman for showing concern and that he must like her. Then she leaves. The big controversial thing is over. The real story begins.
The Plan
So Catwoman learned at the party last night that these two rival Russian gangs are obsesses with a “lucky” painting and each side feels that they have a right to it. It’s a valuable painting, but not in the way you might think. She can’t fence it to Lola, it’s just a poor illustration of a horse by an unknown artist. But it has special significance to these gangsters so the plan is to hold the painting for ransom. But which side should she be demanding money from when both sides want it? And what about that guy she attacked in the last issue. You know Catwoman will want another shot at him.
Getting to Know You
Obviously I’m not going to tell you Catwoman’s plan. Capers are always more fun to read when you don’t know all the inner workings. What I will say is that it takes place at what is now the 3rd Wayne fundraiser to happen in 2 months of comics and that we get some nice moments between Selina and Bruce who is in top drunken-playboy form. Watching Bruce pretend to be drunk and oblivious while at the same time trying to extract information from Selina about what she’s up to is very enjoyable and different from what we’re getting in the other Batman books. We get a real sense of the dynamic between these characters and their attraction to one another. Selina thinks playboy Bruce is a handsome man, but she doesn’t much care for his personality and Alfred flat-out disapproves of Bruce’s fascination with Selina. Outside of Scott Snyder’s Batman series, you won’t see these characters act more human and vulnerable anywhere else. This book is a buy. Just like last time. However, the events that transpire on the final few pages has me thinking that the quality of this story just might drop…but I hope I’m wrong.
SPOILERS
Alright, so you either read the book or you don’t care about plot elements getting spoiled for you. Either way, welcome!
I really enjoyed the way the exchange went down and how Catwoman spawned a mini-gang war at Bruce’s fundraiser and made away with everybody’s cash. It’s one of the coolest things anybody has done in the batbooks so far, honestly. Cool. Fun. But there will undoubtedly be horrible repercussions—exactly what you want in a Catwoman story. She’s always been a leap before you look kinda gal and that’s what makes her so exciting. But remember how someone blew up her house at the beginning of issue #1? Well, it turns out that that guy is still mad and he tracked Selina down again and murdered Lola, the fence. This ending upsets me for a few reasons.
- Catwoman, although an excellent character, needs a supporting cast and Lola was our best chance at expanding this book’s ensemble of characters. With Lola dead, the only real supporting cast member this book has left is Bruce and as much as I like seeing the two of them interact, Winick needs to prove that Catwoman can carry this book on her won without cameos from Bruce Wayne or Batman.
- It’s just too soon. Surprise deaths are always better when you actually know who it was that got killed. I know her name is Lola, I know she and Selina are friends, and I know Lola is a fence…other than that I don’t know anything about her and so her death has little value to me. This means that all those future panels we’re inevitably going to see of Selina mourning the loss of her dear friend are going to fall flat and slow down an otherwise fast-paced book. You want to kill Lola? Fine. Just do it once we actually know and care about who Lola is.
- Bone. Does anybody know who this guy is? Was he featured anywhere else before? I did a tiny bit of research and came up empty so I assume he’s a new villain, a new villain with a not-so-new look. Bone looks like a poor man’s Black Mask (whose look is a poor man’s Red Skull. It’s true, don’t deny it). Plus it’s a dumb name…and when you think about it that makes two Catwoman issues that have ended with a “bone.”
For these reasons, I’m a little less excited about the future of Catwoman, but I’m not going to take points away from something because it has the potential to be sub-par in the next issue. I had a good time watching Catwoman get revenge, get rich, and above all else, toy with the boys.
SCORE: 8/10