Catwoman (2002 Series) #30

April 24, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: End of the Line

No more teasing – Catwoman and Zeiss go for blood!

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Laurie Kronenberg
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: DC Comics

It’s been some time since Zeiss carved up Catwoman’s pal Slam Bradley, and Ed Brubaker has been dancing around the inevitable confrontation between the two characters ever since. Things finally come to a head in this issue in what amounts to almost a full-length fight scene, with the two of them tearing through Gotham City as they try to tear each other apart.

The book isn’t 100 percent action, though, as the fight scenes are punctuated by flashback sequences to the origin of the brutal killer Zeiss. Brubaker deserves credit here for recognizing something that not enough writers understand – if you need to give us some background information, a flashback sequence is always preferable to stilted expository dialogue that lurches us out of the scene.

Interestingly, last issue I was starting to get the feeling that this story arc was dragging on too long and hoping that this would be the conclusion. Instead, Brubaker sends us on a roller coaster to a last-page cliffhanger that has me anxious for the next issue.

While I can understand that Paul Gulacy’s artwork isn’t everyone’s favorite, I think he does a solid job on this title. There’s a lot of action in this issue, and more than a little blood. Gulacy does a fine job portraying each panel in mid-punch or halfway through a backflip. Close-ups of Zeiss with his freaky goggles are nice and creepy. The art isn’t perfect – the faces of some of the supporting characters look a little tacked-on and it took me a few panels to recognize Joe, one of Catwoman’s “agents,” in the nighttime colors of the scene. Overall, though, it’s a good looking comic.

This book walks a thin edge – part superhero, part action, part crime drama. Fortunately, these are all genres that Ed Brubaker handles very well. I didn’t jump onto the book at the same time he did, I’ve only been with it for six months or so, but they’ve been six solidly entertaining months. This is the most this title has had me anticipating the next issue yet, and that’s saying something.

Rating: 7/10

Catwoman (2002 Series) #29

March 30, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Under Pressure

Wildcat drops by to spar with Catwoman – just as the ninjas show up.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Laurie Kronenberg
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Paul Gulacy and Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: DC Comics

As Catwoman continues her search for the man who almost killed Slam Bradley, Wildcat shows up to give her friend Holly some pointers on self-defense. Neither of the feline furies is aware, however, that something is stalking them in the night.

This was a solid issue, although the Catwoman/Zeiss storyline is beginning to feel somewhat stretched. Hopefully, if the last page is any indication, next issue will close it off. Wildcat’s appearance was a surprise but, for a big JSA fan like myself, a welcome one. It’s odd to think that a member of the Justice Society would have trained such a notorious criminal, but if any of them would, it’s definitely Wildcat. Ed Brubaker also spends some time developing Catwoman’s relationship with Bradley, who isn’t taking recent events as well as one might like.

Although I’ve generally been a fan of Paul Gulacy and Jimmy Palmiotti on this title, the artwork this issue didn’t thrill me. Holly’s face looked oddly stretched, as though they had copied it onto a piece of Silly Putty and played with it, and a lot of the posing was awkward, especially in the early fight sequence. Laurie Kronenberg’s colors helped this issue a lot, though, setting off scenes like the sparring match and the rooftop dance through the rain. (Anyone ever notice how much it rains in Gotham City? People’s flood insurance premiums must be murder there.)

This was a solid issue and seems to have set up the finale of this storyline. I have no doubt that Brubaker will follow through with a knock-out punch. I just hope by next issue the art team is back up to speed and manages to follow through with him.

Rating: 7/10

Catwoman (2002 Series) #28

February 23, 2004

Quick Rating: Good
Title: Miss Calculating

Only the Penguin knows where to find Zeiss… but Catwoman has her ways of making him talk.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Laurie Kronenberg
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: DC Comics

Two issues ago the serial killer named Zeiss almost killed Slam Bradley. This issue, she’s tracking him down to make him pay. Ed Brubaker has taken a great track with this story arc – instead of making it all about revenge, Catwoman has to track down Zeiss to cement her position as a defender of the east end of Gotham City. It’s a smart twist that keeps the character moving in a new direction. While she is certainly angry over what happened to her friend, she has a greater purpose than that in chasing down his attacker.

The interaction between Slam and his young bodyguard is good too – seeing him try to relate to the much younger character is entertaining, if a bit overdone. Really, one of my favorite things about this comic book is the good use that Slam is put to – it’s nice to see an old (and fairly obscure) DC character getting his day in the spotlight, even if it is as a supporting character.

Gulacy and Palmiotti do a serviceable job with this issue, although it’s not quite as sharp as the last few issues have been. While Catwoman herself is still sleek and sexy, they manage to work in a cheesecake shower/bedroom scene that doesn’t bother me in the least but may turn off some other readers. Their Slam Bradley is a little off this issue as well, looking a bit exhausted… almost half-asleep. For a man who’s spent a week in the hospital I suppose that’s acceptable, but you expect a character like this to be more energetic.

Overall, the writing on this issue is as good as ever, and the art takes just a slight step down. Still a solid issue, still one that will not disappoint Catwoman fans.

Rating: 7/10

Catwoman (2002 Series) #26

December 26, 2003

Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: A Knife in the Dark

Catwoman and Slam Bradley take on the Joker’s former thugs, while The Penguin and Zeiss follow a scheme of their own.

Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Paul Gulacy
Inks: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colors: Laurie Kronenberg
Letters: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Gulacy, Palmiotti & Kronenberg
Publisher: DC Comics

Ed Brubaker has taken a really interesting path with this comic book, casting Catwoman in a whole new role. She’s often been a villain and often been forced into the role of the hero, which she always played awkwardly because it didn’t quite fit her. Brubaker, instead, has made her not someone who fights crime, but someone who fights evil, which is much more logical for the character. Catwoman couldn’t care less if someone is breaking the law, but if that person is a danger to her little sector of Gotham City, there will be hell to pay.

This issue also fits neatly with current continuity – there’s a nod to the recent “Hush” storyline, where it is demonstrated that Catwoman now knows Batman’s secret identity. She’s not above learning from him either – she’s building a network of operatives of her own, and while it’s not likely that she’ll be calling Oracle for information anytime soon, she’s learning how to be a defender. She’s becoming more like Daredevil than Batman, and it’s a role that fits her very well.

Brubaker also gets major points for the way he uses Slam Bradley in this title. Most writers, wanting to give Catwoman a detective for a partner, would have tried to conjure up their own character, but Brubaker remembered the potential in this classic DCU character and brought him back – I’m always appreciative of a writer who shows love for and faith in old-school comic book characters.

Gulacy and Palmiotti do wonderful work on this issue, with hints of Phil Jimenez and Kevin Nowlan in the artwork. They give us a great fight scene in the rain, and they make the Clown gang look more pathetic than menacing, which is what they really are. The cover is great too – we get three panels of villains at the top flowing down into Catwoman’s cemetery battle at the bottom. A quote from the issue running along the upper edge into the logo in the far right corner really makes the cover pop out. Editors who subscribe to the current logic that you need a generic pin-up cover to sell a comic book should take a long, hard look at this issue – this is a comic that leaps from the stands, grabs your attention and gets you curious about the story without giving too much away. In short, it’s just what a comic book cover should be.

While I don’t think this will ever be one of my favorite titles, that’s only because I’m more a fan of the heroic characters than the anti-heroes. That in no way diminishes how good this creative team is making the book, or how original and well-done their take on Catwoman is. Die-hard fans of the character are already picking up this book, of course, but even casual fans should start reading it.

Rating: 8/10