Batman Catwoman #2
DC Comics Black Label
Written by: Tom King
Art by: Clay Mann
Colors by: Tomeu Morey
Letters by: Clayton Cowles
Batman/Catwoman #2 wastes no time getting into the action. All the elements are present here for a tremendous Batman story – murder, mystery, and revenge.
However, the biggest issue still remains – the incessant time jumping. Panel to panel, the constant bouncing between timelines creates a very disjointed story. Each timeline has an interesting story to tell, and not getting a chance to sink our teeth into any one particular story for longer than a few panels can be frustrating. With three stories all being told at once, there is just simply too much going on at the same time.
With that said, what makes a Batman story great are two things: the villain and the detective work; Batman/Catwoman #2 gives us both. Batman’s rogues gallery is tremendous, with so many good villains to choose from. King’s choice of using Phantasm is brilliant. I never expected it, and I can’t wait to see what lies in store.
Additionally in Batman/Catwoman #2, we are starting to get more pieces of the puzzle coming together. The past timeline is starting to lead into the present, and a more complete story is starting to unfold. Both Batman and Bruce put their detective skills to work trying to figure out what is going on with two very important women in his life, as well as the cases at hand.
While ultimately this is a story about the relationship between Bruce and Selina, it is the unfolding story revolving around Andrea Beaumont that has me most intrigued.
(Warning: Spoilers for Batman/Catwoman #2 ahead)
While frustrated with the all the time jumps, I am enjoying the story that King is telling – especially the one revolving around The Phantasm. While issue #1 focused more on Andrea Beaumont, Batman/Catwoman #2 gives us just enough of Phantasm to get excited for what is to come without revealing too much. Seeing her systematically going after Joker’s henchmen has me very excited as to where this story is going. Additionally as expected, we get some call backs to King’s initial run on Batman that ultimately ends Batman/Catwoman #2 with a stunning visual that will definitely raise some eyebrows.