Catwoman #1
DC Comics
Writer & Artist: Jöelle Jones
Colors: Laura Alfred
****Spoiler Alert****
Just like you see on the amazing cover of this comic that ironically shows Catwoman reading Batman Issue 50, you can’t read this one until you’ve read the wedding issue. This is where Selina in the aftermath. Did she or didn’t she?
So if you’ve read this issue, clearly she didn’t. She and Bruce didn’t part on angry terms, just parted. She’s fled to another city and is back to what looks like her old ways. Then something not so Catwoman-esque. Killing cops? A new costume too. When we see Selina back in the gambling circuit, through all inner dialogue, it’s clear she’s pretty empty. Going through the motions. Selina was leaving her gambling spot and gets chased down by police and accused of shooting one as the Catwoman. The scary part is, she hasn’t even worn her catsuit! There are a few villains in this new city and at least one of them is impersonating her.
When I first started reading this I was thinking all the inner dialogue was happening while Selina was flying through the air being back to old school Catwoman to get over Bruce. Then as I saw this darker side, a slightly less graceful one, I began to think maybe she had lost some humanity or something along those lines. But seeing her sad broken hearted face sitting at that poker table made me begin to think otherwise. Through the panels, we see flashes of a TV interview of the Governor’s wife Raina. Formerly a criminal of some sort claiming to want to clean up the city. Her husband doesn’t move or speak and creeped me out almost more than Catwoman’s intriguing new villain who started peeling parts of herself off and getting infusions and all sorts of things to stay alive. She needs donors. The transformation scenes were freaking fantastic. I knew for sure the Catwoman we saw wasn’t Selina when I saw her running from the police. THAT was my Selina Kyle. THAT was the real Catwoman. With her dress, coat, heels, and jewels on yet still managing to do flips and swing with perfect grace. I’m glad she was written with almost no dialogue. To me, it showed she’s just shutting everything and everyone out. Even the two people who stay in shabby motel she’s in can’t get her to talk. The moment that got me was the gift. I won’t spoil it but, I had to pause for a moment. Then something quickly snapped her out of it and the real Catwoman had to come out to play. She didn’t know what she was going to be up against. The comic midway shows an imposter, but in the end, I didn’t expect that part. That’s why the part one title comes at the end of the comic.
Selina is beautiful. Very classic Aubrey Hepburn look. So much detail in her facial expressions and clothing and accessories. Even when she’s in mid-air. Some artists can’t capture that. I’d expect the art and writing to match perfectly when it comes to Selina Kyle because it’s written and drawn by Jöelle Jones. I know people have some heavy expectations as this is the telltale result of the wedding of us comic nerds’ century, it definitely met mine! This is a solo series I’ve been looking forward to since it was announced and I can’t wait to see what Selina has in store for her in a whole other city.