Catwoman #35 Review

Can a new creative team breath new life into one of Batman’s greatest foes/allies? Read on to find out.

The official description from DC Comics:

Meet Selina Kyle – Crime Boss of Gotham City! Spinning out of events in BATMAN ETERNAL Selina has accepted the family mantle and embraced her true criminal side, but is Gotham City ready for her reign? And with the Cat away, who’s the stranger haunting the empty rooftops of the city? Don’t miss the start of a bold new direction for Selina Kyle by the new creative team of novelist Genevieve Valentine and Garry Brown (Five Ghosts, Iron Patriot).

Catwoman is a character that I’ve been a fan of for years, but unfortunately I had to stop following her ongoing series due to Ann Nocenti‘s terrible writing. So when it was announced that a new creative team would be taking over I saw this as my chance to step back into the world of our feline loving antihero. The fact that it ties into the recent events from Batman: Eternal just went to fuel my curiosity, with the first issue proving to be the turning point the character needed.

Genevieve Valentine is the new writer for this series, and quickly she starts turning things around big time. The way in which she manages to throw Selina into the criminal world, whilst still conveying an agenda to clean up Gotham really appealed to me, with the narration being wonderful throughout. I also loved the fact that though inspired by, it manages to distance itself from Batman: Eternal, as though we get a Batman cameo, the story itself feels rather self contained. Despite this it did take a little getting used to the new characters, with the whole tone being a complete 180 from the norm. Though in the long run, I feel this will turn into a positive.

Garry Brown‘s art may not be overly striking, but his style definitely suits the underworld of Gotham. Being rather gritty, and rough, Brown’s art really manages to convey the darker side of this story, and that Selina is on a path that will take her deeper into crime than she was before. Despite this some of the rough areas felt a little too rough, taking away from the general tone. This however is a small cripe, and along with Lee Loughridge‘s colours the art more than suits the subject matter.

Catwoman #35 is exactly the kind of fresh take that both the series and character has needed for a long time. Though the story may need some work, the general premise sends things in the right direction, leaving me hooked for the next issue. Highly recommended.