There's really not much in the way of suspense in this story... at least, not for those of us who checked out the first issue of this two-part limited series. On top of that, the plot and villains are rather generic, and that quality extends to the artwork as well. I have to admit, though, that the book also boasts something of an edge that makes it stand out a bit from the typical super-hero team-up comic book, but that edge isn't enough to win this particular reader over.
Five years after Batgirl and Catwoman faced off against an artificially enhanced millionaire with a taste for sadism, Oracle -- the one-time Batgirl -- notices that a series of murders in Gotham City seem to that old case, and she begins to search for answers. Meanwhile, the Vampire, the hired goon that the two femme fatales dispatched so easily years ago, is hired to return to Gotham to take Catwoman out. The skilled thief and the digial eyes of the super-hero world decide to pool their resources to find out who's behind all of the chaos.
David Ross boasts a rather conventional but clear super-hero story, one that's quite different from that of Darwyn Cooke, who was the first to clad Catwoman in her new leather getup. To my surprise, though, ross handled it quite well, capturing the exotic charm yet grounded plausibility of the costume. As for the design for the other Catwoman, Ross captures the sleek nature of Selina's alter ago while adding a nastier quality at the same time, mainly thanks to the alien look of the eyepieces.
The problem with this story is that the surprise is given away in the first chapter of the series. The heroes almost come off as rather dim, because the readers already have everything pieced together. The Vampire really doesn't serve much purposes here either, but that was true of his role in the first issue as well. He just brings an extra dose of action to the book that could have been satisfied by just using the mastermind villain who's the main antagonist.
Despite the hum-drum quality of the plot and characters, there were enjoyable elements here. Catwoman's roguish nature is always fun, and it was entertaining to see Barbara Gordon step up to the same level of deviousness here. Furthermore, the main villain really exuded an edgier quality. The combination of danger and sexuality is definitely the character's greatest strength, though I'm honestly doubtful that we'll see this would-be Catwoman again anytime soon.
