CATWOMAN #1
"Anodyne, Part One of Four"
Recommended (8/10)
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DC Comics
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Darwyn Cooke
Inks: Mike Allred
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Sean Konot
Editor: Matt Idelson
Price: $2.50 US/$4.25 CAN |
The last time a first issue of a Catwoman series hit the stands, I was immediately put off. Though written by a woman, the book boasted an exclusionary look, what with penciller Jim Balent's breast-intense vision of the title character. This time around, though, we get a first issue that captures the character's sensuality without focusing on it. Brubaker has embarked on a fascinating character study, and I look forward to how life will shape Selina Kyle anew.
Selina Kyle returns to Gotham, struggling to decide what to do now that's she's believed to be dead. More importantly, she's struggling to decide who she is. Catwoman is part of who she is, but that life in the purple costume carries with it so much pain. Selina resettles in her old neighborhood, while elsewhere in Gotham City, prostitutes are being killed.
So there's this woman, right? Used to wear a purple catsuit, complete with tail. Scaled buildings and stole diamonds, stuff shaped like cats. Had the hots for this twisted guy who's never recovered from his parents' deaths. Kinda hard to get inside her head, isn't it? Well, not for Ed Brubaker, and he takes the reader along with him into Selina's mind. The writer pulls off what might seem impossible... he brings Catwoman down to earth. It's easier to believe in her, because Brubaker helps us to understand her. The key to pulling it off is how he delves into the elements that Frank Miller added to the character in Batman: Year One years ago.
Let's see... Darwyn Cooke, Mike Allred and Matt Hollingsworth. Didn't even have to open this comic book to know the art would be amazing. I was thoroughly pleased to find that Allred, whose own pencilling style is quite unique and recognizable, doesn't overpower Cooke's Timm-inspired work. And given the dark and personal tone of the script, Hollingsworth was an excellent choice as colorist. He drenches the story in darkness, bringing a wonderful film-noir feel to the book.
Brubaker wisely eases new readers into Selina Kyle's world. This book was billed as a crime book, and given Brubaker's proven propensity for the genre (Scene of the Crime), I couldn't wait to read it. The mystery side of the book is toned down for this first issue, though, with an emphasis on character. It's a smart move, but I still look forward to Selina taking on a more proactive investigative role.
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