Brubaker is combining some of my favorite things in his new take on Catwoman. There are heists and cons, dirty cops, cat burglars, grizzled ex-detectives, everything needed for a great noir tale. On top of the solid action, conveyed in fluid and distinctive style by Rader and Burchett, the book also has some great characterization, whether it's the growing attachment between Selina and Slam, the look into Holly's private life or the ever-present compassion of Leslie Thompkins, which stands out against the harsh realities of Gotham City. I loved the first arc of Catwoman, but the second arc has been even better.
What I love about Catwoman is that it's such a low-key look at the grittier side of Batman's world. It's not that there isn't any tension; there's plenty of that, with Holly's predicament feeling very dangerous and Selina obviously taking a lot of risks to help her friend. But rather than a story that is constantly pushing forward, Brubaker takes time for character moments, such as Selina and Slam in her apartment, Karon and her boss or even a glimpse at the life of the corrupt cops outside of their interaction with Selina. It really feels like we're seeing Selina's world, rather than just visiting whenever something exciting is happening.
Of course, there's plenty of excitement. Selina's little train ride speaks to her daredevil nature without spending a lot of time on it, and the "heist" sequence where she and Slam interrupt the deal between the cops and the Russian mafia is carried off beautifully. It's not easy to convey the sense of crackerjack timing and potential catastrophe that makes up a good heist or con, but Brubaker, Rader and Burchett really show off the timing needed for Selina to tag the car or to grab the case.
Whoever made the choice to give Catwoman this stark, animated style look should be given a medal, because that is also an enormous part of the appeal of the book. Rader and Burchett create characters who are stylized, but who have a reality to them as a result of their facial expressions and the quirks that make them human, including the bumps and bruises that result from their lifestyles. There's also a sort of 40s art deco design sense at work that reminds me of Anton Furst's Gotham, and helps to reinforce Catwoman more as a sort of golden age of film noir book rather than a Batman "family" book.
When Brubaker announced he was going to write this book, I was skeptical. It seemed like a waste of his talents, working on a character who I never thought should have been given a solo book in the first place. Imagine my surprise when Catwoman became not merely a good book, but probably my favorite DC universe book running at the moment.
