I've made no secret of my appreciation for Darwyn Cooke or the revamped Catwoman, so I would have been more surprised not to like Selina's Big Score than to enjoy it as much as I did. As the title suggests, this is a story about a heist, and to pull off something that is a "big score" Catwoman has to seek outside help, which means that this reads less like the loner stories that Catwoman has traditionally been known for. Cooke assembles a crew of interesting characters that would be at home in a good Hollywood heist flick and sets them loose on a job that is fairly simple, but just complicated enough to be interesting. The whole thing is portrayed in his now well-known noir/animated style, with gorgeously understated color by Matt Hollingsworth.
Like the Catwoman ongoing series, this book has a tone that sets it somewhere in the 1950s, the era of gangsters, Vegas and big scores around every corner. Cooke's story is definitely told in a modern style, but it has a classic feel to it that is heightened by the use of trains, Las Vegas, an old gangster coming out of retirement for one last job and other such familiar and fun chestnuts. Cooke also serves up a fairly modern take on the heist, however, with a particularly ingenious use of rocket propulsion, rafts and parachutes that is conveyed with absolute style and speed.
At the heart of this book, though, is strong characterization. Selina's rocky and troubled relationship with Stark is amazing to watch, and I like that I can see some parallels between Stark and Slam, moving forward the Selina/Slam relationship that has become important in the main book. Every character in this book is well-realized, from the likable fence Swifty to the arrogant but talented kid from Vegas (Jeff), and of course including Selina and Slam. While the book is at times a roller coaster ride or a gritty crime noir, it is most importantly a story about characters you care about, and the conflicts are important for how they change the characters as much as for what plot elements they contain.
As for Cooke and Hollingsworth's artwork... what more can I say that I haven't already? The style is in the "animated" but dark vein that has become something of a cult favorite ever since Batman: The Animated Series and Powers hit the scene, and the design work is stunning as well. The shift in color and style as the book moves from Gotham to Florida to Las Vegas gives the story a sense of place, and I love the title cards that indicate which character is taking the lead or where the setting is. And the storytelling, whether it's a quiet moment between Selina and Stark that builds up their relationship or the incredible heist sequence itself, is top notch.
Selina's Big Score is a rocket ride, a Hollywood style big-budget blockbuster with the smarts of L.A. Confidential, the style of The Usual Suspects and the action and tension of The Score. But while it will keep the reader flipping pages, eager to see what comes next, this is no light bit of fluff; Cooke has underwritten this story of a big heist with some important character moments, and the result is a terrific read, every bit as good as I've come to expect.
