Selina's role as guardian angel has been introduced in the first arc and reinforced in the second arc, and now Brubaker reiterates his take on the character with this self-contained tale. At the same time, this story contains a meeting between Selina and someone she hasn't seen in quite some time, a nice nod to the place she has in Gotham and who she shares it with, it adds another small detail to her already strong backstory and it has another kickass heist/chase sequence. Rader and Burchett provide the art chores again, turning in work not quite so solid as their last few issues but still quite strong, although marred once again by dreary colors, most likely down to poor separations.
Brubaker makes the most of the secret identities in this issue, as Bruce Wayne pretends not to know who Selina is and Selina interacts with Bruce, not knowing what the readers know, that he is also Batman. The result is a conversation that is fairly straight-forward and believable, but which has layers underneath as we wonder what Bruce is really making of the conversation or Selina's plans. The meeting with Batman later in the issue is also a nice indicator of how Brubaker views the sometimes adversarial, sometimes far less so relationship between Batman and Catwoman.
When Brubaker first described this series, he called Catwoman the "Batman for people who can't go to Batman." He has made that description really work, as Selina is meting out a sort of justice, using a code that is based largely on helping her friends and those who, while not model citizens, don't deserve the fates they are given. This issue is a good example, as Selina helps someone out because of an old favor and a longstanding friendship, and I was impressed that Brubaker managed to develop that friendship so well in just a few places.
While it's the characterization and dialogue that draws me to Catwoman, I can't deny that it was the unusual art style that sealed the deal, and Rader and Burchett continue to provide flashy artwork with clear storytelling, evoking the classic feel of the Batman Animated series. From Selina's new and stylish (and yet retro) hairdo and costume to the strong architecture to a fantastic scene of acrobatics and lockpicking that makes up the big action sequence, the artwork remains a treat. I do miss the more nuanced and slightly brighter colors of Matt Hollingsworth, however, as Loughridge's work once again seems uncharacteristically dark and one-note.
What was once a character who held zero interest for me has become one of the DC books that I most anticipate every month. If I haven't convinced you yet that this book is worth enough money to sample in trade paperback form, this is the best jumping-on point you're likely to find, a self-contained issue that captures the tone and style of the book perfectly.
