Well, there's quite a lot going on here. A new story arc, a new artist, some familiar faces and some old friends make up the first part of "Relentless," the next chapter in the impressive Catwoman series. Cameron Stewart steps into the shoes of giants, following Darwyn Cooke and Brad Rader and not only meeting expectations but exceeding them, with some amazing designs for Gotham's East End and terrific character work on these rough-and-tumble characters. Meanwhile, Brubaker moves forward with the characterization of the characters, introducing a new plot that the story can revolve around at the same time. And a gorgeous J.G. Jones cover is just icing on the cake.
One of the things that Brubaker and his artists have done very well in this series is the chase. Not just the heist, which is important too, but the sense of running through the street, pursuing or being pursued. There are some great chases in this issue, whether it's Selina's rooftop surveillance of a purse snatcher or Selina foiling a brazen daylight robbery attempt on one of her friends. There's also some great two-fisted action with Slam Bradley, with a scene in a sleazy bar that had me chuckling and becoming even more of a fan of the older private eye who has become as important to this series as Selina herself.
There are some fascinating ongoing questions and character development driving this series as well. The flirtation between Selina and Slam reaches a new level this issue, with Holly becoming involved, and I love the close ties that Selina has developed with Gotham's Mother Theresa figure Leslie Thompkins. In addition, Brubaker seems to be skirting the question of Selina's morality, as she is herself a thief but she sometimes works against those who she might at times call compatriots. It's interesting to see the balancing act that Selina walks in defining her own personal rules.
Selina's had a difficult life, though, and Brubaker is making great use of that checkered past in the stories so far. The new character introduced this issue is not only an interesting character, she's a great way to shed some light on Selina's younger years, and as a bonus some of the other neighborhoods of Gotham that we haven't seen yet. Brubaker's take on Gotham has an almost Dickensian quality to it at times, and I find that it makes for an interesting mix with the hard-boiled crime and pulp elements that are also part of it.
Then there's the artwork, which is simply spectacular. Stewart continues in the tradition of the many small panel approach that Brubaker and Cooke initiated on the book, and he does great renditions of the continuing characters. I particularly enjoyed his work on Slam Bradley. But it's in the geography of Gotham that he really shines. The first splash page of the impossibly complicated Alleytown is amazing, showing exactly the feeling of claustrophobia and intricacy that Brubaker describes in the text, and the old neighborhood and bar backgrounds have a distinctive old New York flavor to them that is perfect. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention how happy I am to see Matt Hollingsworth back on colors again.
