Catwoman #6 Review

 

Well Ms Kyle definitely has a rough time this issue.

Catwoman #6

When Judd Winick wants to he really does throw in some surprising and brutal ideas into a comic. On a whole Catwoman has been an interesting mixed bag of a series. On the one hand Selina has become a very intriguing and multi layered character who is on the most intense downward spiral any comic character could be on. But then we have narratives and supporting characters that are never truly enthralling and on the most part don’t always work. This is indeed true of this issue.

Selina is well and truly the star here, not overshadowed by anything else in the book. Her captivity is engaging and her defiance in the face of her captors just reinforces the most likeable of her character traits. She’s full of sass, anger and despair. It’s a combination that makes her possibly one of the most interesting female characters of DC’s new 52. It’s a shame then that she’s involved in such an average narrative.

The bent cop angle and super powered muscle for hire is over familiar and just doesn’t have enough about it to make it interesting. Yes there is a moment of extreme violence in the scene between Reach and Selina, which will be a lot of peoples only memory of this issue. But at the end of the day the only real interesting part of the whole scene is Selina’s dialogue and reactions. The actual plot just doesn’t go anywhere. There is a spark of intrigue between Batman and Selina, but it descends into a farce as Batman becomes perhaps far too emotionally involved and hysterical.

Guillem March continues to display his usual dynamic flair. As always his Selina is a flawless representation of fury, grief and danger. Her emotional range is meticulously depicted by March and much like the script, Selina becomes the single most distinct aspect of the book (which is how it should be). Arguably the earlier brawl with Reach will be seen by many as the most interesting fight, but it is the Batman/Catwoman tussle that stands out. Brutal, well choreographed and really focused it is a succinct moment that defines the idea of scorned lovers fighting each other. Although at times Batman does seem a little psychotic (the red tinted panel for example), it does enough to become the best set piece of the issue.

So whilst Selina is continuing on her journey to becoming the most interesting female character at DC, she has yet to star in a story worthy of her prowess. It’s a shame that she didn’t take the money and leave Gotham as it may have opened the book up to new possibilities. But at least Batman might not be part of the comic for a while and we do have a new supporting cast member which has potential. We also have March’s wonderful pencils, and with Winick’s fantastic grasp of Selina’s character it is still an enjoyable read.

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Tags: Catwoman Guillem March Judd Winick New DCU