Catwoman #29 Review

Written by: Sholly Fisch
Art by: Pat Olliffe
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: March 26, 2014

The Good, The Bad and the Sexy

Selina is partying at Taylor Pharmaceuticals, but she isn't only there for the champagne.  She is there to steal some drugs for a mysterious client and she does her best Ethan Hunt to do it.  When the alarm is triggered (but who triggered it?) she throws one of the drugs at a security guard and he Bane's out and attacks. Catwoman finally escapes and returns the other drug to her client, but who he is and his reason for the heist are a bit of a surprise...and a bit ridiculous.  

Sholly Fisch gets a chance at a little Catwoman one shot and I have to admit, I was happy when I saw a name other than Nocenti on the cover.  If you've read my other reviews of Catwoman, you know why. After reading the issue, I wasn't as impressed as I hoped I'd be, but it's still one of the better Catwoamn issues I've read in a long time.  That may not be saying much, but at least it's saying something positive for once.

This issue is heavy on the inner monologue,  Luckily,  Fisch gives the reader a good Catwoman voice.  She is smart, sassy and just funny enough to hit it on the nail.  I don't want to beat a dead horse, but this is something missing from this series.  This issue we get a Catwoman who acts like Catwoman.  Crazy, I know.

The action is also pretty good.  We get to see Selina pull off a caper using her brains, gadgets and athleticism.  I really enjoyed it.  

What I didn't enjoy as much was the actual story.  I know that these types of stories are never going to be ground breaking, but the main plot is a bit silly.  The big reveal is a bit of a stretch, but what happens up until then makes it ridiculous.  Selina and innocent people are really put into harms way during the heist when the client would never, ever let that happen.  Plus, without spoiling anything, the job is pretty much pointless. Seriously, after one night, the client would own what he wants Selina to steal.

I also was not a huge fan of Pat Olliffe's art.  It is nothing special and lacks detail.  The book itself is an OK throwaway and unfortunately, the art follows suit.

Bits and Pieces:

Catwoman #29 is one of the better issues in a long time.  Take that with a grain of salt, however, because the book has been pretty bad.  Sholly Fisch does write a good Catwoman, I just wish the plot was better.  With that said, fans of the book will probably be happy after reading it.  We are an abused fandom and even a little better is welcome.

6.7/10