Catwoman #35 Review

Written by: Genevieve Valentine
Art by: Garry Brown
Cover Price: $2.99
Release Date: October 22, 2014

catWoman

I have to start this review with a confession.  I think that Ann Nocenti is the worst thing that has ever happened to Catwoman, but I may hate pant suit Selina Kyle even more.  Catwoman should be a fun character, but this new Selina hasn't been fun in Baternal and if this first issue is any indication, the fun may be missing here as well.  I guess you can't get everything and having Nocenti off the book is a huge win so I'll be happy for that and hope everything else falls into place eventually.



If you haven't been reading Batman: Eternal, you may be a bit confused at first.  New writer Genevieve Valentine does a decent job of setting the tone and getting the reader up to speed on the new Selina Kyle.  She's heir to the Calabrese Crime Family and is determined to make Gotham a better place.  Yes, she may be doing it to eventually gain more in the long run, but she also wants to help her City.  To do so, she must unite all the Gotham Crime Families which won't be easy.  That my friends is the gist of this first issue.

Along the way, we meet some new characters like Selina's cousins who may not have her best interests in mind and some old ones like Batman who is upset at what she's up to.  I have to admit, I agree with Batman.  We also get a sneak peek at a pretty major villain whose bound to butt heads with the rest of the families and the issue ends with what appears to be an impostor on the prowl.  I actually wished the impostor was the one wearing the pant suit in this issue.

If you are looking for a gritty mob story, this book may be of some interest to you.  If you're looking for some fun Catwoman hijinks, look elsewhere.  I am one of the later, so while I'll admit this is one of the better written issues of Catwoman the New 52 has seen, it's really not for me.

The art of Garry Brown was not for me either.  I really didn't enjoy the gritty, non-detailed noir style, but it did fit the story well enough.

Bits and Pieces:

Catwoman #35 is a strange title for me to review.  I can see how it could appeal to some people, but it just isn't my cup of tea.  I want a fun Catwoman and while this book is well written, it's not much fun at all.  I'm glad that Catwoman fans are finally getting a better book, I just wonder if this is the one they wanted.

6.8/10