Batman Annual #2 Review and *SPOILERS*

Cat and Mouse

Written By: Tom King

Art By: Lee Weeks, Michael Lark, Elizabeth Breitweiser, June Chung, Deron Bennett

Cover Price: $4.99

Release Date: November 29, 2017

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

It's been a bit now since Selina Kyle went and said "yes" to Bruce Wayne's proposal of marriage and for our second Annual of Batman we're going to be looking at when the romance really began....... and apparently beyond.  Really though, with this being an Annual one-shot story, there really isn't a lot for me to tell you going into this besides for what I already had.  So with that, let's jump into this issue and see how Batman and Catwoman first became enamored with one another.  Let's check it out.

Explain It!:

Our issue begins with Catwoman breaking into the Batcave and stealing the Batmobile and while I'd normally question how she was able to break into the Batcave in the first place........ it seems that anyone can at this point so getting upset about this is just silly.  Anyway, this act begins the game of cat and mouse that Selina plays with Batman because when Batman finally catches up with the car, it's empty besides for a mouse sitting in the passenger seat.  This will go on with Catwoman breaking into Wayne Manor repeatedly and getting away, but every time she does, she leaves a mouse behind for our Caped Crusader.  This is ultimately her undoing as we find out that Batman is able to locate her apartment from the lead paint contained in the mice droppings....... which is kind of ridiculous, but before this happens we do have a really nice scene where Selina compares the loneliness of the two and how sometimes it feels right that they're alone and that feeling actually makes them hate themselves for thinking it.

Once Batman tracks Catwoman down though we find out that he's known about her location for a long time, which is a nice touch since we're supposed to be dealing with the World's Greatest Detective, but the way he came about is still silly.  Once they confront each other, it's all lovey dovey and that conversation that Catwoman and Batman have about whether or not they first met on a street or a boat continues and while I've gotten a bit sick of that bit now, the continuation of this story actually makes it a bit heartwarming.

In the end, we move past everything we know about Batman....... including continuity of the Batman Beyond timeline we now have in this Universe, but maybe because this is an Annual I was able to look beyond that and just see the sad ending of Batman and Catwoman's romance, where when they're elderly, Bruce is diagnosed with cancer and eventually succumbs to his illness, leaving Selina by herself.  As our issue closes, we see Selina go down to the Batcave, where in the Batmobile she finds a kitten with a note that reads "I love you too, Cat.  From the first kiss to the last", which is a prepared response to what the World's Greatest Detective knew would be her last words to him on his deathbed.

That's it for this Annual of Batman and even though we have the repeating dialog and underwritten conversations which give the illusion of being deep, when really they're just hokey....... this is something that Tom King can't seem to get away from....... With all these things that I normally can't stand, I did find myself enjoying this issue of Batman Annual for the love story that it gave us and the idea that Catwoman saw something flawed in Batman and she recognized it as something she saw in herself and that was the catalyst for these two pursuing each other for so long.  Even the out of continuity ending that would normally drive me crazy because setting anything in stone is a dick move for any run of a title, even that I found enjoyable and a bit endearing.  The art in this issue is equally enjoyable and where like I usually find the other King-isms annoying, the added page count of this issue actually made the big spreads that don't usually add anything to the story bearable here.  

Bits and Pieces:

While I can't say that this Annual will add anything big to the Batman mythos, what it does do though actually makes Batman and Catwoman's love for one another a bit more endearing for the way that their romance begins.  The art in this issue is great and while I still don't care for the constant repeating dialog that we get from this title, the story outshines that and makes it almost bearable.

7.5/10