Catwoman #2 Review

Nine Lives Minus a Couple

Writer: Joelle JonesArtist: Joelle Jones
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: August 8, 2018

Gotham’s a toxic litter box for Selina Kyle of late, so she hits the road looking to clear the air, change her look and clear her name, too—there’s a copycat burglar swiping her M.O. who needs sorting out. In her hometown, Catwoman runs afoul of a crime boss who’s also hunting this impostor. Can the two declare a truce to hunt a mutual enemy, or will Selina end up just more roadkill?


We left Catwoman at the end of the last issue running headfirst into an army of Catwomen and it did remind me of Han running into a crowd of Stormtroopers and that means it made me smile.  Now, I don't expect Selina to hightail it out of there like Han, but I've been surprised before. 

The fight that breaks out is pretty good...the narration to begin it was not.  I know that it is silly to not want any reference to Batman #50 (or Batman himself), but I have wanted a Catwoman solo book for so long and think the first issue of the series was great in spite of, not because of what happened to Selina the past year in the "other book"!

After kicking some butt, Selina has a name to go after...Governor Creel.  We know what that means, right?  Selina is on the fast-track to go see that crazy, zombie lady who is the real horror behind all of this.  We then head off to see no-nose herself and if you wanted to keep seeing that cool alt-Catwoman from the first issue, you may be in for a disappointment.  

Back with Selina, she and Carlos go through some odds and ends he dug up to see if anything could be used by Catwoman.  After another Batman reference, we get...well, a wedding reference.  Why is Jones going so heavy this issue when I thought the first issue really showed she wasn't going that route?

We then head off to watch Governor Creel hold a press conference for the two police officers who were killed by the phony Catwoman.  There is a tweest that would probably hit harder with a little more setup, but even the main baddies look at it as only a minor inconvenience.  The issue ends with Selina jumping right into the frying pan, but I'm sure our gal has something up her sleeve.  What?  She's wearing a sleeveless gown?!?  Oh shit...

Yea, this issue was not nearly as captivating as the first.  With the overabundance of Batman/wedding references and the paper-thin story, that's no surprise.  I loved art, but I hope the book gets some direction and sense of self by issue #3.

Bits and Pieces:

Unlike the first issue, I didn't like this issue much.  The art continues to impress, but there just isn't much of a story yet and where I was so impressed with the lack of Batman references in the last issue, here they come hot and heavy.  I still have faith in Joelle Jones, but I'm entering the "show me" stage with this book.

6.0/10