Catwoman #4 Review

Sister Act

Writer: Joelle Jones
Artist: Joelle Jones, Fernando Blanco, Laura Allred, John Kalisz, and Josh Reed
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 10, 2018

I have been enjoying Joelle Jones' Catwoman a whole lot...even when there isn't a ton of Catwoman in it!  The last issue put the focus on the big bad, Raina, and I really enjoyed it.  Every good book needs a good villain and Jones set up Raina to be really good.  So, what do we get this month and is it just as good?  Let's find out...
The other big thing about the last issue was that it showed us why Selina moved to Villa Hermosa...to be with her sister!  Sister?!?!  Yep, through flashbacks this issue, we are introduced to her sister, Maggie.

The gist of this entire issue is showing Maggie's current, sad state framed against her past with Selina.  Unfortunately, it doesn't paint a pretty picture and shows that Maggie probably would have been better off not getting caught up with Catwoman at all.

It's an odd thing to show the lead character in such a bad light, but it continued Joelle Jones' theme of giving us a flawed Selina/Catwoman that is actually refreshing after the Cat-God we got in King's run.  I don't know if I'm reading too much into this, but this issue actually makes me feel a little better about the whole failed wedding deal in the light that Selina has left a trail of bad decisions and hurt loved ones in her wake since becoming Catwoman.

We get that big time in this issue as it seems that every step in Maggie's life has been derailed by Selina in her quest to not let the world get her down (that is what being Catwoman seems to mean to her) culminating in a real tragedy that broke Maggie's mind.  That's why she is where she is and why Selina has come to Villa Hermosa.  While this goes on, we also get a look at spunky, little Selina which is great and really sets up the whole downward spiral that is her life.

By the end, I didn't know whether to hate Selina or feel sorry for her, but Jones makes that a bit mute for the moment as the cliffhanger puts Maggie in peril and we are all going to have to rely on Selina to save the day.

Joelle Jones continues to take the slow burn approach to this story, but instead of it feeling like padding and delay, it really sheds light on her characters.  This issue introduces Maggie, sheds a different light on Selina than I thought we'd get here and also sets up a villain on the backburner as well.  Add to that some really good art by both Jones and Fernando Blanco (the flashback scenes) and this is a book that I am glad to be reading and reviewing.  That may not seem like much, but that means a ton to me!

Bits and Pieces:

Joelle Jones continues pushing her story ahead, not with action, but with character moments that are really making this book feel new and fresh.  I thought this issue was going to be all about Selina's sister, Maggie, but it's just as much about Selina herself and it's not all sunshine and lollipops.  This book continues to look great and I am really enjoying it!

8.8/10