Catwoman #22 Review

Maid to Order

Writer: Paula Sevenbergen
Artist: Aneke, Laura Allred, and Gabriela Downie
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 3, 2020

With Joelle Jones's time on Catwoman over, we are going to get a couple of issues before Ram V starts his run, and I am ok with that.  I could use a little palette cleanser from what we just came out of, and I always like to see what other creative teams can do with a character.  So, what does Paula Sevenbergen and Aneke have for Catwoman fans?  Let's find out...


We are told right out of the gate that this story takes place before Catwoman #21.  I wouldn't say I liked that at first, but it makes sense.  Ram V will take Selina fully out of Villa Hermosa, so a "Tales from the Catwoman" or "Cat Tales" type of thing is cool.  Aneke's art has a Joelle Jones feel, and  Sevenbergen opens with Catwoman and Detective Handley talking in a flirting way, so it does feel right. 

The story, on the other hand, felt a bit off.  Sevenbergen seemed to want to give readers a little girl power, but mad some odd choices and went a little too far at times.  Her villains are more caricatures than characters, which is a shame because I think they could be interesting if they were fleshed out a bit more.  

A couple of things also pulled me out of the issue.  A confusing getaway at the beginning, a mention of diluted "mind sanitizer" that didn't fit the scene and criminals who target the rich, go to their houses by appointment but don't know their names.  I get these guys might be embarrassed to receive the Dust Bunnies services, but you would think the ladies would do some homework to get the job done.  Oh yea, and the fact that the whole scam is spelled out on the first page, but everyone is still in the dark until the end.

All of that and overuse of cat puns and phrases made this issue a pass for me.  This issue will likely fade into the woodwork in a week when Catwoman's 80th Anniversary Special is coming out anyway.

Bits and Pieces:

This one and done story from Selina's recent past looks great but doesn't have enough substance to make it a must buy.  If you need a Catwoman book and the 80th Anniversary isn't quite enough, go for it.  I suggest waiting until next month to jump back into this series.

5.5/10