Catwoman #28 Review

 

Writer: Ram V

Artist: Fernando Blanco

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 15, 2020

As I am writing this review, we are still waiting for the full March 2021 solicits to come out, and while I thought Catwoman was a sure thing, I am wondering a bit more now.  I still think it would be odd to have Ram V jump on the book for just a few issues, but I am worried about how this issue ends.  What am I talking about?  Let's find out...

The issue continues Selena and the Strays taking over Alleytown, which means dealing with the heat from messing with the Khadym Mob!  It's like a caper following a caper here as Selina shows she's got the brains to go with the brawn but flexes her muscles a well.  That's not all, though, as she has the foresight to put Pit Rollins in her place before she gets any crazy ideas of running Alleytown herself.

Ram V had told this style of a story a lot, including when he filled-in for Joelle Jones, and he is good at it.  Selina gives a coy narration of what is going on, complete with puns, as we see the harsh reality coming down on the bad guys.  Sure, the pacing between the introduction and finish with the Kadym mob enforcers is a bit quick to settle in with, but it's got a Home Alone flair to it, which put a smile on my face.

We also get a short scene with Hadley where he goes from outsider to accepted insider way too fast, but it was ridiculous that he's been fighting crime on his vacation like some Beverly Hills Cop.

After Selina shows Pit what's what, we end with two scenes that felt tacked on at the last second.  The first is with Father Valley that reminds you of the hitman while simultaneously giving you the feeling we won't be seeing him any time soon.  Now, that could mean not until March, or maybe longer or maybe never.  Only time will tell, I guess.  The second scene sets up Poison Ivy to make a big splash in this book and does make it seem like we will continue into 2021 after Future State.  I hope so.

This is an odd issue and arc that feels like it fell prey to the changes coming up at the beginning of the new year.  Selina and the Strays taking over Alleytown hit warp speed out of nowhere, and Mr. V suddenly forced it to an ending.  Fernando Blanco's art is still a big draw for me, and I hope Ram V gets to tell his story in 2021 because even forced, it wasn't half bad.

Bits and Pieces:

Catwoman #28 is an odd issue that feels forced to finish the current arc and make way for Future State while setting up a possible new story coming after that in March.  It wasn't a satisfying ending to Ram V's first arc, but it wasn't horrible either.  I hope Ram V continues in March because I like his Catwoman and want to see what he can do given the proper time.

6.9/10