Catwoman #29 Review

 

Old Habits Are Hard to Break

Written By: Ram V
Art By: Fernandeo Blanco
Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
Letters By: Tom Napolitano
Cover Art By: Joëlle Jones, Laura Allred
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: March 16, 2021

In Catwoman #29, Selina receives an unwelcome visit from Detective Dean Hadley to ask about an anonymous dropoff of drugs after her last outing. When Selina makes a connection between the drugs and the Riddler, she pays him a visit before the source of the drugs can get to him first. Meanwhile, the drugmaker has unleashed a new assassin intent on covering their tracks.

Was It Good?

Yes. Coming off one of the top stories in Future State, also written by Ram V, this Catwoman continues to be sly, crafty, and curious beyond her own safety. The story runs Selina through the traditional rogue's gallery of Batman villains to find and stop the drug supply using her unique talents and network of strays in a creative way that makes her wholly believable as a different kind of crime boss.

On the art, it's okay. Blanco uses a heavy photo reference style that looks like something you'd expect to see in a comic from Vault or Image. It's not bad at all but given the slick nature of Selina's operation and the technological nature of the new assassin, Wight Witch (no, that's not a misspelling), the art style used in the Future State books by Otto Schmidt would have suited this story a bit better.

What's It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

We begin with a man speaking on the phone from what appears to be a well-guarded safehouse. From the snippets of his conversation, he comes across as a mobster or some type of corrupt official. Before his conversation is done, the man and all his guards are dead at the hands of an assassin, the Wight Witch.

Cut to Detective Dean Hadley paying Selina Kyle aka Catwoman at her well-watched apartment building in Alleytown. He's come asking for her help tracking down the source of the drugs she turned in during her last adventure. She initially refuses until she sees something familiar in the case file he leaves with her on his way out.

Ram V's Catwoman is confident and in control. As any graceful cat would, she walks a very thin tightrope between criminal and hero. It comes off with a high degree of believability because she acts for the greater good but only there's a personal stake in it for her and her Strays.

We then shift to a laboratory scene where scientists are talking with their benefactor on the phone about their ability to reproduce the drug. The Wight Witch's meat abilities are a product of the scientists' work and the drug they can now artificially synthesize comes from another meta we won't mention here. They agree to send the Wight Witch out to clear up any remaining customers of the prototype drug before moving on to more lucrative markets.

Selina noticed a symbol in Hadley's case file she's seen before, and she racks it back to where she remembered seeing it -- the Riddler's apartment. When Selina arrives, Wight Witch is already there and a very unique fight breaks out. Here we get a first look at Wight Witch's meta powers. It's a type of phase-shifting where her body becomes completely intangible.

Without spoiling the ending, Riddler is dealt a fatal blow but not by Wight Witch, the drug has an organic source, and Wight Witch gets annoyed with a third party.

Bits and Pieces

Catwoman #29 continues the trend of portraying Catwoman with a heart of 14-carat gold. She helps but always with selfish motives, which makes you believe she can be heroic without becoming a hero. The introduction of Wight Witch is both cool and intimidating, something I wish they would learn with all the new villains in the main Batman run. 

8.5/10