Catwoman #18 – Joelle Jones, Writer/Artist; Fernando Blanco, Artist; Laura Allred, FCO Plascencia, Colorists
Ratings:
Ray – 8/10
Ray: After spinning its wheels for a while, with Catwoman #18 this title feels like it’s getting on track with Joelle Jones back at the helm and a ticking clock before Selina dovetails back into the Bat-books for the upcoming Batman/Catwoman.
Selina’s battle with Raina Creel is reaching its apex, and Selina’s seeking out help from one of her oldest friends – Zatanna, who is currently moonlighting as a magician in Villa Hermosa. Before Selina can get into the details of her ask, she and Zatanna come under attack by an army of Creel’s goons, and what ensues is one of the most fun fight scenes in DC Comics recently. Selina and Zatanna have a little bet going – no whip, no spells, whoever holds out longer against the villains drinks for free. Watching these two veteran heroines go for a bare-knuckle brawl against a club full of henchmen delivers the entertainment value, although I’m not sure exactly why one of them gave up the victory abruptly.
There are a lot of intriguing bits in Selina and Zatanna’s dialogue, including Zatanna making repeated references to her owing Selina a favor – for something Selina doesn’t remember or hasn’t happened yet. Has Selina been manipulated somehow by magic? Does Zatanna know something from the future? I’m not sure, but Jones adds some nice tension to these scenes.
The rest of the story in Catwoman #18 isn’t quite as compelling, as Carlos tries to hold down the home front and deals with growing riots in the island nation as martial law settles in. Selina’s been very isolated for much of this run, so bringing in one of her old allies affects the title in a positive way. It’s a little odd that this book will likely have a two-year run and only deal with one major villain, though. Selina’s past books ran for 5-10 years easily and seemed to keep her much busier with her own rogues’ gallery and subplots.
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Disclaimer: GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
