Review – Catwoman #27: Road Games

Catwoman #27 – Ram V, Writer; Fernando Blanco, Artist; FCO Plascencia, Colorist

Ray – 8.5/10

Ray: After two opening issues that set Selina up in her new home of Alleytown and picked up some new allies for her, things get serious in a hurry. Teaming up with her team of “strays,” the gentlewoman thief makes her move against the neighborhood crime syndicate in a tense issue. The first half of the issue is mostly a single, gripping action scene as a corrupt cop and a crime lord move a truck full of drugs through the neighborhood. A combination of natural traffic delays, a well-timed interruption from a kid on a bike, and Selina herself entering at the exact right time leads to them stealing the drugs and disappearing, setting the crime syndicates in the neighborhood at each other’s throats. It’s a good setup that shows how Selina works so well in a city full of threats—she doesn’t take them on first-hand too often, instead preferring to let them do much of the work for her.

Last issue set up a great conflict with three different sources for crime in the city, forcing Selina to decide which one would be the best ally for her to take down the most dangerous one. She makes that decision this issue—and it backfires on her almost immediately, as her new ally puts out a hit on her. With so many enemies, the way this issue ends is kind of a surprise. The ongoing subplot involving Detective Hadley from Villa Hermosa is probably the weakest part of the issue, as he was just never too interesting a character, but this is the most at-home Selina’s been in a solo title in a while. She’s a master tactician who works best when she’s able to play on both sides of the law. Alleytown has turned out to be the perfect setup for Selina to have a renaissance in her solo title, and I’m hoping this book continues past Future State even as Batman/Catwoman kicks off.

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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.