Catwoman #36 – Ram V, Writer; Nina Vakueva, Laura Braga, Artists; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 9/10
Ray: Ram V is leaving this title in only a few months, which makes this tie-in arc his final arc—and surprisingly, he’s hitting it out of the park with an action-packed thrill ride that drives home what makes Catwoman work so well as a character. As we know, Poison Ivy has been split into two halves—the ruthless Queen Ivy deep under Gotham, and the gentle Ivy who was liberated from a mad scientists’ lair. Selina wants to get Ivy out of Gotham to safety, but following up on the cliffhanger from this month’s Batman, Simon Saint has unleashed all his fortresses to hunt her down. That means it’s going to come down to a motley crew of supervillains and anti-heroes to save the day, and what’s interesting about this villain team-up is that it’s not a hero lowering themselves to work with villains. It’s an antihero managing to bring out the best in her fellow former villains, with even characters like Riddler seemingly working for the greater good.
This is a big ensemble, including an assortment of Gotham and outside villains and Selina’s own crew, including her young protege Cheshire Cat. Even Harley and Gardener show up to lend a hand. But they’re still outgunned, and the Magistrate is quickly closing in. So Selina decides to pull one last score, holding off the villains and eventually setting Selina herself up as bait to allow Ivy to be smuggled out of the city. There is a lot going on here, and it all comes together into one of the tensest last acts in any comic this week. The wild reveal at the end of the issue about the Whyte Witch comes a little out of nowhere, and this mystery villain has been the oddest part of the run, but the balance between the action and the strong character work is top-notch. This is easily one of the best Catwoman runs we’ve had in years, probably since her time as the Queenpin of Gotham under Genvieve Valentine.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
