Batman/Catwoman #12 – Tom King, Writer; Clay Mann, Artist; Tomeu Morey, Colorist
Ray – 8/10
Ray: It’s been a long, strange journey for Batman and Catwoman—and for Batman/Catwoman, Tom King’s esoteric final act on his Batman run. Told over three timelines and focusing on the bizarre intermeshed relationship of the two vigilantes and the Joker, it often felt unfocused and overly introspective, and the comic debut of the infamous vigilante Phantasm felt overshadowed. She looked stunning, but her appearances were brief and the ultimate twist of her storyline came out of nowhere. That being said, when it focused on the two leads, it could be powerful and heartbreaking—especially in the special that paid tribute to the legacy of John Paul Leon. But at this conclusion, this series still feels like a beautifully executed mood piece rather than a comic book narrative, and some storylines are much stronger than others. The past story doesn’t seem to go anywhere, although it has a few good one-liners here and there. The highs and lows are found in the other two stories.
The future storyline, which focuses on Selina and Helena after the death of Bruce and the murder of the Joker, has been oddly caustic. The final confrontation between the mother and daughter often feels overwrought, like an old Hollywood melodrama. However, there is one great last-act twist involving Huntress’ storyline. However, what saves this issue is the present-day segment, which focuses on Bruce and Selina getting married at last. There are so many great little details in this segment, like the fact that they get married at a Batman-themed Vegas chapel. The goofy appearance of Superman and Lois Lane calls back to one of the best issues from King’s early Batman run, before the wedding that didn’t happen. When it works, it really, really works. But when it doesn’t, it often feels like an overly ambitious experiment that never quite hits the mark. And that matches pretty well with Kings run as a whole.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
