Review: Catwoman #3

"Copycats" – Part 3
Writer: Joëlle Jones
Artists: Joëlle Jones, Fernando Blanco, Laura Allred & John Kalisz
Review by Adam Ray
We left last issue with Selina at the kind of soiree she’d normally be comfortable in. It seems more like she’s in a nest of vipers. Creel the younger is kind enough to give us the shocking reason why the actresses in Catwoman cosplay abound. After hearing a cruel ultimatum, Selina has to wonder what’s keeping her here. There’s also a satisfying moment in the issue, that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Trying to get a quick getaway, it’s embarrassing for smoke bombs not to go off. Selina must have learned it from her ex-fiance, a master of the craft. Any time a trope or convention is thrown over its shoulder and forgotten is a satisfying surprise for me.
Jones has been able to masterfully make this Copycats storyline about two powerful and very different women. We see the turbulent rise to power of Mrs Creel in a flashback. The difference in art styles between Jones and Fernando Blanco really show the then-and-now differences. The softer, blended colors of Kalisz really make her past seem hazier and more calm than the muted but contrasting colors Allred has applied to the Copycats storyline so far.
Silent moments in a comic book are as big a storytelling test as they are for silent moments in film or TV. The characters moving through the situation needs to be able to convey a lot. The last few pages of this issue really shows off Jones’ ability to quietly tell us a story. Seeing Catwoman leap from roof to roof, cringing at her injuries keeps pace and show the skill level of the character.

Conclusion

Catwoman’s reasons for being in town are a sudden but shocking surprise. As we continue, I’m starting to wonder if Mrs Creel has any measurable, sinister plan other than corrupting people and politics. What I’m interested most in seeing is how Selina herself will respond to the changing world she’s in.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment

(This review was originally published on the Dark Knight News website on September 13th 2018)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought Bubble 2024 convention & festival dates announced

Image
Article by Steve J. Ray Thought Bubble  is, without a doubt, the UK’s best entirely comic-based convention and art festival. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend the show for the last three years, and have been anxious to see what’s in store this year. Well, the wait is over, as the team behind the event has announced the Thought Bubble 2024 convention & festival dates. THOUGHT BUBBLE ANNOUNCES 2024 COMIC CONVENTION & FESTIVAL DATES ACCLAIMED COMIC ART CONVENTION AND FESTIVAL TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS YORKSHIRE THIS NOVEMBER THOUGHT BUBBLE FESTIVAL LEEDS & ACROSS YORKSHIRE 11 -17 NOVEMBER 2024 THOUGHT BUBBLE COMIC CONVENTION HARROGATE CONVENTION CENTRE 16 & 17 NOVEMBER 2024   https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com “Thought Bubble is the place to be. This is the show where everyone feels and is treated like family” –  Dark Knight News “Thought Bubble is the most important comic convention around” –  Popverse Returning to the Harrogate Convention Centre,...
Read more

Mystic Muses: A D&D Podcast

Image
Article by Philip Clark An all queer cast. An all femme ensemble. A non-binary Dungeon Master. Throw in some quality story-telling and role playing too, this sounds like a whole lot of fun! If any of the previously mentioned things has piqued your interests, then I implore you to check out Mystic Muses. You can find this wonderfully crafted podcast where you can find all your other favourites including Spotify. There are currently four episodes out. Episode 0 is the prologue and character introductions, and I have to say it is very well put together! The intro to each episode is cleverly crafted, with the players and DM each sounding off a sentence to bring us into the game space. Speaking of bringing us into the game space, Adam, the talented DM sets the scene for the story very nicely. A descriptive, yet concise introduction to the environment gives both the players and audience a vibe of what we're in for. Then come the delicious character introductions that give vivid descripti...
Read more

Fantastic Universes Interview: Madison, Matthew and Macsen Lintz From 'The Walking Dead'

Image
Interview panel led by Steve J. Ray, with a gathering of Comic/TV Media Journalists. I've spoken to some amazing people over the last couple of years; writers, artists, costume designers, and actors from some of my favorite TV shows. It's no secret that I'm a huge comic-book fan, and one of the TV series that's based on and inspired by a comics title - but has gone on to be so much more - is The Walking Dead . At a recent Comic-Con in London, I had the great opportunity of leading a panel where some fellow journalists and I spoke with Madison, Matthew and Macsen Lintz, three siblings who played Sophia and both iterations of Henry on the show. The eldest, Madison Lintz (born 1999) played Sophia Peletier - Carol's daughter - in the first two seasons. She's also well known for playing Maddie Bosch in the Amazon series Bosch . She started acting at the age of six, filming commercials and voice-overs. Matthew (born 2001) took over the role of Henry from ...
Read more