CATWOMAN #28, available today from DC Comics, continues this latest series of adventures for the one and only Selina Kyle. Apparently, helping Batman save the day wasn’t enough, as now she’s set to take on one of the mobs of Alleytown.
One year. That’s how long she’s giving Batman to make up his mind. It’s how much time she has to clean up her share of the city and take down all of the new enemies she’s made. That isn’t a whole lot of time, but apparently, she’s set to make the best of it.
She moved back into Alleytown and quickly set about cleaning up the streets, taking in the kids, and teaching them the ways of thievery. Now? Now she’s got her eyes set on bigger game, and in Catwoman #28, some of those plans are about to come to fruition.
The Writing
Catwoman #28 is an exceptionally fast-paced read, courtesy of all the action, mayhem, and table-turning events that Ram V managed to sneak into the pages. There’s a lot to take care of in this part of town in her defense, and much of the crime seems to set up like dominoes. You can’t handle one without planning for the rest.
At least, that is the impression that this plot arc has been giving off. Perhaps this is more of Selina’s ‘go big or go home’ mentality, as she’s poking at new enemies – instead of dealing with all the ones she already has.
It’s an interesting move, but it’s also a smart one. By allowing Catwoman to create her own antagonists – antagonists that run through her self-declared turf – the series is allowing Catwoman to have a sense of independence once again. She’s no reliant on Batman, nor is her series reliant on his enemies.
This is the part where the last few issues worth of scheming and planning all finally pays off. Hence all of the action and less of the plotting. Still, there’s plenty for readers to pick up on as the war continues on multiple fronts.
The Art
It’s safe to say that a lot is going on in Catwoman #28. Multiple fights, locations, and perspectives had to be portrayed for it to make any sense at all. This means the artists did a lot of the heavy lifting here.
Fernando Blanco’s artwork is bold and decisive – much like the character being portrayed. The action scenes move so quickly; it’s almost hard to follow along. Almost, but not quite. Blanco’s work easily captured the many layers of this plot, showcasing all the different sides to this fight and where the lines have been drawn.
FCO Plasencia’s colors work well to make everything pop out. As even what would normally be deemed duller colors seem to pop. All thanks to the unique color combinations. It makes this grungy part of town feel like a place worth fighting for while still leaving room for the characters to pop out even further.
Tom Napolitano’s lettering is the final touch. He took full advantage of the action to increase the impact of it all. You can practically hear, even feel, the whip as it flips through the air and catches on some poor sap.
Conclusion
Catwoman #28 is another fast-paced addition to this series. Allowing for a heavy amount of confrontation as all of her planning comes to fruition. It’s full of satisfaction on that level while also setting up for future conflicts along the way.
