Review by Ian Keogh
What’s the best way to target the people who’ve carved up Gotham’s underground between them and ensure they don’t spin out of control? Circulate among the women who matter to them and learn is Tini Howard’s answer in a clever and engaging opening chapter to the title story. It’s a very strong start to Howard’s take on a character whose 21st century graphic novels have only seen minor dips in quality.
Howard is helped by exceptional art from Nico Leon, making eye-catching use of shadows and silhouettes with single sources of light, his best here involving a motorcycle during the second chapter. Yet he’s not saving time or hiding behind the shadows himself, as he’s equally fullsome in providing what goes on during daylight. While the drawing is good, Leon’s dependency on light and dark wouldn’t look nearly as effective without the superlative colouring provided by Jordie Bellaire. While Veronica Bandini takes her cues from Bellaire’s work, she’s not as intuitive.
Howard’s narrative dots between what Catwoman’s up to and the assorted criminals she’s targetting with the idea of setting them against each other. Readers with long memories will also be pleased at the return of Black Mask, the closest to an arch-enemy Catwoman has, well handled with his dialogue exuding confidence. It’s all very captivating and stylish as Howard accentuates Selina caring about Gotham while showing what she’s good at and how. There is a problem, though, in the form of new character Valmont. He’s superficially interesting as a very efficient masked vigilante, but a plot weakness for instantly being a man rescuing Catwoman and leading her down a path. Howard writes Selina Kyle as smart enough to be suspicious, but it’s a lapse nonetheless.
That aside, the title story is very satisfying, and just to prove it’s no fluke Howard follows up with a two-parter that’s also engaging. Selina leaves Gotham with Harley Quinn for a road trip that’s all seedy motels, junk snacks and roller derby. As energetically drawn in a looser way by Bengal it has a different mood from the claustrophobic enclosure of Gotham, but there’s a slight flaw concerning the seeming invulnerability of someone just intended as a creepy man.
Still, only minor flaws amid so much that’s good first time out speaks highly of Howard as a writer, and there’s much mileage ahead, with Cat International next.
