Issue #10 is one that’s filled with some big revelations, plenty of action, and a creepy new villain whose actions have a profound effect on Catwoman. It’s an issue that raises quite a few questions and if you do buy it, chances are good you’ll be back again next month to find out what everyone’s true motivations are and just what Catwoman is hiding about her past. If you’ve not been reading Catwoman, this should be a good jumping-on point or taste-test to see if it’s right for you. The plot picks expands on something that was started 2 issues ago, but it does a fine job of explaining what exactly is going on so you haven’t missed out on much so I say give it a try.
March’s pencils look awesome here. Sure, there’s a lot of those gratuitous butt and boob shots that are easy to make fun of, but the environment he has created is highly detailed and the faces (if you can lift your eyes from Catwoman’s body) are quite expressive. Tomeu’s colors fit the slummy atmosphere perfectly, but these hues are so sickly that it makes some scenes look perhaps too ugly…and that might me more of a complement than a fault because this is a pretty dark and twisted tale. You’ll swear the pages feel grimy.
Catwoman’s characterization is definitely maturing and that should please a lot of fans. These missing person reports that have been hinted at in the past two issues have struck a cord with her and although she doesn’t fully explain why in this issue, it’s clear that she’ll be opening up about it soon and that’s a story that could change what we know about Catwoman and totally rewrite her origin for the New 52.
All of the supporting cast had something to do in this issue from Detective Alvarez, who is still drowning in a sea of corruption (this is a plotline that’s definitely needed some traction and it appears to finally be progressing here), Gwen the fence who is sick of Catwoman’s growing desire to go vigilante, and even Spark, her sidekick, is also getting a bit more depth, but I don’t want to spoil any of that.
As for the villain, Dollhouse…it’s only a similar gimmick to the whole Dollmaker family we saw in the early “Detective Comics” arc in name only for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she/he ties into that group in some way. Her/his (Still not sure on the sex of this villain yet. DC solicits say it’s a she, but those are frequently incorrect) evil plan isn’t that terrible, but it seems kind of costly. I want to learn more about this villain before I make a real judgment.
Overall, it’s an alright issue. It’s not going to be anybody’s favorite, but it’s the start of a new arc that has some real potential.
SCORE: 7/10
