Catwoman #22 might be the worst issue of Catwoman yet and since it’s the worst thing I read, that’s really saying something. Selina Kyle is such a great, iconic character and I’m fed up with seeing horrible issue after horrible issue. This all started with issue #0 when Ann Nocenti came aboard back in September and gave Catwoman that awful “resurrection by cats” origin story. Nothing has improved since then.
Last issue ended with an entire district of Gotham being turned into a No Man’s land-esque war zone that ended when Penguin fired a rocket that created a gigantic sink hole. The rest of the Bat family never got involved, the media never paid any mind to the rockets flying over Gotham’s skyline, the police and military didn’t intervene… nothing. The sink hole swallowed Catwoman’s new friend Rat-Tail and Penguin got away. In issue #22, Catwoman somehow believes that Rat-Tail could still be alive after plummeting who-knows-how-far down into the Earth’s crust. So she ventures into the Gotham underground where she runs into Doctor Phosphorus and his daughter (I don’t know what it is with the worst writers wanting to give super villains offspring, but Nocenti will be creating the “Joker’s Daughter” in the next couple months too) who rule over a subterranean tribe. And they’re not even the only tribe! There are multiple civilizations of mole-people who ride on horseback living underneath Gotham City now.
Screw this. It’s not what I want from a Catwoman comic.
With DC announcing a Damian Wayne mini-series, a Batman Black and White series, an Arkham War mini-series, and a Harley Quinn solo series I need to make some cuts around here and Catwoman has to go. I will no longer be reviewing Catwoman until Ann Nocenti is gone. This character deserves better. She’s arguably pop-culture’s most famous female character and this is the garbage we get?
Overall
Until this creative team is gone I suggest you turn to Justice League of America and occasional issues of Legends of the Dark Knight (issue #9 was excellent) for your Catwoman fix. Only there will you read good dialogue and see smart capers involving one of Gotham’s most important characters.
SCORE: 1/10
