Convergence: Catwoman #1 “Schrodinger’s Cat”
Written by Justin Gray
Art by Ron Randall
Colors by Gabe Eltaeb
Much like the Catwoman series this tie-in is pulling from, I wasn’t a fan of this issue. I think we all know I’m a fan of Selina Kyle/ Catwoman, but I never felt like she was fully developed as a character during the pre-Zero Hour time period. Yes, she had an intriguing back story, and was involved in some solid arcs, but there wasn’t much depth to her as a character. In my opinion, she wasn’t fully realized from a character standpoint until Cooke and Brubaker’s run. So even though I wouldn’t consider this iteration of Catwoman bad, it definitely fails in comparison.
I hoped the creative team would’ve found a way to bring some of the personality traits and complexities that make the Selina we know and love today to the character, but they didn’t. So what we’re left with is a sexy female that’s a cat burglar, has moderate fighting skills; yet, manages to overcome/ escape insurmountable odds.
Knowing that, what do you think happens in this issue? Well, as expected, it kicks off with a burglary. The Dome hasn’t fallen yet, and Catwoman has traveled to Metropolis looking to nab some diamonds from an heiress, but someone else has beat her to the punch… Specifically, a gang of roller derby girls. And they may or may not yell, “We got here first, Catwoman! Go find another heiress to kidnap!” Don’t’ believe me?
This only confirms my fears, and prepares me for the type of dialogue I can expect for the rest of the issue.
We jump forward one year. Life is different now that Metropolis is under the dome, and being the morally ambiguous person that she is, Catwoman has become the savior of Suicide Slum. Corruption has taken its hold on Metropolis, and the city has become more of a reflection of Gotham City in the past year. The police aren’t hunting people down instead of serving and protecting, and crime bosses are running the city by controlling basic necessities and needs such as food or medical supplies.
This might sound interesting, and it could’ve been, but the creative team pushes the limits of belief a little too much. There’s one part where a SWAT group is patrolling Suicide Squad looking for people to attack. Thanks to some miracle called convenient writing, Catwoman just happens to stumble across the SWAT team before they can find anyone… and she mops the floor with them. See, here’s where I have a problem. Catwoman is skilled, and she’s an ok fighter, but she wouldn’t be able to take out five SWAT guys like they’re nothing. I don’t buy it, but whatever, I’ll run with it. And… a crowd of people suddenly just appeared to praise her for saving them. Never mind, I’m not going to run with it. It’s kind of bad and really cheesy.
And if you think this is the last of the ludicrous aspects of this issue, then you’ll be glad to know that it’s not! We haven’t even gotten to the rescue mission that results in a not so fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants escape attempt. Don’t get me wrong, this could’ve been exciting, but that prospect was ruined when it became clear that the hired guns were clearly WASTED while trying to shoot Catwoman. We’re talking about “It’s my twenty-first birthday and I’m not going to remember the next week because I’m so hammered” levels of intoxication… because it’s the only thing that can explain their lack of accuracy.
Please tell me I read that incorrectly, and that Catwoman didn’t just say, “Sooner or later one of them is going to get in a lucky shot.” This team just keeps raising that bar…
If I’m being honest, the cheesy aspects weren’t my main bother concerning this book. In some ways, it felt kind of like a throwback to back in the day when there was a completely different approach to writing comics. So as irritating as I found some things, and despite the fact that I rolled my eyes at least three times, I’d still rather read it over some of the titles I do/did review.
So what does really bother me about this issue? There’s nothing relevant here. Not a thing. Each Convergence tie-in so far has contained flashbacks that play into the current situation with the domes being removed… that is not the case here. Instead of pulling a page out of Lost, and using flashbacks to enhance your current story, Convergence: Catwoman essentially just shows Selina on three different missions, to then say, “Hey, you’ll be fighting other worlds to save your world, and here’s your opponent!” as Kingdom Come Batman swoops down on the last page of the issue. The moment this book actually does something relevant, the story ends. Go figure.
The Art: Randall’s art is solid. He has good, clean lines, and draws action really well. I thoroughly enjoyed his ability to make Selina move with grace as well. There is something so elegant about his approach to Catwoman, that it becomes clear this aspect has been missing from the current Catwoman book. If only the writing would’ve been on the same level as the art…
Recommended if:
- You’re determined to read Convergence and all it’s tie-ins.
- You’ve missed Selina’s purple cat suit.
- You want to read something that’s better than Anne Nocenti’s attempt at Catwoman.
Overall: This book is poorly executed, stretches belief more than it should, and offers nothing worthwhile to the story at hand. It’s not terrible, but unless you’re one of those people that things are so bad that they’re good, I’d advise you skip this issue.
SCORE: 4.5/ 10
