100-page special issue! DC Comics’ 80th Anniversary of the first appearance of Catwoman!
And what a many-splendoured book it is; top writers and artists on their game, bringing us ALL NEW stories of the woman of the hour. The cover by Joelle Jones and Laura Allred sets the classy tone for the issue; beautiful and dangerous and enigmatic Catwoman!
There are ten stories in this issue. Writers include Tom King, Paul Dini, Liam Sharp, Chuck Dixon, and Ed Brubaker. And more. Artists include Mikel Janin, Liam Sharp, Pia Guerra, Kelley Jones, and other favourites.
In addition to the ten stories, there are reprinted panel images of the “Catwomans” through the decades; her looks, her catsuits changing with the times.
I would have preferred to see more reference to the 80-year history than a simple reprinting of Catwoman images over the decades, but otherwise, this is a fun and respectful reminiscence and celebration!
Plus, full-page pinups by artists including Ty Templeton, Tula Lotay, Steve Rude, Jae Lee, and more.
With so much to read and review, where do we start? Well, how about if I simply give my overall impressions, ‘no spoiler’-style?
The stories and artwork and colouring are surprisingly unified and at a high level. Excellent, concise short stories, well crafted, and ‘going somewhere’. Catwoman looks similar in the stories, the reading of the stories has a good strong flow. What I mean is that you can read all these stories in a single sitting, and not be confused, bewitched, or bothered by drastically different looks or storytelling styles. There is a really good sense of visual cohesion here, which can set a strong base level for the more ‘out there’ adventures, such as The Catwoman of Earth, by Jeff Parker, art by Jonathan Case. This one looks like Silver Age-meets-Jimi Hendrix. Aliens, 1960s word puns, Retro costume, over-the-top action! Otherwise, it’s ‘business as usual’: tight suit, tightly drawn figures, great anatomy, and gestures. It’s top work.
Rather than pick out favourite stories here, I will simply recommend the book in general as a fun read!
DC, Catwoman 80th Anniversary 10-Page Super Spectacular #1, $9.99 for 100 pages. Teen
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