Selina Kyle and her longtime boyfriend are envisioned as icons for rebellion against a dark government in the second issue of Future State Catwoman #2. Writer Ram V concludes an impressively concise two-part story with the aid of artist Otto Schmidt. The issue outlines a particularly dark moment on a train bound for oblivion as Catwoman tries her best to survive while suffering from a series of problems that could easily kill her. It’s a rough time for Selina, but Schmidt manages to make her scrappy, pummeled battle scars feel suitably graceful in the second half of a well-executed story. 

Selina sees her boyfriend in a coffin. Odd that he would also turn-up in his ridiculous costume, telling her of his tenacity. It’s all washed-out in the lurid haze of a dream that she’s going to have to wake-up from. If she can find her way the hell off a speeding train that’s been rigged to explode. Her boyfriend is actually alive on the other end of the same train as chance would have it. Both of them are going to have to work together if they’re going to survive. It’s not going to be easy. Heavily-armed security is after both of them. 

Ram V keeps the train-based story shooting along in its steady course straight through to the end of an entertaining two-parter. V doesn’t entirely take advantage of the setting as well as he could. Though the idea of action on a futuristic train rolling through winter isn’t exactly original. It’s rare enough that it could have made for a more unique acton experience if V had managed to frame it in a way that grounded it on the rails just a bit more. Instead, the issue spends some time obsessed with the tedious, over-exposed rip-off of The Shadow, who serves as her boyfriend. He’s always had enough time on the page in his own titles. It’s a bit frustrating to see him turn into such a major figure in the second half of this story as well.  

Schmidt could have done a bit more to keep the story in contact with the rails as well. V doesn’t give him a whole lot of time to do so, but there might have been more of a sense of the unique location if Schmidt had framed the action in a way that showed-off the immediacy of the doomed speeding train. That aside, Schmidt draws beauty out of Catwoman even as she’s bruised, scarred, and bloodied. She’s graceful in combat and emotionally engaging in slower, more silent moments. 

They’ve been thrusting contemporary characters into dark futures for decades. This particular vision of Catwoman isn’t terribly interesting. It’s kind of fun when it’s not distracted by Selina’s boyfriend, but it lacks enough vision to make much of an impression beyond the basic premise. It’s fun, but the need to tell a compelling action story shouldn’t override the need to add something to the legend of a character who has been around for the better part of a century.

Grade: B-