Authorities of a couple of different kinds are after a legendary criminal. They’re asking questions of that criminal’s past, Legends unfurl in the direction of those who would pursue the criminal. It’s a fun way to tell a story. Writer Ram V uses the format for Catwoman #32, adding to the legend of Selina Kyle with a couple of stories told by a couple of different people. V weaves the narratives together with gorgeous visuals by artist Evan Cagle that are given sumptuous life by colorist Jordie Bellaire. Three distinctly different eras of Catwoman’s life dance around gracefully on the page of an issue that is easily Ram V’s best so far in the series.  

A hunter searches for Selina Kyle. He has an old accomplice of hers tied to a chair. The hunter wants to know about her, so his captive tells a tale of the first time he’d worked with her when she was a very young woman in Sicily. They were up against the mafia. In Alleytown in Gotham City, the police are questioning the gang of kids led by Catwoman. One of them tells a legend of Selina when she was their age--the legend of a girl who grew up in Alleytown. 

Ram V knits a few different narratives together with some pretty impressive pacing. The smash cuts from one era to the next that percussively punctuate the issue could have been unpleasantly disorienting, but Ram V conducts the flow of action with a clever precision. It’s difficult enough to get a SINGLE story to fit this perfectly into a single issue. Ram V manages to get a few stories to juggle together into a single issue without any of them feeling rushed or awkward. There’s a beautiful sense of rhythm about the flow of the narrative. 

Evan Cagle’s work is gorgeous. There’s a deliciously rich and atmospheric look to the issue that flits from Sicily to Alleytown and back again. The rain-drenched Alleytown of Selina’s childhood contrasts exquisitely against the dreamy mystery of Sicily. Bellaire amplifies the atmosphere in places. Nowhere is this more apparent than the downpour of Alleytown at night. Bellaire and Cagle bring rainy Gotham to the page that’s so vivid that the distinct aroma of metropolitan evening rain can be detected resonating from the panels. Cagle manages to catch Selina in three different distinct eras of her life that are all animated by the same resourceful personality. Cagle’s sense of detail is as gorgeous as his layout. There are some really remarkably balanced moments cascading across the page in appealing directions. 

Fernando Blanco returns as artist next month. For one, brief moment, the art and story of Ram V’s run with Catwoman feels absolutely exquisite. Blanco does an excellent job with the character in his own style, but a glimpse at something as dynamic as issue #32 is bound to give the overall flow of action in the ongoing serial a bit of an awkward bump. 

Grade: A