Catwoman #40 // Review
Selina Kyle finds herself in the shadow of an ultra-secret haunt for the elites of the Gotham City underworld in Catwoman #40. Writer Tini Howard continues a fresh and witty turn with Gotham’s greatest thief in a story that is brought to the page by artist Nico Leon and jaw-droppingly atmospheric work by colorist Jordie Bellaire. Catwoman has taken over a whole floor in the building in question…a space that allows her to spy on some of the most dangerous people in one of the most dangerous cities on Earth. Could she be in over her head? Maybe. Regardless, Howard’s carefully constructed plot is thoughtfully laid out on-page and panel by the clever pen of Leon.
Selina has had a number of different homes throughout the past couple of years, from a stylish place in distant Villa Hermosa to a princely place in Alley Town. Now she’s in the midst of some of the most sinister figures in the underworld, and she’s diving into darkness amidst the complexity of some very complex people from Gotham’s underworld. Everyone seems to have a different angle. Everyone seems to have a different weakness. Everybody seems to pose a different threat. It’s a strange playground for a very experienced thief.
Howard is working with a large ensemble of characters here. Catwoman is at the center of the story; however, Howard has developed a large enough rogues gallery for her to play with. It’s a delicate balance. Selina isn’t center stage all the time, but she manages to define the interaction between all of the rest of the characters. And it’s a very carefully crafted script. There is a strong sense of structure about it. The opening arc is now halfway through at the end of this issue. It will remain to be seen whether or not things remain as well balanced as they are in the first half, And it’s a very carefully crafted script. There is a strong sense of structure about it. The opening arc is now halfway through at the end of this issue. It will remain to be seen whether or not things remain as well balanced as they are in the first half.
Leon has spent a lot of time working with the specific architecture of Howard’s Gotham City. The strange blends of architecture and personal style define the story that will unfold every bit as much as the characters themselves. Mood, motion, and emotion all come across with striking clarity amidst cleverly drawn shadows and lots of interesting, little details that look around the corners of the panel. Through it all, Leon knows just how much to place in the panel without overloading it. The visuals are as well balanced as the script. Bellaire does some AMAZING work with color…a stunningly moody articulation of light in a variety of different settings. Bellaire’s work brings life to everything from sunlight on bloodstained sheets in the morning or silhouettes fighting in the night amidst a gritty galaxy of city lights in the background. Catwoman #40 features some of Bellaire’s best coloring in years, and that’s saying something for one of the best colorists in modern comics.
Howard had mentioned in an interview that she pitched the idea for her run on Catwoman with the opening scene of the previous issue more or less as it appeared on the page. From there, she just had to fill out the rest of it. And though it kind of feels like she might be filling out an equation, she’s doing so in a way that feels fresh and interesting.
