Catwoman # 76 review

The last time we left Selina, we were learning about how her time as Evie led to her being hunted in the present day. While we had been getting flashbacks to her time as Evie interspersed throughout the run, #75 decided to focus entirely on the flashbacks. Which introduced a bunch of new characters on top of the ones readers like me were already struggling to remember. So, does Catwoman #76 at least give us the necessary context?

Oh, Hey, Romantic Interest No. 86, Long Time No See

I do feel like I need to give writer Torunn Grønbekk credit for being willing to give the readers a slow burn and pace things out over a long series of issues. It’s something that we rarely see nowadays in comics, which are usually set to wrap up their stories in 6 or so issues. Unfortunately, this entire run has been a showcase of why this type of slow burn is so rare these days.

Let’s play a game…point out Selina in this scene. Good, now name anyone else.

Despite having followed the story from the beginning, it has been extremely difficult to keep track of all the characters that have appeared in it. This is for three reasons. One, they just aren’t distinct enough to make them worth remembering (the art doesn’t help in this regard by giving them similar facial features and structures). Two, the players taking part in this story keep exiting and entering at random, so every time one of them reappears, I need a moment to remember who they are and what their relation to Selina is. And finally, there are too many of them to keep track of over such a long story that’s taking place in multiple locations. 

In this issue, we see the return of Selina’s former love interest, Shota, who seems to be closely tied to the Belovs, but is willing to throw it all away for Selina. Why does this sound so famili- oh my God, this is Catwoman: When in Rome but blander.

Oh, thank God it’s Bruce! No, well, I’ll take Slam Bradley instead

I’d try to describe what happened in this issue a bit more, except I’m not exactly sure what happened in the first place. Or maybe at this point, I’m too apathetic to care. Maybe the ex-boyfriend will turn out to be a jilted lover who wants payback but can’t bring himself to do it…and now I’m describing Selina’s Big Score. You know that was actually a story that involved a lot of original characters (except Slam Bradley) and involved Selina’s dark past catching up to her. Man, I wish I were reading that instead of this.

Recommended If

• • You’ve been enjoying the art in this series as it has been the one enjoyable constant despite the artists having changed at one point.
  • You still care about this blast to Selina’s past. Well, it’s more like a whimper.
  • Meow meow meow, meow meow meeeeow meow meow

Overall

Catwoman #76 carries on the dull, plodding pace of this series, which at this point only serves to confuse the audience, given how it keeps flipping between the flashbacks and the present. The sudden return of Catwoman’s ex-lover doesn’t really leave any impact since we last saw him five issues ago in another flashback. This whole story reeks of “instant forgettability” once this arc is over. With nothing of value added to the character.

Score: 4/10

DISCLAIMER: DC Comics provided Batman News with a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review.