So this arc of Catwoman has been going on for so long that we have our third artist on this title (please welcome Danilo Beyruth). And yes, someone might argue that all of these issues have consisted of multiple two-part mini-arcs with separate names. To that I would say, I can reheat leftover pizza from the night before and eat it the next day. It would still be part of the same pizza, wouldn’t it?
New Artist Drawing Cats
Anyway, I guess the first thing to talk about is how much does the artist change affect the comic? Well, we still have the saving grace of this series, which is Patricio Delpache’s colors, so there is a level of visual consistency. But Beyruth’s art is noticeably different from Mascolo or Ignazzi. While I would say that the figures can feel a bit off, there is a lot more emotion on the characters’ faces besides looking pissed. I know this has been said many a time before, even potentially by me, but comics are a visual medium. If you are just skimming the word balloons and dialogue boxes for the plot, the art isn’t doing a good job. So this issue is doing a lot better in my opinion when it comes to the art.
Or maybe, I’m just happy because we finally got some clear-cut answers for once.
Answers? In my Catwoman comic?
In this issue, we confront the 100th Belov brother as he has taken poor Suzy hostage (no, not poor Susan!). I predicted all the way back in my review of Catwoman #71 of how Susie’s story would end and let’s just say, I wish I was a gambling man. Still, I’m happy at least one of those sub-plots were wrapped up.
Besides the Suzette stuff, we find out that years ago the Belovs ran a ring of hired criminals that Selina was recruited into as Evie Hall. Except one of the members of their former ring is now killing the rest and they somehow know that Evie is Selina. Again, if you have been reading this series, none of this is stuff that you wouldn’t have figured out. The poor structure of this arc has been one of its key problems. That said, it’s nice to receive confirmation. And hey, we even get answers regarding the death of the fake Evie Hall, so it’s another box ticked off.
But can a story be considered fun to read, when the most noteworthy things about it is the fact that I can tick things off a checklist?
Recommended If
- You wanted to know about Suzanna
- You’re a fan of Danilo Beyruth’s art
- You wanted answers to stuff you had already figured out
Overall
Catwoman #77 may be the best issue of the series. While that isn’t a particularly high bar to clear at this stage, the fact that we get some answers is something. The art change injects a level of emotion that was lacking, so its an improvement as well. However, even die-hard Catwoman fans might struggle to care about Sue and the Belov brothers at this point due to the sheer length of this arc.
Score: 7.5/10
Disclaimer: DC comics provided an advanced copy of this issue for review purposes.
English (US) · 