TBU Review: Catwoman #84

In this review of Catwoman #84, after the battle with the Talon, Catwoman heads to a seedy hotel in Croatia to lick her wounds. 

CATWOMAN #84
Written by TORUNN GRØNBEKK
Art by PATRICIO DELPECHE
Main Cover: SEBASTIÁN FIUMARA
Variant Covers: FRANK CHO, MAHMUD ASRAR,  W. SCOTT FORBES
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 2/18/26

This review contains spoilers

As Catwoman #84 begins, we flashback to the Year One time with Selina and Holly living in Gotham and doing what it takes to survive. Selina and Holly are playing a game asking each other what they would do with all the money in the world. Holly says she would live in Australia and buy a bike with a bell on it. Selina says if she had all the money…. She would have a choice. Just then Mr. Hansen arrives with a job for Selina.

The job Hansen offers is shaky at best and Selina questions it. Hansen says if she does then she will wipe Holly’s debt clean.

Selina and Holly sneak into a party to do what Hansen needs. Selina gets to work while Holly is the lookout. While Selina is breaking into the safe and Holly is the lookout in the bathroom, she is being harassed by a man. The man busts into the bathroom and gets punched in the face by Selina. They escape and Selina asks Holly if she is on drugs.

In the present Selina breaks into Holly’s house in Croatia looking for her. Catwoman finds a note from Holly about her making amends to her. Holly tells a story of beginning a relationship with a woman in NA but she began stealing from her. Holly knew what that was like because she stole from Selina all those years ago. Catwoman finally reaches Holly on the phone. Holly is in Gotham and Selina says she will be there soon. 

Selina heads back to Gotham and visits her mother’s grave at the cemetery and buries the diamond necklace that she stole from Carmine there. Someone calls Carmine and alerts him that Selina is there. Carmine confronts Selina and says that he knows that she is Catwoman. He tells her he does not need a daughter but is in need of a Catwoman. And now Catwoman works for Carmine Falcone.

Analysis

Catwoman #84 is a pretty great issue. The Selina and Holly relationship is great in this issue. We see them in the Year One time, before Batman, before Catwoman. That time is something that plenty of fans know because that is such a famous story and Selina and Holly are such a famous pair from it.

Many times throughout Catwoman #84 Selina talked about how much she needed Holly and that she probably needed Holly more than Holly needed Selina. It reminded me of Bruce and Dick or any of the Robins. How he would never admit that he needs them but deep down he does but it was refreshing to see Selina admit it.

Great ending with Carmine and you could feel real tension between Selina and Carmine. Carmine grills her about the diamond and knows she took it but Selina would never admit it. Then Carmine, knowing she’s Catwoman, is going to blackmail her and force her to work for him. It makes for an interesting story going forward. 

Grønbekk has a great voice for Selina and is writing an interesting story. Getting Selina back in Gotham, rekindling her relationship with Holly and delving deeper into their past, and introducing a new partnership with Carmine is all great stuff. Great issue. Great art as well by Delpeche whose art is pretty timeless and can fit in the Year One timeline and in present day Catwoman and Gotham. 

BJ Shea

BJ has had two passions in his life: sports and comic books. Specifically Batman and Robin. Not a day has gone by where BJ hasn’t watched or read something Batman-related. Currently, his goal is to collect as many Dick Grayson (his favorite character) issues as he can. Doesn’t matter if he’s Robin or Nightwing or Agent 37, he wants them. Another goal he has is to collect the complete Robin run of Tim Drake’s classic series. Raised on reruns of Adam West and was there for the animated series, BJ is down for any version of Batman. The Dark Knight is his favorite movie ever. On any day, BJ is most likely watching sports, watching anything Batman, or The Office.