S456 ARCHIVES: Catwoman #9 Review

originally posted on station456.tumblr.com on May 19th, 2012

***

So far, I’ve read six books in the Night of the Owls event currently going on in the DC Universe, and I’ve enjoyed every one. Scott Snyder has created a fantastic idea with the Night of the Owls, bringing to the table an incredibly cool and intimidating group of assassins in Gotham tagged The Court of Owls. The Court affects the Batman mythos in a big way, dating back centuries before Bruce Wayne was even born. Naturally, The Court has an effect on more than just Batman himself.

Enter Catwoman #9.

The current volume of Catwoman, a part of The New 52, has been harshly criticized for containing an immature, overly-sexualized, and dumbed-down portrayal of Selina Kyle. I, for one, have been keeping up with the series and quite like it: It’s fun, non-serious violence, lust, and snappy writing. The absence of intelligent commentary and emotionally-moving plot-progression is made up for by bloody claws to the face and wonderfully drawn images of the female anatomy. It’s a fun book.

Catwoman’s Night of the Owls crossover, however, strays noticeably away from this book’s style of story-telling. I wasn’t oggling at Selina and smiling at the ravaging ruination, but rather found myself enjoying an interesting, smart read.

This issue sees a Court assassin who, unlike any of the other assassins I’ve seen thus far, has dishonored the Court in the past and is rather incompetent, really. He is instructed to take out The Penguin, and in his attempt learns that Cobblepot has daggers belonging to The Court that he was responsible for losing. It shows a more human side to the Court that hadn’t been revealed up until now: I appreciate Catwoman delivering that angle.

Catwoman and her new, six-pack-clad hunk of a partner, run into the assassin with The Penguin as they’re trying to steal the aforementioned daggers. We see Catwoman empathize with the assassin, as he, like her, is a person damaged by a poor upbringing. Catwoman doesn’t seem to know about The Court of Owls and how much of a threat they are, so this allows a compelling scene in which she decides that she’ll let this hurt man have the daggers if he promises not to hurt anybody. Given Catwoman’s character - a damaged individual who makes a living off of stealing from people - it’s interesting to see her relate to this assassin and cut him some slack.

As always, the detail-rich art is stylized and expressive, and the informal, intimate writing is equally good. I loved Catwoman #9. If you tried this series out and didn’t really like it, this issue may still tickle your fancy if you’ve been enjoying the Night of the Owls event. And for those who have already been enjoying this series, this issue has a bit of a different but still enjoyable type of story. All-around, this issue is a quality comic book and has my recommendation.