When An Ending Isn’t An End: Reviewing ‘Catwoman’ #68

Some stories end with a triumphant blow that rings through the ages. Others with more of a dull thud situation. It won’t take nine lives — or even one life — to guess where it all ends for this run on Catwoman.

With the sixty-eighth issue of the series, Tini Howard, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Veronica Gandini, and Tom Napolitano bring a close to one of the weirdest and longest story arcs. Just in time for the series to switch up and join the DC All-In initiative in October.

Scroll back over the past two years (if you dare), and it’ll be clear how I felt about this new creative run when it began. Following up on the Ram V years was a tall order (good luck to Tom Taylor on Detective Comics soon), but the book found its way by keeping some elements but pushing forward with its own feeling. After the really bogged down and nonsensical Gotham War event though, things began to unravel.

I like Howard as a writer. Some of her recent works on the other side of the publishing line (all marked with the letter X) are some of my favorite books of this decade so far. The first half or more of this run will go down as stuff that is up in the higher levels of my list, if I actually had one.

The second half…not so much.

I appreciate how she was able to tie up ends here. From the Valmont appearance to ties to Hush and other things. All the White Glove/Viceroy stuff ended with that aforementioned dull thud, proving my sentiment all along of how puffed up it was to be true. Superhero stories feel like they always need that clear-cut supervillain type figure, even if there is no reason for it. That’s what the Viceroy was here, a puffed-up villain shoved into a circular slot despite being a triangle shaped peg.

Even with ten parts, a lot of stuff got rushed, glossed over, or inadequately handled. Something where Catwoman got to spend more time with her crew on a human level rather than a useless far too easily wrapped up war would have been better. But this was the hand we were dealt, and we’re stuck playing it or folding. I will say though, ending in a way that isn’t an ending, because the book will be continuing on, is a solid move on it’s own.

Despite all that, I have enjoyed the work that Di Giandomenico and Gandini have done together.

Really rough artwork plays up the darker aspects of the character and her world, with really solid panel choices. This keeps us right in the thick of things and showing off the detailed work on facial expressions and body language. Just enough lighter, almost whimsical, energy leaks into things to bring that needed levity.

Part of the lighter feeling comes from the colors as well. Splashes of more vibrant fantasy style colors are all over, reminding us of all the costumes and powers at play. Lots of shadows team up with the more natural and heavier toned palette choices. I love the work done to keep a lot of characters, such as Batman, often in shadows to minimize our actual seeing them. Keeping the ominous and darker nature in play.

Bringing dialogue and other sound stuff to life in this series has been in Napolitano’s hands quite a bit for years. Even before this run itself. It’s nice to see this section also wrap up with his work, finding all the ways to drip and pour the emotions into every letter. This also allows characters’ personalities to really ring truly through their every word, while giving a lot of it such unique visual quirks. From colors to bubbles to just font style changes, it all informs the feeling, tone, and even appeal of the words.

While the first half promised potentially something more that the second half couldn’t fully deliver, all in all the run was worth it. Warts and all. Perhaps it’s one that will benefit from a return down the line, for second appraisal.

Catwoman #68 is now available from DC Comics.