Cat On The Run: Reviewing ‘Catwoman’ #69

Late at night, Selina Kyle wakes in a room that isn’t her home to the news of her own death. With those (paraphrased) words, and the images to bring them to life, a whole new era begins for Gotham’s cat burglar anti-hero.

Thrown right into the deep end, Catwoman #69 brings the title into the DC All-In initiative as Torunn Grønbekk, Fabiana Mascolo, Patricio Delpeche, and Steve Wands take over the series. What a doozy of a way to begin.

First off, I love the number of double, as well as triple and quadruple, digit titles that DC Comics has at this moment. I’m not all about nostalgia, but there is something that feels right about the old ways of books continuing on with the same numbering even if a totally new team takes over. Right here with this book is proof that you don’t need a shiny new #1 to take a book and go a whole new direction.

All it takes is a team … deciding to (within reason for the character and space) go in a direction away from what the last team did.

Second, I really liked this issue.

Mysteries are hard to do in mainstream comics. With mystery films or novels, the reader must just reach the end of the film or the book to have the answers. The whole package is presented to you to complete in potentially one sitting (depending on your reading speed or choice). Comics, on the other hand, come in a monthly format where you are only getting bite-sized chunks of the stories every thirty days or so.

Take too long to drop any answers or clues or drag it all out so long that the reveal is convoluted and not worth pursuing, the reader can easily dip. Leaving the story unfinished from their side of the equation. Just enough crumbs must be left to guide the reader and keep them engaged, but mainly the character beats and intriguing artwork must be the driving force.

So far, that is very much what this new era of Catwoman is presenting.

Grønbekk gives just the right amount of reveals and setup to keep things enticing. We know that someone tried to kill Selina (leaving her wanted for questioning) and has apparently ‘killed’ one of her former aliases. What really sells things is the tight, tense nature of the story, playing on her thief background and her ability to play roles and understand others. Part mystery and part spy thriller, at least, in structure and feeling.

Costume changes happen all the time for characters, new runs being a prime time for them to happen. Often the reasons on panel are flimsy or non-existent. Here though, Grønbekk gives a simple yet elegant in-universe reason for a costume change that befits the chosen story direction. Leaving plenty of room to slip back into the more familiar costume at any point if they should so choose.

Much of that comes from the way that Mascolo and Delpeche bring it all to the page. Between the art and colors, there is a very almost water-color like feeling to it all.

There is a striking simplicity yet depth that is beautiful about Mascolo’s work. Things have a very realistic and tangible edge to them, while keeping just a slight edge of whimsical fictional energy. Figures are so dense and weighty, having an actual presence on the page. Any of them feel like they could walk off the page and exist beside us at any given moment.

I haven’t seen Mascolo’s artwork since BOOM! Studio’s Firefly related books a few years ago. It was so stylish and gorgeous and perfect for the series then. What we have here has taken what was already amazing and jumped ahead even more. Plenty of rougher edges that play into the noir street appeal that comes baked into most of the recent Catwoman stories (which I love).

Pushing that effect are the color palette choices that have been made. Delpeche gives each of the particular rooms or spaces their own distinctive feel, playing with the lighting effects and hues. Plenty of purples and blues in the dark room that Selina awakens, dark but lighter (more real) tones for the actual streets, while the yellows and whites become striking for the fancy party flashbacks. All of it carries the same energies so that flipping between them is breezy and never jarring.

Overall, there is a very neutral or natural level to all the colors. Even when there are more striking or vibrant color splashes, they are toned down in a way that keeps them closer to a relatable level. This is a book that takes place in a world where the fantastical happens all the time, but maintains a focus that helps make the fantastical feel normal in various ways.

Wands is no stranger to helping bring a voice to those who call Gotham home, having taken a swing at many back-up stories over in Detective Comics in recent years. It’s good to see his work brought over to a full series. Able to really allow the characters emotions and personality to drip with every word on the page. Delivering volume, tone, and visual panache with just a few modifications here or there. While also helping the words just dance across the page as a true partner to the rest of the artwork rather than some kind of hindrance.

Catwoman #69 is now available from DC Comics.