SYNOPSIS: As Selina dances her way through devils and the damned at a Dante’s Divine Comedy-themed party, a tale of pain and woe unfolds in Stockholm. There, Catwoman will find the first of her prizes as she does battle against the people after her head. By the end, Catwoman will find herself in a literal inferno of her own making!
From the Budapest of the past to the Stockholm of today, Selena continues to find herself in a world of trouble.
Grønbekk opens with a flashback, providing context for the action that plays out in the rest of the issue. I need to revisit the past few comics to see if Selena’s time as Evie becomes clearer for me, but what is apparent is Selena is taking everything in, making mental notes for things that will come of use in the present day.
As the story shifts forward, we rejoin Selena at the party where she is attired in a cocktail dress and Catwoman mask. As she encounters people from her past, it isn’t enough for them to not make a connection to Evie, sparking some violent interactions.
I’m really loving Ignazzi’s art here. I was starting to pick up some Francesco Francavilla influence or vibes in this issue. Panelwork tends to favor rectangular frames, adding a cinematic flair, but gets broken up at times with some more traditional squares. Nothing too out of the box, but the action is staged well, is easy to follow, and looks great.
Adding to the visuals is the coloring by Patricio Delpeche. I love the shift from the pink and purples of the past to the green of the present, which gives way to oranges and reds as the party >ahem< heats up in the second half of the story. Delpeche really makes the art pop and does some strong work with the shading.
This issue feels more straightforward than last and I loved seeing Selena do some Catwoman things. For not being terribly complicated, I still felt a little in the dark as to what the overall motivations are for the antagonists, but I suppose that’s part of the mystery and intrigue Grønbekk is selling. Selena feels very much on her own and isolated, but like a cat, she can get by just fine without a supporting cast.
I want to give a brief shout-out to the covers by Seba Fiumara. Since he took over, he’s included subtle homages to past live-action Catwomen, but my hat is off to him for this issue’s deep-cut of a dress Zoë Kravitz wore to a premiere of The Batman! Well done!
Catwoman continues to be compelling. It may not knock my socks off every month, but there is definitely a lot to enjoy, particularly some beautiful visuals. – Javier E. Trujillo
GRADE: B
