SYNOPSIS: The explosive final act of Catwoman’s international adventure begins here! With her list of suspects narrowed down, Selina circles in on the mystery person with their finger on the trigger. But when an ally is unexpectedly kidnapped, Catwoman finds herself on her hind legs as her cat-and-mouse game with the Belovs approaches its fiery conclusion.
“The Mills of God, part 1” begins this issue, but it is just another thread in the epic that writer Torunn Grønbekk is weaving. Picking up where “Never Let Them Smell Blood” left off, we find Selena and a reflective Shota at sea, before flashing back to somewhere in Europe a decade ago.
The flashback shines a spotlight on Mitya Belov and what a piece of work he is. This time in the past also reiterates the found family Selena/Evie has. Artist Danilo Beyruth sells the setting, with the beautiful colors of Patricio Delpeche backing him up.
Jumping back to the present, Selena finds herself arriving in Argentina, mentally preparing herself for the trial ahead. A servant of Mitya Belov, one Rudolf Waltz, picks Selena up and escorts her to the presumed endgame, where a secret or two gets revealed and Selena once again finds herself embroiled in some deadly action.
This issue grabbed me a lot more than the previous one. While on one hand, we still don’t know the mastermind, there did feel like some forward motion was made, and that pieces were coming together, particularly where Suzy was involved.
Grønbekk crafts a sense of danger. Not that he hasn’t in the past, but the sadistic Mitya elevates the stakes in this issue, particularly a startling execution depicted by Beyruth.
Selena is at her best here, cat-like and with observational skills like The Batman. She’s calculating, with a touch of wistfulness. Her resolve sees her through the bulk of the issue, and Grønbekk does an excellent job on her characterization here.
Despite a questionable face or two, I enjoyed Beyruth’s art. Lots of detail went into it, with some great perspectives and solid pacing. Combined with the aforementioned colors of Delpeche, these are some potent visuals, highlighting the globe-trotting elements of the narrative.
Catwoman #77 is a step up from last month. The usual intrigue abounds, but it feels like it is all coalescing finally. I’m not sure what Selena will face at the end, but this issue has me intrigued to find out! – Javier E. Trujillo
GRADE: B