Catwoman #3

DC Comics

Writer: Joelle Jones

Artists: Joelle Jones and Fernando Blanco

Joelle Jones doesn’t hold back with the opening sequence as she throws Selina to the wolves right from the get-go. The Creels are shaping up to be a formidable foe as they have eye drops that make elderly people super strong, capable of taking a trained thief like Selina head-on. They offer her a simple choice: work for the Creels or leave (our plane of existence). Her answer is obvious, so she makes a quick exit. 

The book switches the focus to Raina and her husband, Edmond. Edmond, unbeknownst to Raina, has cancer and is retiring so he can focus on his health and family. It is here that Jones takes the opportunity to get us to know just how evil and rotten Raina is. Fernando Blanco and John Kalisz take over the art duties for the flashback sequence.

What’s good

As mentioned, Jones doesn’t hold back with the opening sequence. There is some nice character exposition, the threat level is flashed out nicely and Jones shows us that she is not afraid to hurt Selina, physically. This last bit is what makes the book feel really grounded. That feeling is further amplified by the subdued coloring by Laura Allred, which adds a certain noir flair to the overall experience.

The flashback sequence is really well executed. While Raina is trying to paint a really sad and tragic picture, Blanco’s paneling and framing tell a whole different story. It’s a really great storytelling technique, utilizing all the different strengths that the medium offers.

Jones’ art is great, as usual. It’s detailed and nicely textured. The third part of the book is especially great-looking, as we see Selina in her costume, jumping from roof to roof, on her way to a meeting. This meeting is really important as it finally answers the big question – why is she in Villa Hermosa in the first place?

What’s bad

Even though I really enjoyed the flashback sequence and the way it was presented, I really can’t say that Blanco’s art is that exciting. He also doesn’t try that much to distinguish it from the present day. The sequence supposedly takes place in Raina’s young days, but there is nothing to make the 20-30 years time gap obvious. Kalisz’ coloring further adds to the confusion as his palette is a lot brighter and more saturated compared to Allred’s. If it weren’t for Raina’s narration there would be no way of knowing this was a flashback to a really old event.

Speaking of Raina, she feels a bit cartoony. There is no redeeming trait in her character, no relatable reasoning behind her actions. She is just pure, unadulterated, cartoonish evil. Which, maybe, isn’t that bad. It depends on the mood.

Verdict

Joelle Jones is taking Selina in some new and exciting directions and she has me fully on board. It took her a few issues to really make the book stand on its own, but this issue finally gave us some much-needed answers, with some nice twists and a promise of more interesting things to come.