REVIEW: ‘Catwoman,’ Issue #11

Catwoman #11 from publisher DC Comics ups the ante with this issue. Fueled by the writing of Joelle Jones, with art from Fernando Blanco and Hugo Petrus, colors John Kalisz, and letters by Saida Temofonte the issue continues Selina’s feud with Penguin. But the focus is now on Selina’s attempt to save her pal Carlos who has been trapped in an armored truck since the last issue.

Catwoman #11 follows Selina through the end of the city of Villa Hermosa. We get more time with Catwoman’s first enemies there, the Creel Family. In the last issue, Cameron Creel just wanted to be left alone and make an honest bid for political office. But Mother and his purple goo drooling brother, have other ideas. Their ideas run along the lines of villainy, and they know Catwoman will thwart them again. So, along with crooked ex-cop Yilmaz, they want poor, loving Cameron to help them out. It can be tiring to see the same villains repeatedly in comics, especially the Batman foes.

So it is a breath of fresh air to find a new villain, even better, a great new villain. The maternal head of the Creels and her savage child something out of an evil Addams Family. Their zaniness and their ability to act as if everything with them is normal is one of my favorite parts of their characters. Overall, this arc with the Penguin works fine, but it is getting old fast.

However, Catwoman #11 remains paced fast and dynamic. The dialogue with the characters is spot on and is building to a future storyline. Catwoman is shown off as being the true grande dame fans know and love. Jones clearly knows the character and is making Villa Hermosa a great new DC Universe metropolis. She offers a well-rounded tour of the city, from its movie star backdrop, to police corruption, and shady deal politics. Catwoman is the main player and has a definite impact, literally this time around, on this city.

The art is a tag team event this month between Blanco and Petrus and it is very well done. The art is almost seamless and keeps up the gritty style. The chase and acrobatics pages are spectacular. Selina is elegant and a powerhouse all in one. This tag team effort gets complemented by the coloring of Kalisz who mutes much of the hues in the dark night of the chase. He contrasts this by offering an open brightness in the daytime talk among the Creel brood. Saida Temofonte manages the heavy dialogue scenes well. It would be easy to crowd up word balloons and drown out the art but she handles it expertly.  She also makes sound effects in a smaller font size, which I tend to prefer.

As Catwoman fan, and I am pleased with the direction this book is taking. I am eager for the next confrontation between Selina and Creel. Overall, this issue demonstrated superb action and some very good dialogue. Catwoman #11 is available now in comic book stores everywhere