REVIEW: ‘Catwoman,’ Issue #30

Catwoman #30 is published by DC Comics, written by Ram V, with art by Fernando Blanco, colors by Jordie Bellaire, and letters by Tom Napolitano. Having saved The Riddler and survived a run-in with a mysterious assassin, Selina Kyle must now make her next move carefully. Especially once she learns an old sometimes friend, sometimes enemy is being used by the bad guys. 

There’s an old proverb about heavy heads and wearing crowns. As Selina struggles with approaching the unfolding situation she and the rest of Alley Town seem to have unwittingly stumbled into, the self-appointed Queen of Alley Town’s head seems to be feeling the weight of her crown right about now. But Selina’s been spending too much time with heroes these days and can’t turn away from a person in need. That the person happens to be Poison Ivy only further complicates the situation. 

Catwoman #30 opens with Selina catching up with her old pal Edward Nygma. As he recovers from his recent difficulties, he catches Selina up on what he knows about the drug company that he has run afoul of. While she loathes involving herself further, she sees little choice. When corporations and criminals violate her territory, she has to address it. 

As Selina sets off to begin her investigation, our story jumps to The Penguin as he confronts Mr. Valley about his unexpected decisions toward his assignment to kill Selina. The conversation does not go the way the Penguin expects, as he quickly discovers he has not so much bought a hitman, as he’s unleashed a monster. 

This scene is the latest in several writer Ram V has penned over the current arc to slowly build up this new menace into something to be feared. So far, the build is going smoothly. Unfortunately, given the level of danger the villains of Gotham routinely display, he still has yet to make me believe Mr. Valley is more than a passing danger. I hope that the character will continue to grow into the force Ram V wants me to believe him to be.

From here, Catwoman #30 returns to Selina as she prepares for her night on the town. It’s just another run-of-the-mill evening involving high-speed burglaries, beating down multiple armed hostiles, and looking damn good doing it. 

The best part of the back portion of this book is how well Ram V captures Selina’s focus in the moment. While her frustration with the larger situation is clear when she is forced to see it from a distance, once she is at work getting her hands dirty(figuratively, of course), she can lose herself in her old confidence and be Catwoman through and through. 

Blanco’s art in Catwoman #30 continues to deliver on everything the story asks of it. From hard-hitting action to Selina’s emotional struggles early in the story, Blanco manages to keep this book’s visuals landing perfectly. And to end a book with the look he has Selina rocking on that last page. Sorry Bruce, but you are crazy for wanting time away from that.

The book’s art is further augmented thanks to Bellaire’s colorwork. The bulk of the book’s colors fall into the blue area of the color wheel, reinforcing the low-key tone much of the book delivers. This, however, makes the scenes, or often single elements within scenes, that deviate from this palette quite striking. 

Rounding out the book’s presentation is another skillful lettering job by Napolitano. The letter work, as always, delivers the story in a fashion that is both easy to follow and manages to never intrude upon the book’s lovely art. 

Taking it all together, Catwoman #30 delivers a solid story that manages to incorporate a balanced mix of story and character elements while never failing to be entertaining. Next month’s issue looks to shift gears a bit as Selina enters a different arena.

Catwoman #30 is available now wherever comics are sold.