REVIEW: ‘Catwoman,’ Issue #33

Catwoman #33 is published by DC Comics, written by Ram V, with art by Fernando Blanco, colors by Jordie Bellaire, and letters by Tom Napolitano. Taking place immediately after the events of Catwoman Annual 2021, Alleytown is on fire as both the GCPD and the newly authorized Magistrate forces move to lockdown and seize control of the area. With everything devolving into chaos, what will be the Queen of Alleytown’s next move?

With Saint getting permission to move his forces into Gotham and Father Valley’s near-fatal wounding of Leo, it feels like all the recent storylines of the last seven issues are coming to a head. And, of course, our heroine is caught right in the middle of it all. But when the alley needs its queen most, Selina is caught in a rare moment of self-doubt. This isn’t her kind of party. There are so many lives at stake, and the repercussions of failure are so high. What made her think it was a good idea to stop being a simple cat burglar again?

But, writer Ram V affords Selina little rest in Catwoman #33. Thanks to some unexpected help, Selina gets a plan going that might help lift the siege that is falling around Alleytown. Though there is no shortage of challenges to seeing the plan through, the unlikely alliance that forms this issue heads out to see the plan implemented.

It’s been a while since Selina was shown this out of her element, and just like then, the contrast from the usually confident Selina that Ram V presents readers hits hard. Ram V’s presentation of Selina’s internal struggles with her situation is handled with all the skill I’ve come to expect of the writer.

A large part of the force of Selina’s struggles in Catwoman #33 is due to the art of returning artist Blanco. You can feel the moment that Selina’s world becomes too much in Blanco’s panels. When she realizes there is so much more at stake than she is prepared for, Blanco delivers the moment perfectly.

The visual presentation of the book is further strengthened by Bellaire’s amazing colorwork. While the early moments are captured with cooler tones, the back of the book breaks out of this with brilliant colors lighting up the final pages as the story ratchets up at the end. This stark color contrast helps the end to be all the more memorable.

Lastly, let’s talk about Napolitano’s lettering. As one would expect, discussions about lettering generally revolve around what words are put where, how clearly the dialogue is to follow, or how well designed the sound effects are presented. And while Napolitano does these things here well, what is done best with the lettering is what doesn’t get put on the page. There is a moment where one would expect to see the classic sound effects popping off the panels, but placing them here would’ve done more to hurt the moment than help it. While I don’t know whose call it was to omit the usual sound presentation, it was the right one.

Taking it all in, Catwoman #33 delivers a marvelously executed story that feels like a “beginning of the end” for the current plot lines that have been building since the Joker War wrapped.

Catwoman #33 is available now wherever comics are sold.