Catwoman No. 9 review: All this work for a bracelet?

After Selina’s neighbors get robbed, there’s only one thing that Catwoman can do to help them, rob the thieves right back.

The past couple of issues of Catwoman have been some of the best of the series so far, and the series was beginning to really ramp up to become an interesting story. With this issue though, said story is being put on hold in favor of a one-off issue with guest writer Ram V and guest artist John Timms. It’s a frustrating change of pace after the excellent ending the previous issue ended on, but this issue is a fun heist issue that feels like classic Catwoman antics.

What this issue does best in the context of the series as a whole is setting it in Selina’s present. Much of this series has presented Selina as a completely changed person after deciding to leave Batman at the altar. Moments that focus on this have been some of the best character moments of the previous eight issues, but honestly, sometimes it’s good to show that someone hasn’t completely changed, even after a traumatic incident, which is what this issue does well. It places it in Selina’s present, using her internal changes as motivations, but also shows she’s still Catwoman.

Image by DC Comics/Art by John Timms

The main drawback of this story though is that it’s a pretty standard heist story. It’s extremely hard to actually do something new with the heist genre at this point, so with a one-off issue, it’s really not that surprising that it’s a pretty standard heist story being told. The twists are pretty predictable, and it plays out exactly how you would think it play out. Regardless though, it’s still  a fun read because it’s executed well enough to be so despite nothing new being done.

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The art is really what elevates the heist aspect of this case to be really enjoyable. Timms’ art is very similar to Joelle Jones’ style, but distinct enough to bring something new to the table. So while the visual style of the series stays consistent, it’s different to feel like this story is what is, a singular story not necessarily connected to larger story being told. It’s an interesting dichotomy that doesn’t happen very often, but when it does happen, it’s often done well, which is the case here.

Where the art in this issue really gets great is during the last third of the issue, which is when the heist really ramps up. There’s a fantastic action sequence that, thanks to the colors, makes everything look silhouetted, which ramps up the tension of the scene, while also providing atmosphere and making the action flow really well. Timms also draws Selina extremely well just based on her body posture. When just acting as Selina, she always looks more confident than everyone else around her, and as Catwoman, her movements are so fluid and acrobatic.

7.5/10 

Catwoman No. 9 is a fun one-off issue for the series that slightly derails the story at large though.