Catwoman #58: Streets of Fire

Catwoman #58 – written by Tini Howard with art from Nico Leon, colors by Veronica Gandini, and letters from Lucas Gattoni – is an explosive continuation of Gotham War, as Selina seeks out a spiraling Batman after last issue’s twisted actions. The two discuss a possible ceasefire and argue over Jason’s treatment, before getting interrupted by the state of the city. A broken Jason Todd is still on the loose, struggling against Batman’s chemical programming as Gotham burns thanks to a series of explosions by C-list villain Firefly. 

Once Selina returns to her hideout, the Savages come to offer the thief immortality in return for help stealing meteorite-rich objects from across Gotham. A telegraphed betrayal and meta-powered switcheroo keys Selina into the larger movements of the book’s undercurrent as she joins back up with Batman to rescue Jason Todd and close the gaps between the Batfamily. While the Bats circle, the extended Gotham rogues gallery banner under Savage, armed with weapons from the Batcave to earn their vengeance and immortality. 

Howard’s scripting is at its best when ratcheting the emotional tension, and desperate longing between Selina and Bruce. There’s a raw nerve of need exposed between the two characters, exemplified by the issue’s opening sequence. It’s an arresting series of captions that channels Selina’s romantic leaning amid a harsh conflict. That emotion extends far beyond the surface-level attraction, and hooks into the deeper admiration the two masked characters share for one another. The set-up is the perfect dramatic core to propel the story, even when the wider movements of the plot don’t work.

Much like Chip Zdarsky’s writing in Batman, the emotion thrives and the plot sometimes falls flat. It’s an interesting dynamic that syncs between the two titles, with the best foot forward being character and emotional tension. A Batman descending into absolute madness and an absolution-seeking Catwoman make for a compelling, diametrically opposed duo. The plot is interesting at times, thanks in large part to the interjections of Nightwing’s foil and Vandal Savage’s machinations. Over and over again though, the plot gets too convoluted or bland, but the characters draw the audience back in through these rough, human mistakes. 

Leon’s art is a great fit for the emotional beats, working best in close-up and medium-shot panels that convey the angst of the vigilantes. Batman artist Jorge Jiménez thrives in the hyper-exaggerated, kinetic action scenes that feed the twisted emotions of Batman. While in this issue, Leon is channeling that energy but for the more human emotional core. Sharp, angled panels are used to create a sense of altered mental states as the duo embraces, argues, and then argues once again, matching the flaring tempers while retaining a grounded tone. 

The action sequences are a bit more lackluster in this issue, trying to match but never fully approaching Jiménez’s level from Batman. In a typical Catwoman story, the slower, more deliberate action works for intricate heists but fails to capture the explosive nature of the plot. Even when villains arrive and start causing havoc in the city, or the vigilantes run from an exploding building, there is a sense of stoicism that undercuts the desire for momentum.  

Gandini’s coloring has a lot to do with that as well, never matching the heightening of emotion that a good palette can do. Instead, those hues feel restrained, like they are working to match the level present in the art, rather than elevating it. The use of bright, single-tone backgrounds and shifting palettes ensures this book never has a distinct, standout look to it. It’s a shame that a single colorist is not working on the two titles, as coloring can be used in a crossover to either provide a manner of cohesion or dialogue. Instead, the palette from Catwoman makes the crossover feel like a slapped-together afterthought.