Catwoman #71: It’s Still Early

Catwoman will never fully escape Batman’s shadow. She’s a Batman adjacent character no matter what a writer has her doing. But taking her away from Batman, Batman’s associates, and Gotham City itself can open up fresh possibilities for the character. Catwoman’s new writer has done just that. Now, with Gotham firmly in the rearview, Catwoman #71 begins a new story arc that explores Selina Kyle’s past as well as her present.

A flashback opens Catwoman #71. Camouflaged in her old Evie identity, Selina is breaking into a safe for a man named Ivan. The issue jumps forward to the present day. Selina continues as Evie and lies low, doing all she can to not be noticed until she sets herself up in Stockholm. She is still being hunted, and the next step in her investigation brings her back into Ivan’s orbit–this time to steal from him. This proves shocking to Ivan because he thinks Evie is dead.

Catwoman’s second arc firmly embraces its new premise. Catwoman #71 doesn’t harken back to Gotham at all. Grønbekk’s commitment to her new direction helps sell it–the series already feels fresh and new. There is a drawback, however. This is only the third issue and already the storyline is showing signs that it could be difficult to follow if readers miss any issues. Selina’s “Evie” identity is presented with very little context. And a conversation with Suzy, following up on the character’s introduction in Catwoman #70, is opaque.

Continuing to be successful in Catwoman #71, though, is the series’ new fusion of genres. Selina works very well as a protagonist in both a detective and a crime story, thus it makes sense that a story which takes elements from both would showcase the character effectively. Catwoman #71 uses story beats from both as “Evie” is in fact a thief in the opening pages and a detective in the issue’s latter half. The bounty hunting arc brings in what feels like a spy story concept (though this isn’t a spy story). That doesn’t mesh quite as well as the other two genres, but it continues to be effective, especially in the relatively brief scenes in this issue.

An action sequence late in Catwoman #71 proves informative for Grønbekk’s take on the series. One of Selina’s assailants is critically injured in a confrontation with her. Selina doesn’t even hesitate as she walks away. It’s a brief moment, virtually uncommented on in the issue. But it speaks volumes about who Selina is under Grønbekk’s pen.

Ignazzi’s art and Delpeche’s colors call to mind classic pulp detective comics. Thematically it works very well with Grønbekk’s story choices. Ignazzi’s heavier lines and fully black shading add a classic feel to Catwoman #71’s opening thievery sequence.

The choices also result in a minimalist style when it comes to facial expression. While that might suggest characters’ emotions are harder to read, the opposite is true. More extreme emotions such as anger are very evident which allows more subtle expressions to communicate by contrast.

Delpeche creates color contrast throughout the issue. This is where Catwoman #71 shines visually. Delpche’s choices reinforce that old pulp feel in key areas such as the opening sequence where the colors are stark and vivid even as the scene is darker. The present day outdoor sequence that follows is softened. The colors are still bright, but they complement more than contrast. That kind of scene transition via color contrast, used repeatedly, helps move the issue along at a steady clip.

Very abrupt intra-scene contrasts also highlight action moments. Catwoman #71 doesn’t feature extended action sequences, confining these moments to a handful of panels spread throughout the issue. Delpeche uses a sudden color change in select panels to make those moments pop. For instance, a quick fight that takes place in the twilight blue of night includes panels that feature a punch or a kick done in heavy purple and magenta. In some cases there are sound effects that accompany the action. But it’s the coloring that truly punctuates the moments.

Wands’ lettering further contributes to this color play by using a bright yellow color for the caption boxes. They stand fully apart from Delpeche’s work which is appropriate for this third person narration.