Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular #1

“Now You See Me”
Ann Nocenti – Story
Robson Rocha – Pencils
Daniel Henriques – Inks
Alejandro Sanchez – Colors
Saida Temofonte – Letters

“Helena”
Tom King – Story
Mikel Janin – Art
Jordie Bellaire – Colors
Clayton Cowles – Letters
Review By Ethan

In this story we see Selina fall pregnant with Helena and the fear and doubts she faces as any potential mother would but more so for her in the life she leads. We see her not only fight alongside Batman while heavily pregnant (which I’m sure will cause some friction with fans) but also try fight with herself and Bruce right up until the birth that this isn’t the right path for her because she is no hero before Bruce steps in to reassure her. We then jump from Selina taking care of Helena alone while Batman is off in another dimension fighting whack jobs with Spectre (nice humour break up) right up until a heart-warming ending with Helena all grown up and Selina in her old age which is a nice continuation of the Batman Annual #2 story for fans of Tom King.

If there’s one thing Tom King is great at writing, its breaking down our masked favourites to an everyday human level of love and emotion between couples that a mature reader can relate to. Its known that King has his readers divided with his method but for many it works including myself. Mikel Janin’s art here is also solid throughout with a particularly impressive splash-page at the beginning!

This story was good it links in with Kings work and may get some fans excited for his upcoming Batman/Catwoman series.

“The Catwoman of Earth”
Jeff Parker – Story
Jonathan Case – Art, Colors, & Letters

“A Cat of Nine Tales”
Liam Sharp – Story, Art, & Colors
Wes Abbott – Letters
Review by Nic Osborn

3 pages filled with 9 different tales distinguishes this short story from Sharp and Abbott with a flair of unpredictability and some violent visuals. It’s a classic vision of Catwoman as a thief, slyly navigating her way through a confrontation with a security guard, and it does a great job bringing out the darker elements of the character. Some of the best anthology style books celebrating a single character like this break them down into definable facets to emphasize the traits that make the character so timeless. In doing this, we see not just the parts about them we like best, but also a comprehensive look at just how much the character brings to the table. Sharp and Abbott absolutely nail this approach.

With Sharp taking on so many different parts of the story from writing to artwork, it does have a surprisingly well rounded execution. There are a few panels that stand out and this helps to make it feel more worthwhile. While the end result is certainly an entertaining short story, it’s difficult not to feel as though it’s just a fun filler. Still, the dark humor works just well enough with the character to find a neat place in this celebratory issue.

“Little Bird”
Mindy Newell – Story
Lee Garbett – Art
Alex Sinclair – Colors
Tom Napolitano – Letters

“Born to Kiln”
Chuck Dixon – Story
Kelley Jones – Pencils
Danny Miki – Inks
Steve Oliff – Colors
Tom Orzechowski – Letters
Review by John Jack

Born to Kiln pits Selina against Clayface in a battle for the prize. Veteran writer Chuck Dixon delivers a quick paced action packed short that pulls no punches but takes no risks. 90s Bat superstar Kelley Jones pencils the story and I must say Clayface looks phenomenal but I don’t like his Selina very much. Danny Miki does a typically phenomenal job inking Jones’ typical heavy shading and the colors by Steve Oliff are a delight especially the accents of a blue Clayface in the background against an Orange cf in the foreground (complimentary colors, good stuff) and the big finale. It’s unsurprising that CW favorite Tom Orzechowski turns in his usual top notch work as well with some good sound effect work.

“Conventional Wisdom”
Will Pfeifer – Story
Pia Guerra – Art
John Kalisz – Colors
Steve Wands – Letters
Review by Kenneth Bowden

Writer Will Pfeifer and artists Pia Guerra, John Kalisz and Steve Wands bring us Selina Kyle aka CATWOMAN deep inside her worst nightmare: trapped amid the “mundane”. Swept up into a convention that doesn’t quite add up we get some great comedic moments as well as a fan-esque insight from the writer about the history of Catwoman and her various roles in the continuity of the DCU both in and out of comics. It’s a cheeky way to give adoration to the many ways we love an enduring character like Catwoman and thus completely fitting in this collection of short stories in her 80th anniversary issue. While it lies heavily on the lighthearted side the structure of the story is well done, perfectly nailing the balance of awkward and appreciative of not only Catwoman but also her diehard fans. The use of (spoiler alert) Doctor Destiny and his Silver age dream machines was also a nice throwback to a simpler time in comics and adds an extra layer of homage to this extremely well drawn and colored tale. In just a few short pages you’re reminded of why Will Pfeifer had such a great run on Catwoman because even in a story as out of the norm for Selina as this one, he truly nail the unique mix of inquisitiveness and snark that makes Selina such a fun time to read. Prepare yourself because by the end of the story you’re gonna want to dust off those pre-New 52 tpbs to get reacquainted with Pfeifer era Catwoman and if you’ve never read it before I can bet money this will pique your curiosity to delve into it for the first time and enjoy the wild ride it was.

“Addicted to Trouble”
Ram V – Story
Fernando Blanco – Art
FCO Plascencia – Colors
Gabriela Downie – Letters
Review by Mike Eakins

A cool thing about these specials is that you get a tiny glimpse into the future as well and great shots from the past. The new creative team of Ram V and Fernando Blanco give us a glimpse of their direction for Catwoman, and it looks promising. Seeing Selena and Maggie with a carefree vibe and embark on a cross country trek that Clark Griswald would be happy to have been a part of, and while keeping the tale fresh with a nice pace. Seeing Selena’s love and adoration for Gotham was well received in Addicted to Trouble as were the awesome fight scenes that we’ve come to love about Catwoman. This story is much like Catwoman herself, it lurks in the shadows and strikes when the time is right.

“The Art of Picking a Lock”
Ed Brubaker – Story
Cameron Stewart – Art, Colors, & Letters

It’s always a treat when Ed Brubaker drops by Gotham. His crime noir sensibilities fit Batman’s world like a glove (see: the immortal Gotham Central). It’s been nearly two decades (!) since he began his tenure as Catwoman author, but his run – springing forth from a rock-solid firmament established by the late Darwyn Cooke – remains the modern-day standard for all things Catwoman-centric. Deeply street-level, steeped in enough gumshoe noir to make even Mickey Spillane blush, his run was an instant classic.

Brubaker returns to Catwoman’s world for “The Art of Picking a Lock,” with Cam Stewart pulling triple duty of art, colors, and letters. The story is a juxtaposition of Selina recounting a tale from her time in juvie and a boy she had a crush on, while she frantically chases down some of the Joker’s minions, who have kidnapped her colleague Slam Bradley. Thematically, the two stories dovetail in the idea of the lengths Selina is willing to go to for a friend, centering around the sheer rush of joy she feels at the simple – yet crucial – act of picking a lock. The story seems simplistic in the telling of it, but perhaps more than any other tale in the Catwoman 80th anniversary special, it gets straight to the heart of who Catwoman is as a character. Cam Stewart does an outstanding job on every page, bringing a Cooke-esque sensibility to each rendering. By the time you get to the end of the story, one thing is for sure: you would be wise to count Catwoman among your friends… because she’ll do anything to protect them.

“UPDATE June 17, 2020: Yesterday, serious allegations of predatory grooming behavior toward a minor were raised against artist Cameron Stewart, whose art is referenced in this review. Comic Watch stands firmly opposed to the behavior of which he is accused and 100% supports his alleged victim and anyone else in a similar position. The words of praise for Stewart’s artwork in this review should NOT be construed as any sort of endorsement, tacit or otherwise, or stand in solidarity, for the illegal, predatory behavior of which he is accused. At Comic Watch, we support survivors and always will.”

“Skin the Cat”
Paul Dini – Story
Emanuela Lupacchino – Pencils
Mick Gray – Inks
Laura Allred – Colors
Wes Abbott – Letters