The Magistrate is closing in. Selina is perfectly willing to be an open target if things get ugly. The authorities are after her. They’re not looking to take her in. They’re looking to eliminate her. Things heat up in the Fear State crossover in Catwoman #36. Writer Ram V capably frames the tension in a story that is brought to the page by artists Nina Vakueva and Laura Braga. Once again, Catwoman’s end of Gotham City is lent pleasingly distinctive atmosphere by colorist Jordie Bellaire. The action feels well-executed with plenty of atmosphere, but Ram V doesn’t allow the story enough time in any one space to generate very much dramatic weight.

Poison Ivy is wanted by the Magistrate. If she can’t be captured, she must be eliminated. Catwoman is to be eliminated. No other option for her. Of course, Catwoman has other ideas in mind. It’s not going to be easy, but thankfully, many other people are willing to help out. Selina is aided by Harley Quinn, the Riddler, and several others in her fight against the mysterious agent known as The Wight Witch. Catwoman had a tough time with her the last time they tangled. 

Ram V pieces together a remarkably appealing ensemble. The Riddler is charismatic intel behind a laptop as the action goes on elsewhere. Harley serves as wild muscle aiding the cool precision of Catwoman. The tension is firmly established at the opening of the issue and maintained straight through until the final panel. The problem is that there hasn’t been enough time in and around the edges of the action to allow the reader to get emotionally invested in the characters. So it’s a lot of action without much to tie it down to anything. There’s no question that Fear State is going to wind down, and Gotham City will get on with everything. That’s the way a crossover works. Ram V hasn’t provided enough incentive for the reader to care about this particular end of the crossover.

Vakueva and Braga give the action plenty of angular momentum. There are lots of appealingly skewed shots as the action shoots across the page. Though there isn’t a whole lot of emotional connection with the characters, individually dramatic moments DO hit the page quite well. There’s determination in Selina’s face. There’s an appealing madness in Harley. There’s engaging love and concern from Ivy. Even the Riddler manages some emotional depth, and HE’S only ever directly interacting with a laptop. Bellaire’s color choice in this issue is gorgeous. The orange autumnal glow in the sky outdoors counterpoints the strange green warmth of Riddler indoors. The shading across Selina’s face adds emotional power to nearly every scene she’s in. The final page is bathed in ominous red. It’s beautiful stuff.

Ram V has managed some interesting developments in and around the edges of the Fear State crossover. It’s too bad that everything is moving at a pacing that makes it difficult to connect with emotionally. Ram V is clearly capable of delivering a more thoughtful sort of action. The pacing of Fear State doesn’t seem to allow him much range, though.

Grade: B