Catwoman #31 // Review
Selina isn't just stealing a Degas. Selina's stealing a Degas as a distraction from what she's REALLY stealing. She's stealing a friend...giving her back her freedom in Catwoman #31. Writer Ram V constructs an interesting two-part issue that deepens the mystery of her current life. Artist Fernando Blanco finds some interesting angles and layouts for drama and action alike in a visual world that is amplified considerably by the coloring work of Jordie Bellaire. The addition of an old, familiar character to the center of the ensemble adds some appeal to Ram V's satisfying run on the title.
Catwoman's just been shot. The bullet grazed her left shoulder. She's being held at gunpoint by a very wealthy man. It's a tense moment. She's just stolen his Degas. The Singer on the Stage. (Possibly a DC Universe variation of Singers on Stage, which is at the Art Institute of Chicago on this side of the comics page.) She's stolen it, but she's stalling. He knows it. He doesn't know what she's actually stealing: a person. A friend named Pam: Green skin. Red hair. Loves plants. Having lost both, the wealthy individual reacts in a most unfortunate way. As it turns out, his failure with Catwoman has angered a very powerful man.
Ram V's overall plot structure for this issue is interesting. Much of the action of the double-heist takes place in flashback at gunpoint. The reader only finds out what has led to this moment as Catwoman narrates it to the guy threatening her life. This is a standard convention, but it's a bit strange to open the first half of an issue with it. Then the narrative dives into sinister forces at work, looking to deal with Catwoman and her old friend. Pam's a bit scrambled. It might be interesting to see Ram V bring her back to lucidity as a regular part of the ensemble of the book.
The script modulates between action at the beginning to sinister drama in the middle of the issue to a warmer drama at chapter's end. Blanco is versatile enough to drift with the different moods while managing the occasional moment of heavy visceral or emotional impact. Bellaire builds the depth of Catwoman's world with immersive color. Bellaire makes some clever choices throughout the issue. The abandoned Grove Street Terminal Building in Alleytown could have felt like a cold carcass of a train station, but Bellaire chooses warm colors that contrast beautifully against all the green the Pam is bringing to them.
Pam's a fun emotional contrast against Selina, her emotional tenderness could create an exciting balance with Selina's shrewdly pragmatic intellect. The two make for an intriguing pair. Elsewhere the ensemble that Ram V is working with seems to lack a whole lot of interest. Still, he is only beginning to set things in motion for the current story arc, so things could get a lot more engaging as the action commences over the next few months.
