Catwoman #18 Review

Stuck in Reverse

Writer: Joelle Jones
Artist: Joelle Jones, Fernando Blanco, Laura Allred, FCO Plascencia and Saida Temofonte
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 18, 2019

I need this book to pick up the pace one of these months and if the Zatanna doesn't do the trick, I will probably just have to wave the white flag and slowly walk away with my head hanging low. Why the drama? Because of love Catwoman and because I wasn't a fan of Tom King's take, having her solo series had me so happy. Add in a pretty cool city to help her shed her Gotham chains and then throw in her sister Maggie to boot??? I must have died and gone to Villa Hermosa! Bit alas, this series has not had any meaningful progression in over a year and we are still fighting the once interesting, now annoying Raina Creel. Back to the beginning of this rant...Does Zatanna's presence get things moving forward or are we stuck going backward like her famous magic? Let's find out...



The issue begins and continues through most of it with some snappy dialogue between Selina and Zatanna and a lot of fighting.  Not with each other, mind you, but with the gathering bunch of thugs suddenly around them.  They have a playful bet going over who can kick the most ass... but no whips or magic, you know, to make it interesting.

The problem is, most of this isn't that interesting at all.  In a book begging for any sort of progression, it's like a slap in the face to get this much padding.  Wonderful looking padding, but padding nonetheless.

While this is going on, across town we see Carlos tending shop and looking after Maggie.  That's what I want to see more of!  Instead, it's back to Selina and Zatanna finishing the fight and drinking the only thing left surviving after the brawl...Creme de Menthe straight from the bottle like a playa!  

We continue with a hint of Zatanna doing this all to pay back a favor Selina has no idea about, Zatanna making Selina a lucky rabbit's foot and Carlos and Maggie possibly about to be overtaken by the zombie apocalypse.  Along the way, we see that Raina somehow has gone paramilitary in a very public way and has instituted martial law.  I guess that happened off-panel while the gals were brawling.

I love seeing Selina and Zatanna team up and they really kick mucho ass but do little else.  I don't want to keep harping on it, but this book just keeps treading water and while I am a huge fan of Joelle Jones' (and Fernando Blanco's) art, I can't justify buying it for that alone. 

Bits and Pieces:

Another issue of Catwoman where not much goes on to push the story forward and while I love seeing Zatanna in this issue, I'd rather have seen a bit of story to go along with her.  The issue looks great thanks to Jones and Fernando Blanco on art, but even with that, there just isn't much to see here.

5.0/10