Catwoman 80th Anniversary // Review
Editor Jessica Chen and Assistant Editor Ben Meares celebrate the 80th anniversary of the DC Universe’s most infamous thief this month in the Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular. Chen and Meares put together a strikingly diverse series of ten stand-alone stories brought to the page by a variety of writers and artists, many of whom have worked with the character in the past, including Ann Nocenti, Ram V, Fernando Blanco and more. Pinup art included on the celebration features work by some pretty recognizable artists, including Steve Rude, Tim Sale, Jim Balent, and Jae Lee. It’s a stylish collection of work outlining an impressively diverse line-up of classy tales of larceny.
Chen and Meares send reader and protagonist through quite a journey in 100 pages. In ten tales, Catwoman encounters a sinister taxidermist, Clayface, pregnancy, space aliens, a Batman convention, and much, much more, including a story by Ram V that follows the current incarnation of the character on a cross-country road trip from Villa Hermosa to her home in Gotham City. Objects of theft include a very large jewel, petty cash, pride, and even the human heart.
Nocenti’s tale is one of the best-written stories in the book: Catwoman is contrasted against a pair of security guards who value two completely different things. Nocenti explores what can and can’t be stolen in a surprisingly deft exploration of human ambition. Tom King’s tale of Kyle’s pregnancy is both poignant and cleverly funny. The most fun bit of comedy in the whole issue is a trippy, lovingly-crafted tale by Will Pfeifer in which Catwoman makes an appearance at a convention celebrating Batman. Nearly every era of the character is given a satirical jab in a story that makes a sudden turn at the end into something far deeper existentially.
With such talented artists working on individual pinup pages, the artists for individual stories are given a hell of a challenge to make an impression. Blanco’s story is by far the most visually appealing in Ram V’s cross-country journey. The pacing is remarkably dynamic in Blanco’s nine pages leading to Catwoman #25 next month. Kelley Jones’ rendering of the conflict between Catwoman and Clayface is one of the most vivid action sequences in the whole book. By contrast, Mikel Janin renders strikingly complex psychological drama in a tale that has Selena undergoing the emotional challenges of pregnancy and motherhood.
This is an accomplished celebration of an 80-year-old character who still has a great deal of potential slinking around the edges of every panel. Chen and Mearas arguably do a better job with this particular 100-page anniversary issue than a similar team attempted with Wonder Woman’s 750th issue. Catwoman is seen from a variety of different compelling angles that all cast the thief in a way that maximizes her mystery and appeal. Given how much ground is covered here, it’s actually kind of surprising that the volume is only 100 pages long. This collection feels big enough to be a year in the life of Selena Kyle.
