Catwoman #34 // Review
Selina is hanging out with her ex-boyfriend on the roof of some building in Gotham City. They'd agreed to take a break from each other, but he's got information for her. So it's more of a business meeting before she heads off in search of certain danger in Catwoman #34. Writer Ram V sets a classic hero-vs.-villain battle in the hands of artist Fernando Blanco and colorist Jordie Bellaire. Things circulate around Gotham City as Catwoman saunters into another clash with the sinister Father Valley. Ram V does a pretty good job of mixing emotions with action.
Selina isn't exactly ready to be with her ex-boyfriend. And he's not exactly in the right place to be with her, but maybe she needs a little bit of time away from the hell of ruling over a neighborhood that's been hit pretty hard. It isn't long before she's launched off the roof and right into the presence of the assassin who has been hunting her down for the past few issues. She might well be able to beat him in a fair fight, but he's got a deathtrap set-up for someone she cares about, and there's no telling what could happen.
Apart from a few moments on a roof, most of the issue takes place in the grip of combat between Catwoman and Father Valley. This might be interesting if there was more actually going on in the conflict to keep things moving along. As it is, Ram V doesn't fuse enough into the conflict to keep it interesting beyond the typical sort of hero-villain mind games that so often go on in the grips of any dark comic book conflict. It's interesting enough to move the panels across the page, but it doesn't feel terribly interesting by the time the story reaches the back cover.
Blanco has a solid handle on action and drama in the issue. The cuddle between Selina and her ex-boyfriend is intimate enough. The deadly aggression between her and Father Valley is put to the page with some degree of action, but certain beats DO feel a bit stiff. Bellaire puts in a spectacular job with this issue's color. The blood-red sky over Gotham feels romantic as shadows pull across the face of Selina and her ex-boyfriend. The color in a flashback is beautifully muted for narrative effect. The blood-orange sky of Gotham at night accentuates the central combat between villain and hero. And then there's the cold sheen accentuating the puddle of blood in that final panel...
There's definitely a way to make the conflict between Father Valley and Catwoman feel interesting, but Ram V hasn't really found it yet. Valley's best scenes were around the edges of Catwoman's life, and her conflict with him always seemed a lot more interesting from a distance prior to the conflict of Catwoman #34. With any luck, Selina will find better momentum elsewhere. She's got her work cut out for her at chapter's end. Hopefully, Ram V is in the right mood to give her the kind of direction she needs.
