Catwoman #78 // Review
Someone is trying to kill Selina. She’s hanging-out in a relatively secure location in South Korea. She’s got to figure out who is trying to kill her. If she can’t work that out, she’s never going to be safe. Figuring out exactly what it is that’s going on is going to involve moving into the path of danger that just might kill her in Catwoman #78. Writer Torunn Grønbekk reaches a turning point in Selina’s life in an issue that is brought to page and panel by artist Danilo Beyruth and colorist Patricio Delpeche. An international journey draws to a close in a satisfying oversized issue.
Selena has led many lives. Occasionally, they end up getting in tangled with family affairs on the other side of the world. Investigating such matters can be dangerous. She finds herself in the midst of some very dangerous politics with respect to international crime. She's going to have to confront things that are much bigger than her if she is going to be able to get out alive. She may have upset some people who might be in a position to put her in the ground. And she needs to be able to negotiate properly. And sometimes the best form for that involves a mask with cat ears.
Grønbekk condenses a hell of a lot of intrigued into a very tight little package. It feels a little bit convoluted in places. And it seems to try to reach for things which really should be allowed a little bit more space in order to really be developed for the page. It feels a little cramped. There is no whole lot of room to move around. I'm part of this is good for an action suspense sort of a dynamic. But sometimes it feels like it. It's moving a little bit too quickly.
Beyruth does a good job of grounding the character in the tension. There's a certain gravity there that draws in the reader as well. The script can feel bewildering and dance in places. So it's nice to see art that will engage with the reader and draw them into what it is that the writer is putting to the page. Grønbekk has a really solid understanding of what the arc team is capable of. She's handing them a challenge that they're able to navigate through with some efficiency.
It's nice to know that this particular team will continue on for at least a couple of months. The next storyline is getting even deeper into the history of Selena herself. So some of the complexities of crime families on the other side of the world are going to fade into the background as the series take a closer look at the title character. It's going to be nice to see this particular creative team do that. Catwoman has managed to maintain a sense of mystery about her for a long time. A look into her deep past is going to be interesting moving forward into the autumn.
