Catwoman is one of Gotham’s biggest wild cards. Sometimes a villain, other times a hero, and most of the time something in between, Selina Kyle plays by nobody’s rules but her own — except for maybe those of her would-be boyfriend, the ever lawful Batman. In Catwoman #41, the Bat has flown the belfry, leaving the Cat to come out and play on her own terms. With Batman out of town, Onyx steps in to fill in as Gotham’s beleaguered babysitter. Almost immediately, the Catwoman and Onyx team proves formidable, but not without a few claws and spats.
Catwoman #41 gives Catwoman and Onyx more to deal with than a simple love-hate gal pal relationship. The son of one of Gotham’s most notorious crime families has turned against his father, and he wants Catwoman’s help to bring them down. Catwoman already has her involvement with Valmont and his deadly brand of vigilantism on her conscience, not to mention Onyx’s disapproval. Aiding Dario in bringing down the Tomasso family could be her opportunity to prove to her partner that she’s no killer — but it might not work out how she expects.
The strongest scenes of Catwoman #41 explore Selina Kyle’s admittedly questionable sense of ethics, especially when paired with other dubious characters running loose in Gotham. For the rest of the issue, however, it can be inconsistent. Writer Tini Howard delivers intrigue peppered with social commentary. However, the dialogue is awkward and stilted. It tries to sound mature and natural with its copious censored swearing, non-stop snarking, Catwoman’s interior monologues, the love/hate banter between Catwoman and Onyx, and Dario’s impassioned motive rants. All these elements together feel disjointed and poorly paced. As a result, most of the character interactions feel unnatural and forced. The “mature” elements at times feel almost adolescent, even for the comic’s target audience. While the plot setup is good, the scattered pacing and lack of flow in the writing make Catwoman #41 a disjointed read.
Although Onyx is mostly relegated to being Batman’s stand-in or Catwoman’s sidekick and banter partner, there are a few times where she shows personality and initiative of her own. Dario’s involvement and character, and his influence on Catwoman, are a standout. While at times heavy-handed, his struggle with being gay and closeted in the rigidly traditional and inhumane Tomasso crime family under the tyrannical thumb of his crime lord father is well done. Dario has a good rapport with Catwoman, and Onyx to a lesser extent, and it’s a real treat to see these three in action together. The closing scene of Catwoman and Dario forming an uneasy friendship is one of the best moments of the series.
Catwoman #41 can be just as visually chaotic as it narrative. Artist Nico Leon’s line art is crisp and clear, and colorist Veronica Gandini’s bold color palette of cyberpunk fuchsias, teals, purples, and reds is eye-catching and vibrant. Gotham is as dark, grimy, and corrupt as always, but its new, ultra-modern look is leagues away from the traditional art deco and neo-noir aesthetics of entries past. The brief scene in Gotham’s Little Tokyo in particular feels almost like Blade Runner in its color and execution. For some scenes, this aesthetic works. For others, both artist and colorist miss the mark in their execution. Otherwise natural and clear scenes are muddled by the overuse of artificial lighting techniques. Color knockouts with harsh white light, blurring out the otherwise excellent line art, are especially distracting and can take away the impact of strong moments. There are times when it’s used effectively, such as the closing scene announcing the arrival of the Hasigawa clan.
While Catwoman #41 aims high with its feminist, gung-ho approach to the iconic hero’s characterization and relationships, the world of Gotham, and her moral code, it hits a few snags and doesn’t quite land on its feet. However, it gets back up in time for a strong ending — and for a potential, thrilling showdown on the horizon for the next issue.
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