Review: Catwoman #18

Review: CATWOMAN #18

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer:  Joëlle Jones

Artists:  Joëlle Jones and Fernando Blanco

Colors:  Laura Allred

Letters:  Saida Temofonte

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

Summary

Catwoman has made her choice: she will use the map Lex Luthor gave her to prevent Raina Creel from finding the Lazarus Pit and rebuilding herself. But has Selina fully weighed the cost? To go this route, she will effectively be taking over all crime in Villa Hermosa, a secret she will have to keep hidden from the Batman. That is, if she survives Raina’s deadly counter attack. The Creels have already been experimenting with life after death, and the assassins they send to stop ̈ Selina will come armed with more than nine lives!

Positives

Joëlle Jones  has taken this series up several notches in both art and story line.  Where Issue #17 left us with wondering how Selina was going to survive the confrontation at a Lazarus Pit with Raina Creel, we get a flashback sequence where Selina and Zatanna team up.

Purple and green never looked so good in combat, and who knew Zatanna could fight so well without using magic.  I love the fact that both abandon their “strengths” and resort to fighting without magic nor whips.

A side bet over refreshments…Jones writes these women with the best of strength!  And her renderings are superb.

No spoilers here, but what a clever way for Zatanna to help her friend with a future tool!  Priceless!  And a cliffhanger ending that has everyone wondering what is going on back in Gotham?

Negatives

Nothing here.  Jones has taken the series to new heights and she should stay at the helm.  Love the art, leve the story and love the intertwining of magic, Gotham, and what hopefully will be some JLA Dark!

Verdict

If nothing else, you need to make sure if you are a collector to sew your timelines together.  Jones has turned a corner from the past issues as the new writer and illustrator.  She has breathed new life into this comic and it should definitely be a part of your collection!