Catwoman takes on the Joker’s Daughter as her subterranean search for Rat-Tail continues.
Positive
Most of Nocenti’s work on this arc has been pure insanity. However, this issue is actually pretty tame. There’s a clear, concise objective to the story that is executed in a progressive fashion. The credits give thanks to Scott McDaniel, so perhaps he had story input, but it’s almost certain Nocenti did the heavy lifting.
But then there’s the drowning cat out of nowhere. Readers couldn’t expect the weirdness to completely vanish. I assume it’s a bit of symbolism to beat us over the head with, but it just feels odd.
The art is also markedly improved this issue; Sandoval has always done pretty well on the art side of the series, but it really looks like he’s found his niche this time around. Let’s hope it stays that way.
Negative
Terrifyingly enough, other than a predictable twist halfway through the issue, there really isn’t much negative to say about this issue. Nocenti manages to resolve some plot threads while setting up a continuation of the arc, and she executes it all very well. The art is good, while the story was readable and enjoyable.
Verdict
Admittedly, Nocenti’s run on Catwoman has had a long history of being hit-or-miss. Some issues are great, some are completely nuts. Everything happened to be firing on all cylinders this issue, and it paid off in a big way.
5/5
