Review: Catwoman #31
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Ram V.
Artist: Fernando Blanco
Letters: Tom Napolitano
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. John 1:9.” – Father Valley.
Positives
I cannot applaud Fernando Blanco enough in the care that he draws these characters. He is invested in this book and it shows. Selina is arguably the most beautiful and athletic character in comics. From style and panache to agility and stealth, he captures everything about her.
Right when you think he just focuses on her, his renderings of Father Valley (aka…you better place this villain on your Mount Rushmore of villains and soon) are legendary. I was around for the intro of Ra’s Al Ghul, Bane, and other notables in the Batman Universe. But I really would love to see a confrontation between Joker and Father Valley.
Finally, Blanco’s care in drawing Ivy is simply perfect. Blanco knows when to use shading for night scenes, but also when to lighten the scene with Ivy as she breaks free in this book. 
Positives 2.0
Ram V’s story telling in Catwoman #31 is on fire. It is more than enough that he “gets” Selina and what this character is all about. However, he adds Father Valley…a nemesis that is working up to a crescendo in his story telling. He sprinkles in Ivy. And adds the correct amount of The Magistrate in Gotham to let you know, a Bat Cat reunion is coming.
If Selina can survive the Father Valley confrontation and that appears to be a big IF. I’m not sure if she will and that is a sign of Ram V’s story telling. I mean, we were all shocked when the Joker shot Barbara Gordon. We get a glimpse of Selina in Future State, but that is supposed to be “what could happen”.
However, Ram V’s work on this book has been tremendous and the shot in the arm that had been lacking for this character. I applaud Joelle Jones for “righting the ship”, but she really passed the baton to the right person when it comes to Ram V.
Negatives
None here, as Ram V is dripping in just the right amount of various characters to deliver what appears to be a very layered story! He is teasing us with Father Valley… in fact, I skipped ahead to the ending to see if Valley makes an appearance, so when I saw that purple hat and jacket, I knew this issue was going to be something!
Verdict
Again, I am not “fanboying” everything I put my hands on with DC. There are some “duds” out there among a lot of comics. Do they fall short? yes. Should you spend your money on them? That is for you to decide. But if you read my reviews to get a feel for what is going on in those comics, then your dollars finally make sense to invest in Selina’s book. After watching this character grow from the 1970’s, she finally has the author and artist that she has deserved for so many years!
