Book #50

Catwoman: The Dark End of the Street, by Ed Brubaker, Darwyn Cooke, et. al. Graphic Novel.

In 2001, DC Comics rebooted the Catwoman title, and it became a hit. This volume collects the 4 back-up stories that re-introduced the character, as well as the first 4-issue arc of her own title. Selina Kyle was thought to be dead, and Catwoman "retired" at the same time. Not until someone begins to poke into the Kyle case does she feel the pull to put the costume back on and resume her career. Lots of female empowerment here, as well as serious butt-kicking.

From her very first appearance nearly seven decades ago, Catwoman has been a nuanced character, an anti-hero 50 years before Wolverine and the Punisher became hot properties. This "new" Catwoman works both sides of the street, doing a little breaking-and-entering (and maybe more) when necessary. Her cause is just in this first adventure, as she is works to track down a serial killer whose victims are not important enough for the Gotham police to pay attention.

I enjoyed the story here, and felt the characters were handled well and the scripting was strong. I am not in love with the art in these issues, although the redesigned Catwoman costume is terrific, especially the goggles. There was a bit of a cartoony vibe, almost manga, that didn't work with the noirish vibe of the stories. The page design was interesting, and there were certainly some very nice individual panels.