“Unafraid”
Artists: Nina Vakueva, Laura Braga, Geraldo Borges
Color Artist: Jordie Bellaire
Letterer: Tom Napolitano
Review by Adam Ray
Catwoman #37 pulls off one of the most satisfying crime narratives I’ve ever experienced, and I am a sucker for this genre.
As with any good heist narrative, it’s essential that the audience get even more misdirected than the character in the story that’s being swindled. It’s a very difficult thing to do, given that we follow the main character setting up the heist the whole way through the story. There are some details that are kept back from us that make us go, “ah clever!” right as the story ends.
The whole experience given to us over the past few issues has been one of mounting tension and uncertainty for the Cat’s safety. Circumstances have become increasingly more dire as multiple antagonist forces crept in from all sides. The easing of tensions, without any unnecessary sudden arrivals or new characters, has been elegantly handled by Ram V.
The connection of consistent action portrayed by clean, stylized artwork keeps the title’s look so consistent and recognizable. We lose no time in this issue; the impact of each blow and the expressions on each character have a real impact from the first page. When you pair that hard-hitting action, with the irregularly shaped panels that dominate the field when they need to, compared to the open scenery when tension lifts, the mastery this creative team show is high.
Conclusion
The thing that excites me most about Catwoman #37 is its message. Selina gives the reasoning behind her well-known, headstrong determination. Hence the name of the issue, “Unafraid”. There’s something so incredibly motivating about the character we’ve seen under it for multiple issues rise stronger, simply because that’s who she is. Any fiction that can leave a message like that with me is something I’ll always hold dear.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment