“I Saw Three Ships”
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Clay Mann
Color Artist: Tomeu Morey
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Review by Eric Lee
Batman/Catwoman #10 appears to be finally picking up steam after issues of plodding. It’s possible that we have reached the point in the story where resolutions are being made. So far much of the series felt like it was just setting up the main event, but it also left readers with the main narrative feeling like it was stuck in neutral.
In this issue, we finally begin to see the emotional climaxes for each individual arc. More importantly, the story threads are tighter and it’s becoming clearer how they cross over with each other. Events in the present-day story affect how the future story is told… and it works. It’s a relief to see the plotlines finally start to connect on a thematic level.
More importantly, the transitions between the various timelines are also utilized to heighten the drama between various plot threads. There’s clever inter-cutting between the three different stories because they all show how cyclical Selina’s become. This is narrative parallelism at its finest.
Clay Mann is a Master
This’s no doubt, due to the tireless efforts of the returning artist Clay Mann, that the way certain action beats are staged makes the cut between different stories feel seamless, This is all thanks to Mann’s excellent command of storytelling. It reads great because we’re not distracted by figuring out what time period this is.
If there is a fault in this comic, it’s that Catwoman’s such a powerful presence that it makes the other characters look bad in comparison. Batman feels slightly incompetent and his daughter Helena also struggles to make an impression. Still, it’s more forgivable since Tom King’s writing’s so strong here.
Conclusion
Batman/Catwoman #10 is what I wished the entire series had been like. The time skips aren’t a hindrance to the story, but really enrich the characters’ journeys. It also feels satisfying that the various threads are finally starting to tie together.
Images courtesy of DC Entertainment
