“Rise and Revenge” – Part Three
Artist: Nico Leon
Color Artist: Veronica Gandini
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Review by Adam Ray
The two ladies using the title of Catwoman are at their best in Catwoman #53. The previous issue brought the action outside the prison to its highest, so this one not only amps up that tension but also brings both worlds together.
Readers committed to this story are rooting for Selina’s freedom, but now we’re wondering if this comfortable formula’s going to keep her safe.
The cast of characters that Howard has introduced to Catwoman since her run began has been very welcome and the team that she works with to keep her up to date with the outside world is only getting stronger. We’ve been rewarded with a diverse cast of ladies inside the prison, and seen a training montage they’ve been under amp up here, letting us know that we still have a lot to look forward to. By giving them superhero-style names, we can also expect that they’ll be very important in coming issues.
We must give real credit to a creative team that can tell a story over a few very similar-looking panels. The montage of Catwoman training the other jailbirds is my favorite moment in the issue.
Excellent action aside, each fighting technique’s different and each word of encouragement she brings is tailored to each character. All the panels are laid out the same though, and all add to a similar narrative message. It’s a hard skill to tell a story well when the words and images look and read so similarly.
Conclusion
The action in Catwoman #53 grips us from the first pages. The character-building and drama we get from this expanding cast is what brings avid readers back to this excellent storyline, featuring one of DC’s best characters.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment