“The Gotham War” – Chapter Three
Artist: Nico Leon
Color Artist: Veronica Gandini
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Review by Adam Ray
The battle lines have been drawn, and they’re thick with deception, madness, and treachery. At the start of this ambitious “Gotham War” storyline, we got a look into how Batman was faring after his jaunt between worlds. Catwoman #57 continues this stirring storyline.
A pantheon of some of DC’s greatest creators have banded together to tell the story of how grand Catwoman’s empire in Alleytown has become, and we’ve been witnessing Batman’s slow descent into his own narrow dogma.
The third chapter of the cross-over event builds on the emotional stakes set by the previous two. Batman’s frayed at the edges, but still doing what he feels he has to, while Catwoman presents her own set of beliefs. We see her at her best, as DC’s greatest thief.
Tini Howard has been handling her adventures for close to two years now, and we’ve been rewarded with the consistent characterization that makes Catwoman such a delight to read, both as a standalone character and as the unlikely anti-hero of this story.
The art team has excelled in this issue. The look of Gotham’s high society is back in full swing, making the city feel noir again. The underhanded heists that Selina’s famous for are highlighted with the perfectly outlined silhouettes of familiar characters and the rushing colors of the familiar Gotham skyline. Selina’s seen to be leading the charge for what could be a more noble kind of crime, and the heroic stance she’s shown really supports that.
Conclusion
We’ve barely started this event and the treachery’s running high. Some figures that both Bat and Cat believed to be trustworthy may not be, and with every member of the extended family picking a side, I’d say that Catwoman #57 has lit the spark under the characters to take the “Gotham War” from great to truly unforgettable.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment