“Rules of the Land” – Part Two
Writer: Torunn Grønbekk
Artists: Marianna Ignazzi
Color Artist: Patricio Delpeche
Letterer: Steve Wands
Review by Adam Ray
Our European excursion continues in Catwoman #72 as Selina faces the actions of her consequences. In the last issue, we saw her efforts to try and get past security and take back what’s hers. We get some long needed context as to who these shady individuals are from days gone by. All the while, the tense action and dangerous colour scheme draws the reader into the chaos of the Cat’s current situation.
The flash back feels so effortless and welcoming. We can easily wonder where it all went wrong with these loving characters. It brings us a look at the stakes of where she is and what she’s doing. A part of me was really feeling a disconnect in the past few issues as to what is so important about her past in these European locales. Catwoman has an international reputation, but we’ve known her in Gotham in the past few teams’ stories. Why do we care now about the story taking place so far from her home? The first few pages answer that perfectly and has largely restored my faith in the direction of the Catwoman story.
We get a consistent use of art style that really helps us feel the tension. The deep reds of danger and the eventual fire, all into a clever combination of sharp corners and Dutch angles to feel like each moment is incredibly tense and to the moment. We can feel the claustrophobia of the burning rooms, and the close quarters fighting with the mob’s heavies.
Conclusion
Catwoman #72 brings us a return to form with the payoff for investing in the character’s distant past. We get the tension of the action, all with the poignancy of a new story told in such a way that it feels familiar. All the while the story is left wide open for it to continue.
Images Courtesy of DC Entertainment
