In the Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale Batman stories, The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, Catwoman serves as a classic femme fatale, sexy, dangerous, and always skirting the line between hero and villain, always half in shadow. As a lifelong Film Noir fan, I do love the femme fatale archetype. And I have to admit, the outfit ramps up the look a few notches.
Throughout both volumes, Catwoman plays a key role, but she is also oddly absent for a large block of time, with a kind of tacked on ‘Oh, I was in Italy’ explanation. I found that odd and awkward. I assume I wasn’t the only one, as the team came back together to create the story of her time in Italy. And while the book is enjoyable, it adds little.
Catwoman’s narration feels less Noir, and more like Buffy. Her reference to her shoes and shopping at incongruous moments felt like Whedon at his worst. And at the end of the day, the only character development is pretty much just a reestablishment of Catwoman being hung up on Batman. Which we already know. They’re the perfect match, but can never be together. The Blondie character could have been interesting, but that storyline goes nowhere.
If you really enjoyed The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, this is an OK companion. Otherwise, I don’t know that it would mean a whole lot. It’s almost like a deleted scene from a movie, that you can totally understand having been cut, but that is still fun to watch once.
Catwoman: When in Rome
Author: Jeph Loeb
Artist: Tim Sale
Publisher: DC Comics
ISBN: 978-1-401-20717-5
-Matt
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