Catwoman #3

I’m in two minds about Catwoman, to be honest. Whilst I’m a fan of the character, Judd Winick seemed intent to focus on the titillation; with Guillem March seeming to relish the chance to draw Selina Kyle in as many compromising positions as possible.

In this issue, the balance is redressed (so to speak) – more attention is given to Catwoman’s grief and rage following the killing of her fence, confidante and friend Lola at the hands of Gotham hoodlum Bone and his henchman. And when that rage is unleashed, she comes out fighting tooth and claw in some explosive and bloody vengeance-fuelled violence.

Batman puts in an appearance again: here however, he’s not succumbing to Selina’s ample charms, but instead is trying to stop her from killing. The relationship between the two characters is far better handled here now that they’re not preoccupied with how to get each other out of their suits. The fascination with each other is still there, but Winick uses some well-executed writing to focus on their differences.

Catwoman #3 is the strongest book in the relaunched series to date. Deserving of its Teen+ rating thanks more to some mature writing rather than panels of flesh, it bodes well for the title’s future direction. March’s artwork continues to impress too with its strong inked outlines and manga-esque character design, making the pages enjoyable to look at.

And whilst I expect she’ll get up to all sorts of feline fun in future, Selina Kyle is slowly becoming the well-rounded and interesting character she deserves to be.

Verdict – 7.5 / 10