Batman Catwoman #3 Review
Writer – Tom King
Art – Clay Mann
Colors – Tomeu Morey
Letters – Clayton Cowles
Publisher – DC Comics Black Label
Another month means a new chapter of what I personally consider to be the best Batman comic out right now in Batman Catwoman. The last two months, DC has been the house of Future State which has seen a few great titles, has not really had my interest for the most part so I’m thrilled to have a new chapter of a more grounded title, especially one coming from the Black Label imprint.
Batman Catwoman #3 picks up after the shocking twist at the end of issue #2 where a future Selina had made a visit to Florida to see an old friend. Issue three opens up by introducing readers to Helena Wayne for the first time in the series as she stands over Gotham in a suit that is the perfect blend of Bat and Cat while speaking with now Gotham Commisioner, Dick Grayson where Dick informs her of the what they found in Florida and King takes readers on a whirlwind of events across three different time frames that build more upon how Selina came to be in her current predicament by filling in parts of the story using the past and present timelines to build up to ot. King does an excellent job not only with the pacing and the build up of the story but also keeping all the timelines cohesive so the reader doesn’t become lost or confused as the story switches between timelines and events. The events all build upon the previous issues and the story develops even deeper and King now introduces a detective aspect into this issue which we haven’t really seen yet in the series and readers are introduced to a new dillema that Helena must face moving forward and leaves readers intrigued, wondering what lies ahead for not just her, but our characters in the past and present which is a true testament to King’s ability to really think outside the box and move three timelines forward while keeping readers Engaged with all of them.
The art of this issue continues to see the development of design from artist Clay Mann as he becomes more comfortable with these characters and their different designs and we get an introduction of new characters which brings new designs with them. The new designs all build upon the corrent styles and keep everything cohesive, delivering top notch detailing and design. One of the only issues I had in this issue with Mann’s new designs was Helena’s suit we see in the beginning. The top half of the suit is designed to mimic a more traditional Batsuit and looks very tactical but the bottom half is litterslly just a skin tight suit from the stomach down which I would not have any issue with if it didn’t look like it was actually her skin. We can see every detail of her flesh from the chest down which even a skin tight suit would not show. There really should have been some kind of detailing that showed a more realistic material look that separated the skin from the suit and it just wasn’t there. Everything else in the issue however lives up to the beautiful work Mann has delivered so far and colorist Tomeu Morey does an incredible job bringing the art to life and creating a real world feel with emotions through the various tones he uses throughout the story. Overall another incredible detailed issue that builds upon the world this art team has introduced readers too with just a little awkwardness added in one suit design.
Overall, Batman Catwoman #3 is an exciting new chapter for the series that continues to unravel secrets of the past while moving forward with a challenging future that keeps readers intrigued and a visual element that makes readers feel fully immersed in the dark streets of Gotham across different points in time, leaving very little imagination needed.
Bat Cat #3 is available today so make sure you pick it up and add it to the top of your reading pile as this is my most recommended DC story out today! Let us know what you thought of the issue by leaving your comments below.
-Wes Greer
Art – Clay Mann
Colors – Tomeu Morey
Letters – Clayton Cowles
Publisher – DC Comics Black Label
Another month means a new chapter of what I personally consider to be the best Batman comic out right now in Batman Catwoman. The last two months, DC has been the house of Future State which has seen a few great titles, has not really had my interest for the most part so I’m thrilled to have a new chapter of a more grounded title, especially one coming from the Black Label imprint.
Batman Catwoman #3 picks up after the shocking twist at the end of issue #2 where a future Selina had made a visit to Florida to see an old friend. Issue three opens up by introducing readers to Helena Wayne for the first time in the series as she stands over Gotham in a suit that is the perfect blend of Bat and Cat while speaking with now Gotham Commisioner, Dick Grayson where Dick informs her of the what they found in Florida and King takes readers on a whirlwind of events across three different time frames that build more upon how Selina came to be in her current predicament by filling in parts of the story using the past and present timelines to build up to ot. King does an excellent job not only with the pacing and the build up of the story but also keeping all the timelines cohesive so the reader doesn’t become lost or confused as the story switches between timelines and events. The events all build upon the previous issues and the story develops even deeper and King now introduces a detective aspect into this issue which we haven’t really seen yet in the series and readers are introduced to a new dillema that Helena must face moving forward and leaves readers intrigued, wondering what lies ahead for not just her, but our characters in the past and present which is a true testament to King’s ability to really think outside the box and move three timelines forward while keeping readers Engaged with all of them.
The art of this issue continues to see the development of design from artist Clay Mann as he becomes more comfortable with these characters and their different designs and we get an introduction of new characters which brings new designs with them. The new designs all build upon the corrent styles and keep everything cohesive, delivering top notch detailing and design. One of the only issues I had in this issue with Mann’s new designs was Helena’s suit we see in the beginning. The top half of the suit is designed to mimic a more traditional Batsuit and looks very tactical but the bottom half is litterslly just a skin tight suit from the stomach down which I would not have any issue with if it didn’t look like it was actually her skin. We can see every detail of her flesh from the chest down which even a skin tight suit would not show. There really should have been some kind of detailing that showed a more realistic material look that separated the skin from the suit and it just wasn’t there. Everything else in the issue however lives up to the beautiful work Mann has delivered so far and colorist Tomeu Morey does an incredible job bringing the art to life and creating a real world feel with emotions through the various tones he uses throughout the story. Overall another incredible detailed issue that builds upon the world this art team has introduced readers too with just a little awkwardness added in one suit design.
Overall, Batman Catwoman #3 is an exciting new chapter for the series that continues to unravel secrets of the past while moving forward with a challenging future that keeps readers intrigued and a visual element that makes readers feel fully immersed in the dark streets of Gotham across different points in time, leaving very little imagination needed.
Bat Cat #3 is available today so make sure you pick it up and add it to the top of your reading pile as this is my most recommended DC story out today! Let us know what you thought of the issue by leaving your comments below.
-Wes Greer
A Look Inside
