REVIEW: Cat Woman Trail of the Catwoman

 

This  summer fans of the Batman movie franchise will get a look at Christopher Nolan's take on Catwoman. Selina Kyle has gone through many transformations in both her comic book and celluloid adventures.

This reprint volume from DC comics features what many fans deem Catwoman's finest interpertation.

Written by Darwyn Cooke and Ed Brubaker with Cooke also handling the artistic duties, we see a streamlined origin for Kyle.

The first part of the book is a reprint of Selina's Big Score. Car's often land on their feet but after a botched theft Selina is back in Gotham and spending the last of her dwindling funds. Selina is approached by Chantel, a mistress of one of the deadly Falcone family. Chanterl tells Selina about a train packed with 25 million dollars. Now the score of the century is in play as Selina assembles a team of trained professionals with the skills needed to catch a train.

There is a wonderful noir feel to this mini series, the art is gorgeous and colorful. As things build to the climax the fun adventure turns deadly and few will survive to spend what they planned and schemed for.

The rest of the book reprints Catwoman 1-9 with the writing duties passing to Ed Brubaker with Cooke and Mike Allred focusing on the art.

In the opening scenes of issue one we see Selina still struggling with the repercussions of the Big Score, she also has returned to the darkest environs of Gotham. Now comfortably financially Selina tries to discover what the next stage of her life will hold. When a string of murders  involving prostitutes escalating and the Gotham PD barely responding, Selina decides to stop the killer herself.

This first story arc balances action and great character development. Selina Kyle has had many interpertations through the years but this run really captures her humor and sexiness .

I'm really looking forward to future reprints without his creative team.