Book Review: Catwoman V.1: Copycats

Catwoman V.1: Copycats
by Joelle Jones
**

I was a big fan of the wedding volume that preceded this so was anxious to get my hands on this NetGalley advanced copy.
Catwoman can be a fascinating character and I actually was kind of digging her Batman Returns esque costume in this volume. If I had to level a critique at this run so far it would be that Catwoman feels like a side character in her own book. It left the collection without a real centerpiece.  After the epic wedding saga, I would have preferred Catwoman to go back to her roots with a simple, classic cat burglar tale. The shady political intrigue found in this book could make an interesting story, but as is it left a little choked. It almost feels like Catwoman could be completely excised from the story and you'd hardly notice. Catwoman stories work best when you've got a birds eye view into Selina's world. (See the Brubaker/Cooke run for a great example.)  I feel the character was under utilized here.

In any kickoff volume you expect a little exposition, but from Catwoman you also expect fun. You need it. This was not a fun read.  Here's hoping the second volume finds its groove.

Book Review: Action Comics V.1: Invisible Mafia

Superman: Action Comics V.1: Invisible Mafia
Brian Michael Bendis
*****

Props to my pals at Netgalley for the early access.

I was excited about the prospect of Bendis taking on Superman but have been on the fence with the previous two volume. (Man of Steel left me underwhelmed but I thought Phantom Earth was a little closer.) I'm happy to report that this one found the sweet spot.

With Lois and Jon still gallivanting around the cosmos with angsty Jor-El, Clark is getting down to business and settling back in to his life.  Things go off the rails when a rash of crimes are blamed on Superman and a mysterious cloud lady gets in to some shenanigans.

As Dean Cain can attest, I love Superman stories though focus on Clark's everyday life and struggling to find a balance with the power he has.  Clark certainly took center stage in this volume and I thought Bendis did a great job of making the Daily Planet and crew feel like an actual newspaper. Superman is there plenty, but he's not moving planets or fighting some crazy powerful monster menace.  To me, this is the right mojo.

I also appreciate sidelining Jon and Lois.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a Lois fan tried and true. And I think Jon was a good addition.  That doesn't mean I want to read about everyone's favorite nuclear family, the Supers all the time. This is a clever way to recapture some of that old school feeling without just erasing those relationships.  Hats off to Bendis for the subtle dig at Spider-man's infamous One More Day nonsense that did just that.

I hate to rate Superman comics low because he's my pal, so I am pleased to report that this gets tops marks.

To hear more about some of my old-school favorite Superman stories tune in to this special episode of the All the Books Show.