No character in mainstream comics has had a journey quite like Catwoman. Originally introduced amid the Golden Age’s sea of duplicitous dames, she has evolved into her own formidable part of the DC Universe, headlining movies and comics as both a hero, an antihero, and a villain. Even then, it still feels undeniably remarkable that the latest Catwoman solo title is nearing seventy issues, as multiple creative teams have helped tell an uninterrupted tale of Selina Kyle’s life. The series is showing no signs of slowing down, keeping its numbering as a new creative team steps in for the DC All-In initiative, but this week’s Catwoman #68 does represent the end of an era. After more than two years, the Tini Howard-penned run of Catwoman culminates in an issue that tries to stick a balance between grandiosity and intimate characterization.
Catwoman #68 continues the all-out war between Selina Kyle and her allies, against the machinations of the White Glove and other DC villains. As Selina’s life hangs in the balance, everything from her relationship with Gotham to her relationship with those closest to her is put to the test.
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The “Nine Lives” story arc, which has stretched across Catwoman for nearly the past year, has become the best distillation of what the overall title has had to offer. As Selina has grappled with her newfound regenerative properties, embarking on the toughest scores that the planet and cosmos have to offer, individual chapters have made space for some profound and fascinating explorations of her character. A bit of this discovery is still on full display in Catwoman #68, as Selina is given the opportunity to mend her previous relationships and further realize her individual value. Depending on how a reader feels about Selina’s relationship with Bruce Wayne / Batman, their mileage on some of that epiphany might vary, but it still proves to be a defining moment for Selina as a person.
In a way, Catwoman #68 also continues one of the more frustrating aspects of the “Nine Lives” arc (and much of Howard’s run on the character), as far as the other characters in Selina’s orbit are concerned. Despite Eiko Hasigawa / Catwoman and newly-created character Dario Tomasso / Tomcat getting a good chunk of the real estate across the past few years of issues, their arcs fall to the wayside across this finale, with no certainty that they will be explored in the future. The same can be said for the other miscellaneous DC characters who have called the series a temporary home, including fan-favorites Onyx and Scandal Savage. While this is often the nature of superheroic storytelling, it does provide a bit of an anticlimatic end to one of Selina’s stronger supporting casts in recent memory.
Carmine di Giandomenico has fit into the fold of this Catwoman ongoing with ease, rendering countless impossible scenarios and flamboyant vigilante costumes with a scene of kineticism. The reading experience of Catwoman #68 is not completely flawless, as there are a few panels amid the big fight that are awkwardly blocked and paced, but di Giandomenico’s aesthetic approach remains visually and sartorially compelling. Veronica Gandini’s vibrant color work keeps even the most thematically-dark moments bathed in golds and blues, and Tom Napolitano’s lettering traverses realities and personalities with an angled ease.
These past two years of Catwoman have been filled with some undeniable bright spots, as Selina’s personality as both a superhero and an ever-evolving woman has been charmingly fleshed out. While the grand finale of Catwoman #68 might not tie everything up in a perfect bow, it still carries that same sense of scrappiness and reverence for its titular protagonist. Regardless of whatever the future holds for Selina Kyle, this run has proven to be an entertaining chapter in her journey.
Published by DC
On September 18, 2024
Written by Tini Howard
Art by Carmine di Giandomenico
Colors by Veronica Gandini
Letters by Tom Napolitano
Cover by David Nakayama
