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nonesensed 's review for:
Catwoman, Volume 1: Trail of the Catwoman
by Ed Brubaker
The first part didn't quite grab me, but when the book got going it got good, so four stars. By this I mean that I liked the intro with Selina and the plan getting set in motion, but then...Stark happened. He was just a big cliché. I mean, he could have worked if there had been some character development, but in this story there was none to be had for him. That made be think the flashbacks to him "saving" Selina was a quick reference to backstory established in some earlier comic where Catwoman's made an appearance.
But nope. This is the introduction of Stark and also his final bow. We're supposed to believe that Selina and him have this long, complicated relationship, but the flashbacks we get of them are vague and don't really show why they interact. I mean, why did Stark take an interest in Selina? Because she was hot? Because she'd been keeping her friends safe? What?! Had he been stalking her? Had he heard of her more than in passing? Flashback tells us nothing. He just shows up and starts talking about dignity without having any previous connection to Selina and bam, she goes with him and they get together.
...yeah. Why did Selina need some random dude to show up and say one word to make her turn her life around anyways? I much prefer the version where she slowly comes to terms with what she wants and doesn't want her life to be while learning martial arts. That has some build-up and it isn't just "hey girl, you need this man to show up and explain you a thing". Stark could have been done well and they could have worked as lovers, if there had been some basis for it. But the reader gets to know nothing about his motivations or Selina's for that matter, thus their relationship is just sort of stated more than told. We're just supposed to accept it as fact.
Maybe I need to read "Batman: Ego and Other Tails" to get Stark, but since that came out 5 years after his introduction, it's a little late.
And speaking of men who end up caring for Selina based on vague vagueness, what's up with Slam Bradley? They built up the tension for how Selina "turned him" to her side so well and then it ended in nothing. She basically just goes "could you not tell anyone I'm alive?" and he goes "sure". There is some mumbled exposition about how he for some reason comes to care for her during his investigation, but he never outright states why. We're just supposed to understand, somehow.
Well, I don't. Has Catwoman got secret mind control powers? Has she been crossed with Poison Ivy? I just don't know.
But other than that, I enjoyed this story once we got past the "here are some characters and they do things for reasons we won't bother to really explain to you". Slam Bradley is an interesting character once his introduction is over and done with, I loved all the scenes with Batman, I loved Selina's soul searching and finding a way to enjoy life again and I liked Holly (because she both has a long history with Selina, has a real good reason to trust and be loyal to Selina and gets backstory and relations outside of Selina, huzzah for that!)
All in all, worth a read.
But nope. This is the introduction of Stark and also his final bow. We're supposed to believe that Selina and him have this long, complicated relationship, but the flashbacks we get of them are vague and don't really show why they interact. I mean, why did Stark take an interest in Selina? Because she was hot? Because she'd been keeping her friends safe? What?! Had he been stalking her? Had he heard of her more than in passing? Flashback tells us nothing. He just shows up and starts talking about dignity without having any previous connection to Selina and bam, she goes with him and they get together.
...yeah. Why did Selina need some random dude to show up and say one word to make her turn her life around anyways? I much prefer the version where she slowly comes to terms with what she wants and doesn't want her life to be while learning martial arts. That has some build-up and it isn't just "hey girl, you need this man to show up and explain you a thing". Stark could have been done well and they could have worked as lovers, if there had been some basis for it. But the reader gets to know nothing about his motivations or Selina's for that matter, thus their relationship is just sort of stated more than told. We're just supposed to accept it as fact.
Maybe I need to read "Batman: Ego and Other Tails" to get Stark, but since that came out 5 years after his introduction, it's a little late.
And speaking of men who end up caring for Selina based on vague vagueness, what's up with Slam Bradley? They built up the tension for how Selina "turned him" to her side so well and then it ended in nothing. She basically just goes "could you not tell anyone I'm alive?" and he goes "sure". There is some mumbled exposition about how he for some reason comes to care for her during his investigation, but he never outright states why. We're just supposed to understand, somehow.
Well, I don't. Has Catwoman got secret mind control powers? Has she been crossed with Poison Ivy? I just don't know.
But other than that, I enjoyed this story once we got past the "here are some characters and they do things for reasons we won't bother to really explain to you". Slam Bradley is an interesting character once his introduction is over and done with, I loved all the scenes with Batman, I loved Selina's soul searching and finding a way to enjoy life again and I liked Holly (because she both has a long history with Selina, has a real good reason to trust and be loyal to Selina and gets backstory and relations outside of Selina, huzzah for that!)
All in all, worth a read.