I was desperately hoping Absolute Catwoman would be all I anticipated since I was present for the teaser clips and respective panel at NYCC last year – I’m also fan of Che Grayson (Exquisite Corpses) and Scott Snyder (Wytches, American Vampire, Absolute Batman), but I needed a catnap after reading issue #2.
The second installation of this six-issue miniseries introduces the audience to a stealthier version of Selina Kyle in the Absolute Universe. Conceptually, I am smitten with the idea of our femme fatale as a young Cuban immigrant who tapped into her cunning and survival to reach the elite echelons of life, thanks to her street-style agility and dangerous, high stakes escapades.
In issue #1, she effectively tried to cash out and retire, but an old friend Holly Robinson (who was a part of her heist team, called the Calicos) came knocking on her door. She presents her with a birthday cake with a mysterious orb embedded inside. Shortly after, she’s “catnapped” (kidnapped) by copycats, hellbent on destroying Kyle and making her suffer.
At the end of issue #1, it is revealed that the antagonist is Cassandra Cain, aka Batgirl. ** cue gasps**
DC
Issue #2 starts out with Kyle contending with a grade-two concussion but she has not time for recovery; she is immediately pulled back into the tech-arsenal of a dangerous life she tried to leave when she uses the orb and her AI friend Jonsey to help her track her missing friend. She goes for the jugular and sets a trap by selling this fancy artifact to lure out the highest bidder (with an outlandish price, her working theory is that it would draw out a buyer who knew the purpose and importance of this object). The ploy inadvertently brings out all of her old Calico entourage and an unexpected reunion occurs with her, Victoria, and Helena.
But there’s no time for nostalgic embraces; the trap works, and it draws out Cassandra. Cue one epic and electric throw-down. No spoilers here but you’ll have to read this issue to find out who ends up as the victor (albeit a temporary occurrence) because we’re left on yet another precarious cliffhanger which involves unlocking the secret and respective power of the orb.
What bogs down the flow and immersion of the story is that it’s oftentimes too technical (and I guess it comes with the territory of creating a tech-addled character, but still, IMHO there should be a balance). There’s so much overarching box narration and less actual dialogue between characters that these explainers detract from the heart of the tale. I appreciate cerebral complexity but here, it’s a bit much. It also probably doesn’t help this series’ plight that I was re-reading The Arrival by Shaun Tan before reviewing this comic (a soulful masterclass in wordless storytelling).
I will say for Absolute Catwoman #2, I appreciate the aesthetics of this series which blends Western cyberpunk with an endearing Japanese anime flair, of which was created by French artist Bengal and colored by Emilio Niro. The vivid use of colors and kinetic action sequences were my favorite– it was a welcome respite for the eyes and mind considering all the verbiage that preceded and succeeded it.
Ultimately, I do think this has promise and I honestly feel like if this miniseries was mapped out for eight or nine issues, it would have better served the writers. It’s a lot to engage in world building in addition to explains all the technicalities of this Absolute version of Catwoman; unfortunately, that can lead to information overload if you only have six issues to play with.
