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Catwoman: Crooked Little Town (DC Comics, 2002; #5-10)

  • Catwoman continues in her mission to take care of those whom the law overlooks.
  • In this case, that not only means shutting down drug dealers, but clearly her protege Holly’s name when dirty cops frame her for their killing of one of their cohorts.
  • She’s not the only one closing in on the offending officers; internal affairs and Slam Bradley are both on the case too.
  • Brubaker lends light noir* overtones to Catwoman’s storytelling; given his talent for that kind of narrative, it shouldn’t be surprising that doing so works well here.
  • Brad Rader takes over art duties from Darwyn Cooke, with Cameron Stewart and Rich Burchett replacing Mike Allred on inks; these are some big shoes to fill, but they do it well.

If there’s a better Catwoman book about Selina Kyle ruling over the streets**, I don’t know what it is.

* Gris?

** I’m not counting Genevieve Valentine’s excellent Catwoman run here, because she wasn’t on the streets in it; she was ruling Gotham’s crime families.

Collected in

 

  • Catwoman, Vol. 2: Crooked Little Town (#5-10)
  • Catwoman, Vol. 1: Trail of the Catwoman (#1-9, Selina’s Big Score)

Credits

Writer: Ed Brubaker | Penciller: Brad Rader | Inker: Cameron Stewart (5-7), Rick Burchett (7-10) | Colorists: Matt Hollingsworth (5-8) with Giulia Brusco (5), Lee Loughridge (9-10) | Letterers: Sean Konot (5, 10), Willie Schubert (6-9) | Associate Editor: Lysa Hawkins | Editor: Matt Idelson

Hack/Slash: First Cut (Devil’s Due / Image Comics, 2004)

NYX: Wannabe (Marvel Comics, 2003; #1-7)