| |
|
 |
|
|
Catwoman
Relentless – Part Two
13/JAN/2003
Publisher: DC Comics
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: Cameron Stewart
Inks: Cameron Stewart
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Sean Konot
Price: $2.50/R12.95 SA |
If you have been thinking about buying this title and haven’t
yet done it, give your brain a break and just go get it already,
a great book!
The cover art on this book over the last two months has been ridiculously
nice. JG Jones has put together some real masterpieces that make
you want to grab this book right off the shelf without thinking
about it twice. Along with his stunningly rendered images of Catwoman
comes some of the best colouring money can buy, Paul Mounts [The
Ultimates] does an awesome job of bringing Jones’
work to life.
This issue continues the Relentless story arc which started last
month. So far this tale has sucked me in hook line & sinker
with some brilliant characterisation and crime mystery from Ed Brubaker.
Away from Catwoman for one moment, I was glad to see that Brubaker
has been given the chance to work on DC’s new title “Gotham
Central” with Greg Rucka, this should be an awesome
title and one I am sure to pick up soon.
Back to the issue at hand, Ed writes a brilliant set-up with the
return of Selinas’ sister, the entry of Bruce Wayne to the
scene, and the continuing love entanglement between Slam and Selina.
This is great and helps to add a lot of depth to the central characters,
however just having a “soap opera” vibe going down wouldn’t
be enough to make Brubaker good now would it? Ok so get ready for
some action. After the initial dialogues and explanations of character
in comes the action, this issue finishes off with a pulse pumping
action-packed ending that is sure to have you hooked in no time.
The story plays out much like a movie, a very good movie I must
add, with just the right balance between well written characters
and the right amount of action and mystery to keep you hooked.
Moving on to the art side of things, in the first page alone I spotted
a lot of things I liked which help to keep this title original from
the reams of stuff out there. The artistic feel of this title is
very 1950’s, the clothing is an eclectic mix of 50’s
styles intermingled with the modern age. This “quaint”
styling helps to draw one into an escapist gritty-crime ridden world.
Catwoman has been portrayed as a sultry stalker in the past by many
artists with a lot of emphasis on her “particulars”
rather than her mind. The work done by Stewart in this current series
is about as much of a turn-around as you can ask for. Her body shape
and look is plucked straight out of a 1950’s fashion magazine,
complete with a child bearing pair of hips and mediocre bosom. This
and the choice of fashion that she wears when out of her cat-suit
help to portray Selina as a much more respected individual which
alternatively helps to make her a much more believable and “real”
character.
The strongest point of Cameron’s’ work can be seen when
you take a look at the action scenes. They are almost void of any
wording, leaving the tightly drawn pictures to tell the story. His
use of small panels in sequence and his great ability to portray
figures in motion show Cameron to be one of the really great “action”
artists out there.
This book has surprised me yet again; Brubaker and Cameron are one
of the best teams out there. The plot takes a new twist each issue
to draw you in even deeper and the artwork follows suite telling
an equally great part of the story.
Score 8/10
Reviewed By:Iain Duncan
|
|
|
|
Comic Reviews
