Writer: Tini Howard
Art: Caitlin Yarsky
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Tom Napolitano and Josh Reed
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 20th, 2022
Catwoman #47 has the feel of a James Bond film, as Selina and Valmont leave Gotham City, traveling to Switzerland and Vienna to further damage the Ibanescu mob family by raiding their European accounts, and even the snowy mountains of Switzerland, they find more trouble than they expected. It’s a globe-hopping action-filled issue that’ll make you say “Batman who?”.
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The Story
Selina’s doing what she does best in Catwoman #47, flirting, stealthily dropping in on targets, and kicking ass (not necessarily in that order). She and Valmont (who’s also a thief with Daredevil-style moves) are becoming a formidable pair, complementing each other well and always having snappy banter.
Their relationship reminds me of films like “To Catch a Thief”, where there’s a lot of sophistication and repartee, but the characters aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty when necessary. I still feel Selina is best when she’s solo, but Valmont makes for an interesting ally at times, especially since he and Selina really don’t trust each other. The pair unexpectedly have to shift priorities to protect Eskander Tedesse, the Ibanescu family International Financier, whose been working for another crime boss on the side, and now his life’s in danger.
The issue moves along at a lightning pace, and there’s an especially good battle scene inside a bank vault. Thanks to Caitlin Yarsky’s art, the fight scenes feel widescreen, and all of Selina and Valmont’s moves are on display as they both battle multiple opponents.
It’s nice to see Selina out of Gotham City and having adventures in Europe. Batman’s best in Gotham City because that city is his obsession. I’ve always felt Selina’s at her best anywhere but Gotham City. Why slum it in Gotham when you have the whole world for your picking? I hope she stays “on the road” for a while, I love seeing her in these different locales. Dario, Selina’s dim-witted roommate, makes an appearance also and delivers a great cliffhanger ending to the issue.
The Art
Caitlin Yarsky’s art shines again on Catwoman #47. As mentioned above, her fight scenes are cinematic and dynamic, you feel like you’re watching a widescreen film and all the fight moves are there to see.
The panel layouts are innovative in many places. In one scene, the rounded door of a room is used as the border between panels. In another scene with an explosion, the explosion is full-page with smaller panels inside it, as if the smaller panels of art are shrapnel from the explosion. The landscapes (especially the snowy peaks of a Swiss mountain resort) are captured beautifully.
Final Thoughts
Catwoman #47 continues Selina’s vendetta against the Ibanescu crime family, taking her to Europe and amping up the scale of the story. It moves at a furious pace until finishing with a great cliffhanger ending.