As Gotham City's most notorious cat burglar, Catwoman has ruffled more than a few feathers. When a gangster comes after her through her loved ones, it's clear that the Feline Fatale's actions have some very deadly consequences.
Catwoman Volume 1: The Game collects issues #1-6 of Catwoman, written by Judd Winick and illustrated by Guillem March.
When DC Comics relaunched its publications under the New 52 initiative in the fall of 2011, Catwoman came under fire for the treatment of its titular star and with good reason. From its cover to its final page, the first issue of the series depicts the Feline Fatale as little more than a sex object. Winick and artist March exploit the character's body, using every opportunity imaginable to show her in various states of undress. Thankfully, this is toned down significantly after the second issue and Catwoman is depicted in a much more respectful manner.
Beyond the exploitation of her body, Catwoman is also faced with drastic changes to her personality. She's wilder and more violent than she's ever been, which can be quite jarring to long-time fans of the Feline Fatale. It's frustrating to see her act so impulsively and make so many mistakes, especially when it leads to the death of an important character. This initially makes it hard to like Catwoman, but she grows tremendously over the course of these first six issues. She acknowledges her shortcomings and appears genuinely remorseful for her mistakes. It quickly becomes clear that this is not the Catwoman we all know and love, but she very well could be. The Game is merely the first part of her maturation.
In a way, Winick's tone for the title is reminiscent of Ed Brubaker's run on the character's second ongoing series. It is dark, brutally honest and unflinching in its portrayal of the criminal underworld. There is a lot of blood, violence and sexuality, which means that the title is highly inappropriate for younger readers or anyone sensitive to adult situations. This type of content both hinders and helps Catwoman. It depicts the character in a more realistic setting and sets her up as more than just a simple cat burglar. In fact, Winick is to be commended for writing scenes of the character wearing disguises for her capers, channelling her inner Sydney Bristow. It enables readers to take her more seriously and gives March a chance to mix things up with the character's look. On the other hand, Winick and March often go too far with violence. It can be hard to stomach at times, even for people acclimatized to such imagery.
Much of the criticism concerning Catwoman's title involves Guillem March's art. At its worst, it is exploitative and goes too far. There are numerous panels where Catwoman is drawn scantily clad, her melon-shaped breasts spilling out of her clothing. The ridiculousness of such images is distracting and unnecessary as her state of undress offers absolutely nothing to the narrative. It's unfortunate since March's art is otherwise quite stunning. He's extremely expressive when drawing reaction shots and he draws eyes like no other. He also knows how to compose a page and his action scenes are incredibly dynamic.
Catwoman Volume 1: The Game is a tug-of-war between exploitation and legitimate storytelling. The tendency to go overboard with sex and violence does not work in the collection's favour, as it comes across as unnecessary and adds nothing to the overall story. Still, the tone and pacing of the title are to be praised, while the character development is also worthy of acclaim. It's not always easy to see our favourite characters make mistakes, but sometimes it's necessary in order for them to become someone greater. As it stands, The Game fails to reach its full potential and is ultimately hurt by its creative team's poor judgment. Diehard Catwoman fans will undoubtedly be disappointed by Winick's characterization and March's objectification of the Feline Fatale, but it's interesting nonetheless to see the character at a point in her life before she's become the world's greatest thief. Truthfully, I want to love this collection and I do think that it has a lot going for it, but I personally can't get over just how far Winick and March go in their mission to portray Catwoman as a thrill-seeking sex object.
Rating: C+
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