Absolute Catwoman #3 is written by Scott Snyder & Che Grayson and published by DC Comics. Artwork by Bengal, Colours by Giovanna Niro, and Letters by Lucas Gattoni. Main cover art (left) is by Bengal
Absolute Catwoman #3 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
OLD CREW, NEW PROBLEMS! Selina Kyle’s life is falling apart around her as members of her old crew, the Calicos, come crashing into her plans. Can the Catwoman open herself up to her old pack, or is she better off alone?
Review
I had high hopes going into Absolute Catwoman. Scott Snyder has been crushing it with Absolute Batman. So seeing him co-writing Absolute Catwoman with Che Grayson was an exciting prospect. Somehow, two issues of Cat went by, and I had yet to dig in. Therefore, I blazed through the first two issues to catch up before issue 3.
Well, having charged through them all, I have to say Absolute Catwoman doesn’t quite hit the mark.
While it is interesting to see Batman as a working-class hero while the Joker came from money, now seeing Selina with those ‘wonderful toys’ and a Cat-Cave feels like an over-reliance on Bat-adjacent characters being given Bat-tropes. Frankly, it surprises me that some of these ideas made it past the concept stage. Several either feel like clumsy fan fiction or are way too similar to Selina in the mainline books.
And therein lies a big problem. While the Absolute version of Selina differs from the mainline version in that she’s an immigrant and a person of colour, outside of that, you may struggle to see what else sets her apart. She’s still a poor girl turned thief with amassed wealth, who weaves her way through powerful circles.
Many of the Absolute villains and heroes have a horror take, from Joker to Green Arrow. Nevertheless, Selina doesn’t have that unique twist. She’s still the sexy (if not over-sexualised) femme fatale we very much know and expect.
Further, I can’t say Absolute Catwoman’s storyline is all that compelling either. Issue 3 really does buckle under the plate-spinning begun in the first two issues. The dual timeline explores Selina’s past life with her ex-band of cat-themed criminals, the Calicos. In the present day she help her kidnapped former Calico, who left behind the all-powerful McGuffin that leads to this Eldorado of sorts, and your brain will be in a twist.
In addition, the story feels like a rejected 007 mystery-box storyline about a magical orb that leads to a place where you unlock the thing to access reality-altering stuff. The issue even culminates in a snowy Die Another Day knock-off set piece that felt more hokey than impressive.
I wish I felt different about this series, but there is simply too much going on to be able to sink your teeth into the bloated story and the thinly drawn characters, and there isn’t enough to truly differentiate Absolute Selina from the mainline books.
So, while the story is a bit of a mess, I can at least praise Bengal’s fantastic art and Giovanna Niro’s exceptional colours. The art alone makes the book worth flipping through; I just wish the story hooked you like so many other Absolute titles. Which leads me to a wider concern.
I understand the Absolute Universe wants to walk a tightrope: subverting well-known characters while keeping them familiar enough for the audience to get behind them and still recognise them. However, the Absolute Universe feels at risk of stretching its premise too thin.
While books like Absolute Green Arrow are compelling and take big swings, I’ve dropped my early favourites, Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman, from my regular pull list because they’ve started to feel too familiar and play too safe with the concept.
Will Absolute Catwoman pick up with its final three issues? Only time can tell! But I’d rather see her in Absolute Batman.
Verdict
Absolute Catwoman has energetic art, but it lacks a well-balanced story, character depth, and the grit of other Absolute titles. Perhaps this might suggest that as the Absolute universe expands, it stretches the premise of this dark, brutal concept too thin.
⭐⭐⭐
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