Catwoman: When In Rome by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.
Poor Catwoman, not only does she have to slink around looking like a hastily assembled amalgam of sexual festishes but she has some pretty rough treatment doled out to her in the DC world. I have some, great, graphic novels where the poor lady gets put through the wringer – particularly in Ed Brubaker and Cameron Stewart’s No Easy Way Down (2013)*. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale used Catwoman to great effect in their incredible Bruce-some twosome Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory** and clearly fancied a crack of the whip here.
Following the events of their Batman graphic novels they take Catwoman on a well-earned working vacation to Italy with The Riddler tagging along for reasons I choose not to elucidate here. This is a stylish confection indeed, Sale’s artwork reflects the lighter tone of the story and is a tremendous amount of fun in itself. He draws Selina in a racily exaggerated kick-ass Jessica Rabbit style, as she vamps it up for all she’s worth. Make no mistake though, Catwoman is no passive decoration here at all, she’s capable, tough and strong. There’s mystery, romance, murky goings-on and of course a certain Batty chap looms large over proceedings, but this is no long, dark (k)night of the soul far more of a good, light holiday read … shame I just finished it before my holidays then. Damn.
779 Down (still).
*a very graphic novel, which has a lot of charm too, they have a lot of fun mocking the whole sexy, sex, sexy Catwoman thang. But I did find it a very bruising read.
**the former being one of my absolute fave Batman graphic novels.
I have no gun.
Oh
Yup. Now put your Derringer away.
I think this one is a little masterpiece. Sale’s artwork captures a classic 60s vibe here. And the story is tricky and takes you places you’re not expecting. Catwoman, in Loeb and Sales’ hands, is a very unique and multi-layered character. I find her more to be an anti-hero more than a straight up villain.
Excellent one here, sir.
Thank you – Sale and Loeb do their thing really well.
Awesome. Because Batman, And sexy. And graphic novel. Yes.
Really worth a read if it turns up on your radar. Trust me.
A very amusing post. As for the nuns with guns question, yes I do. One night, when I couldn’t sleep, I watched a film on the Horror Channel called, “Naked Nuns with Guns.” It was interesting to say the least.
Naked Nuns With Guns – I’ve never seen it but I’m guessing the title gives me all the info I’ll ever need on it.
Yep
the ‘very’ graphic novel. what a category!