Catwoman #13
Writer: Ann Nocenti
Artists: Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona, and Sonia Oback
Cover Artists: Guillem March and Tomeu Morey
Publisher: DC
While Ann Nocenti wrote issue #0, this marks the start of her run on the series itself, and while her run on Green Arrow has been less than fantastic, this issue serves as a decent beginning. This story serves as a tie-in to the “Death of the Family” Joker arc as well as a stand-alone issue. While the tie-in portion of the story felt rushed, a tad nonsensical, and overall confusing, the rest of the issue does a decent job of keeping things interesting. Catwoman is hired to take part in a city-wide chess game, and the stakes are much higher than a stolen chess piece. Nocenti does a great job with this part of the issue, making the seemingly straightforward game more exciting. Sandoval, Tarragona, and Oback deliver a gorgeous book. Their art is well suited for the fast paced, action filled life Catwoman lives. 3.5/5
Nightwing #13
Writers: Tom DeFalco
Artists: Andre Guinaldo, Mark Irwin, and Rod Reis
Cover Artists: Eddy Barrows and Rod Reis
Publisher: DC
When Joker’s in town, Gotham is usually overflowing with rookie thugs and hoodlums taking advantage of the distraction. However, with the city being too quiet, Nightwing decides to investigate what the cause is. Guest writer Tom DeFalco writes a good story here, incorporating aspects from earlier on in the series, as well as developing this new Lady Shiva story. Lady Shiva has always been an interesting character in the past, as she’s been evil, good, and neutral throughout the years, so it should be intriguing to see how she’s portrayed here. There’s also the added idea that if Lady Shiva is now a part of the New DC, Cassandra Cain might not be far behind. The only part that I found strange about this issue is the appearance of Batgirl, whose appearance is both out of place and awkward. 4/5
Red Hood and the Outlaws #13
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artists: Timothy Green III and Blond
Cover Artists: Kenneth Rocafort and Blond
Publisher: DC
Red Hood, Arsenal, and Starfire’s journey through space comes to a dazzling end, and Starfire lays waste to the scum that invaded her homeland. Starfire’s character development recently has steadily shown her to be more than the sexualized eye candy she was portrayed as in the first issue. Not only did she lead her army against the alien thugs that invaded her land, but she also displayed a tremendous show of power that immediately puts her in the top ranks of DC’s most powerful. Lobdell, as he has done throughout the series, does a great job of showcasing one of the characters while making sure to not have the other members of the team be irrelevant. The art in this book has its ups and downs. Green’s pencils are fantastic in some portions of the book, but in some areas the art is oversimplified and strikingly different than the rest of the book. 4/5
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Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net
