Catwoman #12
Writer: Judd Winick
Artists: Adriana Melo, Julio Ferreira, and Tomeu Morey
Cover Artists: Guillem March and Tomeu Morey
Publisher: DC
Much can be said about Selina Kyle, and a fair deal of it may be negative, however, when push comes to shove she’s consistently done the right thing. In this case, the right thing means going after a psychotic villain who preys on less fortunate individuals who have turned to prostitution in order to survive. The entire issue works extremely well at highlighting everything that makes Selina such an amazing character. Winick has done a solid job with these twelve issues, carrying the story from Selina as a thief to Selina as a hero, and he will definitely be missed. Ann Nocenti, current writer of Green Arrow, takes over starting next issue, and hopefully she is able to script a better story here than she does there. Melo, Ferreira, and Morey’s art fantastically brings Winick’s run to an end. Their art perfectly suited the sadder undertones of the story while also being able to handle the action. 4/5
Nightwing #12
Writer: Kyle Higgins
Artists: Andres Guinaldo, Raul Fernandez, Mark Irwin, and Rod Reis
Cover Artists: Eddy Barrows and Rod Reis
Publisher: DC
It’s the end of the road for Gotham’s newest villain, Paragon, and the start of a new journey for our title character. Although he didn’t last long, Paragon made for an interesting character. What made him so fascinating was that he was the embodiment of the idea that the Batman, and all superheroes really, create an environment that creates these villains. Stopping Paragon wasn’t the end of Dick’s excitement in this issue, as he decided to invest all his money into making Gotham’s Historic District a much better place. Higgins has really done a solid job of settling Dick into Gotham, without being hidden in Batman/Bruce’s shadow. Historically, Dick has never been too involved in the business end of Wayne Industries or Haly’s Circus, so it will be really interesting to see how he handles that role in the future of this book. Guinaldo, Fernandez, Irwin, and Reis handle art duties on this issue, and they do a great job. The art is consistent throughout the issue, and works well with the tone and direction of the story. 4.5/5
Red Hood and the Outlaws #12
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artists: Timothy Green II and Blond
Cover Artists: Kenneth Rocafort and Blond
Publisher: DC
It’s not uncommon for established writers and artists to come together and create beautiful work, but it is a rarer feat for them to have waded through controversy and come out the victor. When this series began, the comic world was filled with outrage over the perceived sexism. Twelve issues in and that’s no longer an issue. Rather, Red Hood and the Outlaws has become one of DC’s strongest titles, and definitely one of its best team books. This is in part due to the brilliant artwork by Kenneth Rocafort, and while his only art contribution to this issue was for the cover, his departure from the book deserved a proper farewell. Timothy Green II, Rocafort’s replacement on this issue, does a commendable job with the book. His attention to detail is nice, his lines are crisp, and his character illustrations look great, however he’s no Rocafort, and so long as Rocafort provides art for the cover, comparisons are inevitable. Blond’s colors are, as usual, remarkable. He does a fantastic job of creating a sense of unity through the artist change. Lobdell does a great job with the story here, incorporating a nice touch of humor into an otherwise action packed story. With this arc taking place in space and revolving around Starfire’s familial issues, it’s understandable that she’d be featured the most, but it’s also nice to see Roy get his dues. 4.5/5
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Arnab Pradhan
arnab@comicattack.net