Catwoman Annual #1
Written by: Ann Nocenti
Art by: Christian Duce
Catwoman Annual #1 takes off where Catwoman managed to get under the skin of The Penguin. Now she has to deal with the Penguin as not only is he out for revenge, but he’s corrupting the streets that an ant-hero such as herself works to protect when not pulling off her next heist. Nocenti did well showing how Catwoman is a street level hero who cares about what happens in the streets.
This is the kind of story we want to read when it comes to Catwoman. Gang violence, someone taking advantage of the innocent, something real. That is the kind of situations in which Catwoman involves herself in and Noncenti was able to bring her back into her environment. Where she could’ve been trying to get revenge for Penguin taking a hefty part of her money from heists, she was out to send a message to him for his corruption in the city. Killing, threatening, poisoning kids with addictive ice cream, that’s where someone like Catwoman draws the line. Even as a thief she has morals and that is what Noncenti shows in this story.
I will say that the weakest part of the book is the involvement of the detectives, mainly detective Keyes. It doesn’t click for me that even when Bullock makes it perfectly clear that Penguin is behind this, she still blames Catwoman. I mean even if I didn’t know that Penguin was involved till later it just seems like common sense given the evidence staring right in front of them. What went on with their suspiscion should’ve ended when Bullock told them who they really should be after.
Setting aside their invlovement, this annual was solid. The art by Duce was well done too, that’s something to take out of this issue compared to the previous. It was Catwoman at her core and set things in motion as now Penguin is now ready to go to war with her. Catwoman didn’t just beat him, she mocked him and humiliated him. We know the Penguin to be very sensitive and she definitely struck a nerve.