Review: "Catwoman: Election Night" #1

Catwoman: Election Night has a lot of what you'd want from a Catwoman comic, or any comic at all in that matter: a compelling main character that combines brawn, brain and heart, an engaging story, a fitting villain, some relevant (albeit quite blatant) social commentary, and some absolutely astounding art by Shane Davis. 

The more disappointing it is then, that this all over in the blink of an eye. Although its light tone lends itself rather well to the one-shot format, the sheer potential of interesting ideas and story lines Meredith Finch creates will leave readers wanting more. What could have been an excellent 3 or 5-part series feels slightly rushed and incoherent at times, even though never as much as to confuse readers.

After all, this is still a highly recommendable and entertaining read, with a Catwoman that I definitely want to see more of.


7/10

PS: Definitely worth mentioning is Mark Russell's and Ben Caldwells mini story "Trigger Warnings", that has one of the funniest and most clever punch lines I have seen in comics recently. 

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Bombshells Annual" #1 / "Aquaman" #6 / "Batman" #6

"Bombshells" Annual #1: It sure looks fantastic, especially when artist Charretier wonderfully captures the atmosphere and look of 1910's France. But for all the narrative innovation and verve found in the annual's first part, the second part will largely disappoint with its uninspired dialogue and characterizations.

6/10

"Aquaman" #6: A bit of fresh air, here in the form of the President's right hand (a.k.a. Superman), might just be what this series needed, as it was in danger of drowning (get it!?) in mediocrity.

7/10

"Batman" #6: A heartfelt and truly excellent interlude before what promises to be an exciting new story arch. Tom King manages the almost impossible in offering a fresh spin on Bruce's (and, naturally, Gotham Girl's) trauma of losing their parents. Not only the best Batman Rebirth title, but the best Rebirth title at all so far. 

10/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Deathstroke: Rebirth" #1 / "Aquaman" #5 / "Batman" #5

"Deathstroke: Rebirth" #1: You'll sincerely hate Slade Wilson pretty much from page 1 here, and this evocation of strong disdain is probably Priest's greatest achievement, setting up Deathstroke as one of the best villains in DC's "Rebirth" universe so far.

7/10

"Aquaman" #5: "Aquaman" has become a pretty pointless affair by now, as it has lost even the last bits of verve that it might have had in the beginning. The action here is at least semi-entertaining, but the story is moving nowhere at all. Disappointing. 

4/10

"Batman" #5: The story of Gotham and Gotham Girl ends with a blast, and the additional pieces of information on the siblings' origin are truly fascinating. King has managed to establish a truly compelling pair of characters here, and I'm looking forward to see more of them in the next issue.

8/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Aquaman" #4 / "Batman" #4 / "Daredevil" Annual #1

"Aquaman" #4: It's all pretty much what you'd expect, as the relationship between Atlantis and the USA deteriorates rapidly. It's good, but never really tries to do anything differently.

6/10

Batman #4: An unexpected and bloody twist for the "Gotham" heroes, and Batman teams up with an unlikely ally. Great coloring again, as King seems to find his voice already early as the series' main writer. 

8/10

"Daredevil" Annual #1: It's everything you'd expect from an "Annual". Unusual art, storytelling, the exploration of exciting support characters. An absolute blast.

9/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Civil War II" #3 / "Spider-Gwen" Annual #1 / "Aquaman" #3

Civil War II #3: Bendis offers up one spectacular revelation after the other, continuing to go all out in this series. The only question is whether he can keep that pace and wrap it up in successful fashion, or falls victim to the comic's evergrowing expectations.

8/10

"Spider-Gwen" Annual #1: It's imaginative, creative, different and absolutely refreshing. The only problem: all this eclipses the actual focal point of the comic, Spider-Gwen herself, who is merely an afterthought in all of this. 

7/10

Aquaman #3: The political dilemma here is not as original and intense as writer Dan Abnett probably thinks them to be, and artist Philippe Briones is not able to convey the emotions necessary to make this all a little bit more grasping. Unfortunately, a small step back for "Aquaman". 

6/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Aquaman" #2 / "Superman" #2 & #3

Aquaman #2: Abnett is playing it relatively safe here, as the moral conflict between Aquaman and Black Manta is presented solidly, but relies too heavily on well-known tropes.

7/10

Superman #2: More than anything else it's the father-son relationship between Clark and Jon that shines most here, as Tomasi and Gleason finally nail this aspect and make the latter a truly integral part of the story.

8/10

Superman #3: The story around the Eradicators appearance is slightly underwhelming, adding to the sense of imbalance that pervades this comic as a whole. At least the end promises a badass next issue.

6/10

Quickfire Combo-Reviews: "Black Panther" #4 / "Aquaman" #1 / "Batman" #2

Black Panther #4: With its complex philosophy and politics running so deep, and its characters being wonderfully ambiguous instead of only black and white, the only thing really missing was some kick-ass action. With #5 promising exactly that, "Black Panther" could manifest itself even more as one of 2016's best comic book series.

9/10

"Aquaman" #1: The story plays it relatively safe, as Aquaman is plagued with some well-tested enemies and personal conflicts. However, Walker's light art and Eltaeb's impressive color palette capture the beauty of Atlantean life in great fashion.

7/10

"Batman" #2: The slow pace and art style feel welcomingly retro, and Tom King has a real sense for the kind of dry humor that benefits both Batman himself and Commissioner Gordon. Anybody who was skeptical after Scott Snyder left the main series should now be convinced that Batman is indeed in good hands here.

9/10