Catwoman #69

[Chiroptera]

Just a short little post I felt a need to ask... Has anyone else read the latest issue of Catwoman and gone "aaaw" over the seen of Bruce and Helena or am I just a mushy goon deep down inside? :o

I normally love the dark gritty stories with Bat's but seeing him holding Selina's baby was just such an unexpected and sweet scene, something you don't ever expect to see from Batman showing his human side so openly like that. I think the monologue Selina gave there was really fitting too: "I've seen a LOT of weird things, but this... This tops them all."

Anyone else like the scene as much as I did?

[chetes]

Aw. Yes, it was even cuter than when he brought her that teddy bear.

[CMBMOOL]

oh Why Couldn't Dc Show This Scene With Earth-2 Batman And Catwoman. :(

[Chiroptera]

For anyone who doesn't read the comic but is curous about the scene, here.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/Pagan_Artist/Baamun.jpg

[Jack Zodiac]

Yeah, it was cute, but it was wholly undermined by Bruce throwing Selina into something as dangerous as infiltrating the Bana while she has a daughter to worry about.

For an Amazons Attack crossover, though, it didn't suck. And seeing Selina happy to be back in her element again was nice. All in all, a nifty issue. I haven't been too happy with the series for the past few months, so I hope this marks a turn around.

[The Cool Thatguy]

To be fair though, everyone has family that cares about them. I doubt Bruce would ask if he didn't think her capable.

[Jack Zodiac]

Yeah, but the scene was ruined by the "Suicide Squad" mission. It was cute, but it was also a clear representation of "Bruce can't not be Batman for too long."

[Chiroptera]

Actually I think that was part of what I loved about it.
It was just this brief shining moment where it shows the man he is under all that intensity then bam; back to being Batman.
However they made a good point of why it had to be Catwoman doing the infiltration, and they had a very good reasoning for behind why she'd agree to do it when she had a baby, because so did the 100 something other poor women who've gotten blown up so far. Over all I really liked this issue, and I agree, I do hope it's the mark of a turn around back towards better stories. They were getting to a point where it was so dull that I was contemplating dropping the series, and I Reeeally didn't want to since aside from Wondy CW is my favorite character.

[Jack Zodiac]

Nah, even Selina recognized what a schmucky move pulling the "dead mother" card was. What it boiled down to was, Selina owes Bruce one, and she's the only person who could still pass for a villain Batman trusts enough to do work for him.

[mgs]

Aw. Yes, it was even cuter than when he brought her that teddy bear.

wait?! what issue was that again? I think i liked that moment better. I like this comic, but Bat's holding the baby was too much for me. Yeah, it's nice to see he's human, at times, but for the most part, he's just a hard old guy who would never do that at this point in his life. I'm just pissed Selena got the drop on her so easily, twice!! grrr...

[drwho]

Can someone here tell me why holly is living back on the streets when bruce could of hooked her up like with selina?

[Mia]

Just a short little post I felt a need to ask... Has anyone else read the latest issue of Catwoman and gone "aaaw" over the seen of Bruce and Helena or am I just a mushy goon deep down inside? :o ?

You're all pudding! :D


I normally love the dark gritty stories with Bat's but seeing him holding Selina's baby was just such an unexpected and sweet scene, something you don't ever expect to see from Batman showing his human side so openly like that. I think the monologue Selina gave there was really fitting too: "I've seen a LOT of weird things, but this... This tops them all."

Anyone else like the scene as much as I did?

I'm a bit behind on my Catwoman reading. But that picture is really beautiful and shows who he is. Sure Batman is tough but he isn't heartless and inflexible (at least when it doesn't involve him being a crime fighter). I think for him to ignore the baby would have been terrible.

By the way has anyone read the October solicits?

[Jack Zodiac]

Can someone here tell me why holly is living back on the streets when bruce could of hooked her up like with selina?

The same reason she's hiding in an Amazon women's shelter instead of checking up on Karon. Crappy, editorial-driven writing.

[jadrax]

Can someone here tell me why holly is living back on the streets when bruce could of hooked her up like with selina?

Because Bruce would just hand her over to the cops?

[MightyBeard]

wait?! what issue was that again? I think i liked that moment better. I like this comic, but Bat's holding the baby was too much for me.


Im pretty positive it was issue 53, the very first issue of One Year Later.

[Chiroptera]

Im pretty positive it was issue 53, the very first issue of One Year Later.

I believe is the correct issue... I'd go look but... well my comics are sealed in containers in my closet and most of the older ones are in the bottom container, and I'm just to lazy to go lookin' through all that stuff! There's two other containers on top of the one holdin the original year one issues. :eek:

[jadrax]

Im pretty positive it was issue 53, the very first issue of One Year Later.

Yes it was.

[Captain Jim]

Can someone here tell me why holly is living back on the streets when bruce could of hooked her up like with selina?

Well, we've had a cynical answer, how about a serious one? Holly had to flee from Gotham because she is wanted by the police for the murder of a police officer. No, she didn't really do it, but they think she did.

[Captain Jim]

While this issue was okay, I'm going to disagree with Jack Zodiac and Chiroptera about it being an improvement over the previous issues. (In fact, I'm curious as to whether Jack actually read the previous issues.) I've read all of the Catwoman issues since OYL and have thought that it was one of the few successes of OYL. All in all, very good stories, both the writing and art. And I thought the "Catwoman Dies" arc in #66-68 was absolutely awesome. One of the best stories I've read anywhere all year. Seriously.

I thought the transition from the aforementioned storyline to the Amazon Attack tie-in was a bit rushed. The earlier story could have been tied up a bit neater, but it appeared that this was sacrificed in favor of rushing into the tie-in story.

#69 is certainly a different direction from the last several months. As an Amazon Attacks crossover, it wasn't too bad. It was a nice touch to see Selena misjudge the reason behind Batman's visit. And while I have no problem with the image of Batman holding the baby, I must protest Helena calling out Baa-mun. It made sense to see her calling for "Kaa-wun" earlier; she was probably as much or more of a mother to her as Selena herself. But where does this infant come off knowing Batman? Not very realistic, in my book.

This story really wasn't what I was expecting when I saw the solicitation for a Amazon Attacks tie-in. I was expecting something to do with the Holly subplot currently being explored in Countdown. Oh well, it wasn't a bad tale, but it was a bit of a let down from the stories that preceded it (IMO). I'll be interested in seeing where this goes.

I'll also be curious as to whether this mission from Batman leads into his purported invitation to have her to join the Outsiders.

[Jack Zodiac]

I've been reading Catwoman since Brubaker and Cooke, and yes since the OYL jump, and while I enjoyed a lot of Pfeifer's work on the title so far, and the addition of Helena, what I haven't enjoyed is the baby being a constant plot device. The first arc with Film Freak and Angle Man started out strong before they pulled the Zatanna card, and that shot whatever momentum the story had in the leg except for one fine point: driving Film Freak further insane.

The arc following that first one was the best of his run so far, and Film Freak developed into one of the greatest new villains to hit the Gotham scene in a while. Loved it, and the arc right after that, where Selina's working with Calculator to steal from Lex Luthor. There was a nice, short run of just entertaining stories of Selina juggling her work and motherhood, and then bam! Helena's a plot device again when two über-Ruskies use her against Selina yet again. Even this issue smacked of repetition when Bruce uses the fact that Selina's now a mother as emotional leverage to get her to help him.

It bothers me that the much touted "big change" in Selina's life is really just another plot device.

[Chiroptera]

I definitely have to agree that Helena's really being over used as a means of telling stories. It's more interesting seeing Selina just being both mom and anti-hero than seeing her constantly having to run off and save her baby girl, it's almost as bad as the old Superman stories where all he ever did was rush to Lois Lane's rescue.


On a barely related note: Selina may join the outsiders? Heck that might just be enough to make me pick up the book...

[kalorama]

Yeah, it was cute, but it was wholly undermined by Bruce throwing Selina into something as dangerous as infiltrating the Bana while she has a daughter to worry about.

It's not like she hasn't already been out running around in the costume since the baby was born. Knowing that she'd already decided to get back on the horse, so to speak, is probably part of the reason why Bruce decided to go to her. Plus, if the Bana succeeded in destroying the city, then staying home wouldn't have offered Selina much protection, would it?

And big props to the Lopez Boys on the art. David Lopez may be one of the most underrated pencillers on the monthly comic roller coaster right now. He draws women who look tough but still beautiful without resorting to cheesecake. And he does some of the best physical action/fight scenes around. But probably the best visual moment in the book is the panel where Selina is perched on the edge of the sofa watching TV with a look of confusion and despair while Helena holds up Karon's glasses and cries "Kaa Wun" with that wide-eyed, hopeful look on her face. Great stuff.

[Captain Jim]

I definitely have to agree that Helena's really being over used as a means of telling stories. It's more interesting seeing Selina just being both mom and anti-hero than seeing her constantly having to run off and save her baby girl...

I think that's a bit of an overstatement. Is two times in the space of over a year *really* "constantly"?

[Jack Zodiac]

No, you're right, "constant" is a bit of an overstatement, even if I meant it as hyperbole, but the point stands. When six out of twelve issues are dedicated to Selina's kid being endagered to further the plot, that's pretty hamfisted. Helena should be used to enhance Catwoman, and admittedly that first arc wasn't too bad, though I think they could've waited a few months more before making the kid a bullseye in diapers, but there's more to a hero having a kid than that kid always being in danger.

Granted, Helena's just an infant and there isn't much you can do with her as a character yet, but a few arcs where Selina just juggles single motherhood and her career would be nice enough.

[Chiroptera]

You know, long as we're discussing the current comics one thing bothers me of late... Whatever happened to Selina the whip master? Lately it's seemed like she's relied a whole lot on her hand-to-hand skills, this from the woman who once said "You know there's something I love about a bullwhip... It can flay the flesh off a persons body in 5 seconds."

I'm a military and weapons buff, a whip is one of the few weapons I've actually had training in myself, I know how dangerous they can be, and every time lately I've seen her armed with the whip and deciding to go for a nice right hook instead of pulling it out I've felt myself want to reach into the comic and strangle her a bit.

Anyone else got any little irks about how she's been portrayed in more recent comics?

[mgs]

Im pretty positive it was issue 53, the very first issue of One Year Later.

thank you! :)

[MightyBeard]

Anyone else got any little irks about how she's been portrayed in more recent comics?


I think my only irk is that i liked the way the story was heading before OYL started and she had a child. I liked how gritty and intense it was, and not to say that the issues now arent good, they just havent sucked me in to truly wanting to read each issue like it was before the OYL jump. Im also just not a big fan of the whole motherhood aspect, so really my opinion is bias, its just not the story i want - while i do see how it adds another layer to the character, its not neccasarily a layer i wanted(atleast not in the way its presently being told).

[CmX]

I love this series, but I could give two shits about Amazons Attack can't wait till this tie-in is over.