Catwoman #2

Cover by Guillem March

Catwoman #2 (October 19, 2011)

Writer: Judd Winick

Penciller: Guillem March

Colorist: Tomeu Morey

Letterer: Sal Cipriano

Even after reading the offensive, insulting, embarrassing and just plain poorly done Catwoman #1, I was willing to give this series another shot. I am always reluctant to give up on a series after one issue (I’m willing to be painfully disappointed after at least five issues) so when I saw the cover for Catwoman #2, I took a deep breath, tried not to cringe and picked it up.

Then I read it.

I am just so, so very disappointed in this re-launch. It’s everything I could possibly hate in a comic book wrapped up in issues starring one of my absolute favorite characters. It hurts; it honestly hurts.

It’s like Winick just wants to see how long he can go crafting a Catwoman story that spits in the faces of all of her fans before someone at DC stops him on his mad quest. Has anyone at DC even read this before printing it? Are there seriously no women at DC who could read this and at least raise an eyebrow in polite disgust? It’s also upsetting because men are smart too and if the average guy I’ve talked to about this series also found it offensive and incredibly weak, then some dude at DC MUST have the cognitive thought process to see this as well. WHAT’S HAPPENING OVER THERE?!

Okay, so the front cover is just Batman and Catwoman kissing mid-air. Stupid, but not inherently bad. I let that slide. Then I turned to the front page. Batman and Catwoman sprawled half-naked post-coitus (as a co-worker politely described it). I cringed for about a minute straight. Have you ever, in your travels on the internet, accidentally wandered across some really graphic fanart depicting like beloved characters from childhood? Remember that shuddery feeling of disgust and incredible sadness? That’s how I felt reading Catwoman #2. The title should have just been Catwoman #2: Rule 34.

Following this post-sexual non-glow, Catwoman engages in some barely interesting thievery of a Russian painting purely to piss off the Russian mob and set the different factions against one another. The awful thing about this plot is that it could have been interesting. Winick could have perfectly illustrated the kleptomaniac-side of Catwoman and the fact that she simply steals for stealing’s sake. It could have been so great to see Catwoman as something other than a sexual object that just happens to steal because that’s how Batman notices her.

It could have been so much more. But instead I was given a flat, one-dimensional, uninteresting, embarrassing and frankly depressing Catwoman. Also, at one point, she dressed up like this:

Damn you, Guillem March. Damn you.

I can’t. I JUST CAN’T.

Then there’s some graphic violence against women that occurs and it’s totally unnecessary and I just want to give up on this series. I go into reading a comic knowing I’m probably going to have to meet it halfway. Well I met this one halfway and it just decided to turn around and walk in the opposite direction, right after giving me the finger.

I know this post is in essence a fangirl rant but for a comic as awful and sexist as this one, I deserve a chance to just rail. I highly doubt I am going to pick up the next issue unless I really feel self-loathing that day. We’ll have to wait and see.