2006/05/15

Reviews del CatWoman #53



















CATWOMAN #53 ADVANCE REVIEW
Review by: Blake M. Petit Blake@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Great
Title: The Replacements Part One

One year later – who’s in the Catwoman costume? And what happened to Selina Kyle?

Writer: Will Pfeifer
Pencils: David Lopez
Inks: Alvaro Lopez
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Adam Hughes
Publisher: DC Comics

Review: I’m going to try very hard to be vague for the sake of the three people left on Earth who haven’t had some of the “One Year Later” changes for Catwoman spoiled already, but it won’t be easy. So if you find out something in this review, I apologize in advance.

One year later, Gotham City’s East End is still being protected by Catwoman, but it’s not Selina Kyle in the costume. Selina, under an assumed name, is in the hospital. She comes home this issue, but she doesn’t come home alone.

Will Pfeifer has really done a wonderful job of expanding Catwoman’s supporting cast during his run on this title, while still managing to make her an integral part of Batman’s universe – One Year Later this hasn’t changed at all. The person who brings her home from the hospital is no surprise at all, nor is the visitor who appears in her apartment late that night.

The biggest question, and the biggest mystery fans have clamored for since the solicitation for this issue came out, is who… um… “helped” Selina get into her “situation?” That question is not answered with 100 percent certainty this issue, but the allusions are incredibly obvious. In fact, they’re so obvious that part of me thinks they’re just playing with us, trying really, really hard to make us think it’s a specific candidate. On the other hand, if it’s anyone else, the fans may be in an uproar, especially with the events of this issue.

David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez are our art team, and they’re quite good. The crooks on the streets of Gotham may not be able to tell that it’s a different Catwoman in the costume, but she’s slightly smaller, slightly more awkward in her movements, and it really adds a lot to the issue.

I had high hopes for the “One Year Later” experiment, and so far, those hopes have been met at nearly every turn. This is another great issue.

Rating:
(4,5 sobre 5)

by Don MacPherson

CATWOMAN #53
"The Replacements, Part One"

DC Comics
Writer: Will Pfeifer
Pencils: David Lopez
Inks: Alvaro Lopez
Colors: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Cover artist: Adam Hughes
Editor: Matt Idelson

Price: $2.50 US/$3.50 CAN
DC's "One Year Later" event continues this week, and it's made for some rather personal changes in the life of one Selina Kyle. Pfeifer really hasn't tinkered with the cast of characters too much, and I think his choices for change add some down-to-earth drama that plays to the series's strengths. Nevertheless, I'm not entirely hooked by the new direction as it's not at all clear what he's trying to say about these characters. Signing David ( Fallen Angel ) Lopez on as the title's new penciller was a good choice, but in this issue, he doesn't embrace the darker look that serves his style so well in the past.

Selina Kyle is dead, but a woman who used to be Selina Kyle finds herself in a different part of Gotham facing a radically different kind of physical challenge. It's been a year since she killed Black Mask in the name of protecting the citizens of the East End, and her life has taken a dramatic turn in that time as she reaches the end of her pregnancy. At the same time, Catwoman returns to the streets of the East End after a year-long absence, but if the original Catwoman is recovering from childbirth in a hospital, who's wearing the costume and cracking the whip these days?

Given David Lopez's work on Peter David's Fallen Angel during the property's tenure at DC Comics, I felt he would make an excellent fit with Catwoman , another dark heroine. The problem is that we're not seeing quite the same level of darkness from the artist here. He offers some fairly straightforward comic art here. The simpler leanings in his work that allowed the shadows and mood to take hold are gone, replaced with a slightly more realistic style. It seems as though he's striving to match the style of his predecessor, Pete Woods. There's nothing wrong with the art, per se, but it just seems rather ordinary at this point.

DC missed out on a great marketing campaign and Pfeifer misses an opportunity to really hook readers by failing to connect the title character's pregnancy with the Batman. The character makes a brief cameo in this issue, but from his behaviour, it's clear he had nothing to do with Selina's new status as a parent. It's too bad... it really wouldn't have been that much of a stretch for us to believe that Bruce and Selina shared a night of passion several months ago. Pfeifer doesn't really play up the mystery of the father's identity at all. Maybe I'm forgetting a cue from previous issues, but mention of the kid's paternity is oddly absent here.

Given what she has gone through, Selina's complete lack of concern for her replacement seems out of character for her, and furthermore, Pfeifer is too successful at conveying the new Catwoman's inexperience. She is so in over her head it's difficult for the reader to understand why she or anyone else would think what she's doing is a good idea. Still, there's potential in the concept, just as there is in the notion of a heroine balancing an extraordinary life with single parenthood. 6/10


http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?p=2110561

CATWOMAN 53 — David Lopez in and of himself is enough reason to come back month after month, but I'm also looking very forward to finding out more about Selina's kid. I love that the baby's name is Helena. B+


Catwoman # 53 (DC; by Koben): I've actually never followed the adventures of Catwoman before, but this creative team has sunk its hooks into me, and they're not letting go. Selina Kyle has ceased to exist. In her place is Irena Dubrovna (the name of the female lead in the original movie, Cat People), who gives birth in the first few pages. So if it's not Selina, who is it kicking ass in her old costume? And does the fact that she names her baby girl Helena (the name of the Earth-2 Huntress, daughter of E-2 Batman and E-2 Catwoman) have anything to do with the Crisis? Cameos by Slam Bradley and Bats add to the mix, making this issue a joy to read. Pfeifer's OYL storyline creates questions, but not confusion, inviting the new reader to stick around, while David Lopez (Fallen Angel) contributes some of his best work for DC yet.


Writer: Will Pfeiffer
Artist: David Lopez
Inker: Alvaro Lopez
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Colorist: Jeremy Cox
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Adam Hughes
Publisher: DC Comics

REVIEW: Welcom to OYL! If the goal of OYL is to attract new readers, I could see this title failing miserably. If the goal is to get current fans excited about the book again, mission accomplished. I never thought I'd want to see Selina out of costume and living outside the East End, but this has me interested. It's going to take a while for the mystery of the father of her child to be sorted out. My guess is we'll see a swerve or two in 52 before it's finally revealed here.

This issue opens with Selina giving birth to her baby. The name she picks for her? Helena . Meanwhile, a new Catwoman is out trying to break up a stolen video camera ring. This Catwoman is much sloppier and much less precise than her predecessor. She manages to finally get the drop on the thugs she has been chasing, but not before she gets slapped around a little. Angle Man watches her from afar. Selina gets to take her child home. Before her cab can pick her up, Slam Bradley pulls up and offers a ride. Despite moving out of the East End and "retiring" as Catwoman ,Selina still has Holly as a roommate. Angle Man is plotting something with Catwoman , but his true plans are yet to be revealed. Batman drops by Selina's new pad to deliver a full college scholarship to anywhere in the world and he also brings a large teddy bear. They discuss the new Catwoman . Before Bruce can talk her out of it, she tells him that she supports the new person in the suit. Selina realizes there are going to be growing pains, but she thinks that eventually everything will work out. Meanwhile the new Catwoman is caught in an explosion set by Angle Man .

If you've read the comic and paid attention at all, it should be fairly obvious who the new Catwoman is and I'm sure someone will be kind enough to spoil it here. This book is just aching for a cliffhanger that involves Selina being forced to fill out a birth certficate and finally reveal the father's name.

This is the way an OYL title should be written. Picking up dangling plot threads (Angle Man and the GCPD plotline) and running with new ones that are going to change a title for the better (Selina's child and the new Catwoman). That being said, I don't think this is a great title for a new reader. You'd have no idea what was going on other than the new baby and the new Catwoman .

What worked in this issue? Pfeiffer "gets" these characters. These characters feel authentic to me, as does their speech. The words in the thought bubbles and the words coming out of their mouths feel like their own. Especially with Selina . I really can't wait to see what Pfeiffer has in store for her in the months to come. I also thoroughly enjoyed his comedic moments with Batman and Slam Bradley .Batman showing up with a teddy bear and Slam Bradley having to remind everyone that he used to be a detective were just entertaining moments that came naturally to the flow of the story.

The artwork was strong in this issue. This title still has a lot of the high contrast panels and pulp-noir tendencies that it's known for, but with the addition of a new baby and Selina re-positioning herself in the DCU, this title has taken on a lighter tone. A lot of the faces are drawn softer and the color scheme is a bit brighter. It's strange for me to see smiles in a Catwoman comic that aren't maniacal in nature. The backgrounds are also more detailed under Lopez than they were under Woods .


Comic Review
by Paul Milligan

Catwoman #53

Writer: Will Pfeifer
Penciller: David Lopez
Inker: Alvaro Lopez
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher

It’s one year later and Selena’s having a baby! So who’s the Catwoman running around Gotham’s East End? And will she be able to evade the Angle Man, who’s still looking for revenge after being humiliated by Catwoman last year? Meanwhile, one of Gotham City’s finest is trying to uncover evidence that will prove Catwoman killed the Black Mask.

Thanks to writers like Ed Brubaker (who started the current series) and Will Pfeifer, Selina Kyle has become one of the most complex and fascinating female characters in all of comics. This issue, set one year after Catwoman #52 and the conclusion of Infinite Crisis , does even more to cement that fact, taking Selina out of the catsuit and making her a brand new mother. It’s obvious that she is trying to make a new life for herself and her new daughter as she has passed the mantle of Catwoman to her dearest friend. And while the events in this issue are certainly shocking, it feels like a calm before the storm. This series is defined by those moments.

When this series first began, under the care of Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke (and later Cameron Stuart and Brad Rader) it was one of my absolute favorite reads each month. But after a while I lost interest in the book, particularly when Paul Gulacy became the regular artist. No slam against Gulacy, who I like. I just didn’t think his style fit the book. But just when I thought I was out Will Pfeifer and artist Pete Woods were there to pull me right back in and Catwoman is once again one of my favorite titles. Woods has now moved on (currently drawing both Action Comics and Superman ) but they couldn’t have picked a better artist to take over. I was gaga about David Lopez when I first saw his work on Peter David’s Fallen Angel and knowing that I will get to see his work on a regular basis again has me doing back flips.

This book has had new life breathed into it, not just because of the new creative team but also because of their story. The identity of Selina’s baby’s father is the most intriguing of all the mysteries. The obvious choice seems to be Bruce Wayne, especially seeing that Selina has named her daughter Helena, an obvious nod to Earth-2 continuity where Bruce and Selina were married with a daughter named Helena, who became The Huntress. But that seems a little too easy. If I were a betting man I might lay odds on Sam Bradley, the son of detective Slam Bradley, one of Selina’s closest allies. And it sure will be fun to see if the new Catwoman will survive and whether or not Selina can avoid being dragged, probably kicking and screaming, back into her role as the protector of Gotham’s East End. It’s gonna be one hell of a ride, I’ll bet the farm on that one.



Catwoman 53

This was the OYL title I've been most eager for. No surprise, and therefore, no disappointment, as to the new Catwoman's identity. It was nice to see Slam. The cover is more stunning than the previews hinted at. The interior art was nice. Selina grew her hair out. She named the baby Helena, which was pretty cool for some reason. Bruce is still Bruce and no word, naturally, on Helena's daddy, or even why Selina got pregnant, went to term, and is keeping the baby. But, as with Hawkgirl, things happened, story threads were set in motion, and things look to get very interesting. I've been having conflicting feelings re: books getting all new teams vs keeping at least the writer. In this case, I'm glad Pfeifer is staying on. He's got a nice feel for Selina.
Shelly said this @ 9:59 PM
Bop! Bam! Kapow! |2 folks commented


Catwoman 53 Will Pfieffers blog
As heavily predicted, Catwoman, Selina Kyle, gave birth in the One Year Later issue of Catwoman. Her little kitten is a girl named Helena. Bats stops by with an offer of any college tuition, and a bear. Some of the dialogue is 'we need to talk', leaving us with the impression that Bats is daddy or it's a red herring. I've never been a Catwoman fan, but Pfieffer in this series has been very interesting as Selina deals with life changes from mind wipes, identity, and becoming a mom. Oh, and there is a new Catwoman on the Gotham scene.
posted by redlib

Catwoman 53
So, here we are, one year later on the East End of Gotham City (well, and in Downtown Gotham, too). Oh, how things have changed. As everyone already knew, Selina Kyle is no longer Selina Kyle, nor is she Catwoman. She's too busy giving birth to baby Helena (what a coincidence, name-wise). Meanwhile, on the East End, Holly is proving to be not that great of a Catwoman. I mean, she is trying, but it seems her best isn't going all too well. We also get Slam (who's apparently gotten a lot better since last we saw him), Batman shows a soft side towards baby Helena (is he the daddy? We don't know yet ... although the fact that's it's too obvious may make people, including me, think he's not the baby-daddy.), Angle Man is back (and possibly most psychotic than before), and Black Mask is apparently dead. It's a great jumping on issue, although one wonders just how long it is until Selina is back in the suit and Holly's babysitting. We'll see ...
Nifitly yours,
LtFlux

Reviews del CatWoman #54



















http://goodcomics.blogspot.com/2003/04/catwoman-54-review.html

CATWOMAN #54 REVIEW

It’s kinda funny, but I have become so used to the characters in this title that it was not until reading this issue that it occurred to me – “Hey, wait a sec, Catwoman is a lesbian now! How has that not been made into a bigger deal?” IS that still a big deal? I honestly do not know. Do you think there are parents who will flip out if their kid is reading a comic about a lesbian? Oh well, no one’s really brought it up yet, so I guess it isn’t a big deal. That’s nice to hear.

As for the comic itself, Will Pfeifer does a good job on this issue, with basically just one drawback (although I think it’s a fairly decent-sized one) – this reads pretty much exactly like a standard “Friend of a hero becomes the hero when the hero can’t be the hero” storyline. I mean, you could take an issue of Denny O’Neil’s later run on Iron Man (once Tony was no longer a drunk) and easily turn it into an issue of this Catwoman, that’s how “by the books” a lot of the comic book was. However, that’s just plot. Plot-wise, that might be true, but unlike Denny O’Neil’s Iron Man (which I was not a fan of), there is a lot of good character moments that make this issue stand out from the pack.

David Lopez is a pretty good artist (is his inker, Alvaro Lopez, a relative?), and I especially loved (I mean, absolutely LOVED) the little tummy he gave Selina when she is seeing to her baby. Very nice touch. While Lopez is definitely no Pete Woods (who is?), he does a nice job of depicting the emotions on the characters. Occasionally, it seems like he goes a bit TOO far with the emotion, as some characters seem to go a bit into caricature than actual emotion (like when Slam Bradley is surprised, he looks like a cartoon character), but for the most part, it goes over quite well. I especially like how creepy he makes the new villain, the Film Freak. The Film Freak has a pretty good shtick, too. Very Silver Age-esque, but with a modern sensibility (although, when the Film Freak first showed up, I thought I was reading a Brian K. Vaughan comic for a sec, what with the long historical talk about Ed Gein).

The constant “nice touches” throughout the book demonstrate a real understanding of the form by Pfeifer, and it is impressive to see. The irony of the Angle Man deciding to do something “non typical super villain-y,” while, at the same time, being undone by doing something TOTALLY typical super villain-y” was an especially nice touch. The reactions of Holly, the reactions of Karon, the reactions of Slam – all note perfect. Also, any comic where you get to see Wildcat beating up people while his cell phone is ringing deserves some bonus points!

Selina’s situation, too, is handled quite well – as Selina is one of the few people out there who wake up at 3:30 am by their baby’s screaming to think “Hey, this is about the time that I would be going out.”

Also, what a cool Adam Hughes cover!

So I would recommend this comic, with the reservation that the general plot is quite familiar to quite a few readers out there. Oh, and it’s now TWO issues without the baby being kidnapped! Applause!!


http://www.fanboyplanet.com/comics/mc-briansbooksspotlight042606.php

The Fanboy Planet Preview Spotlight 04/26/06
brought to you by Brian's Books of Santa Clara

Each week we look through the upcoming releases to offer our two cents as to what's hot and what's not. You can agree with us or not, but spend your money wisely.

Catwoman #54
writer: Will Pfeifer
artists: David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez

Right now in fandom, Will Pfeifer has a job almost as hard as Josh Dysart's in writing Swamp Thing after Alan Moore. Maybe Ed Brubaker has not yet ascended to Mooreish heights, but he had managed to make Catwoman's slide from bad to good believable.

Then along came Identity Crisis and the idea that Zatanna had altered the minds of many of DC's villains. Brubaker left Catwoman, and Pfeifer got stuck explaining how much of his predecessor's beloved work was just sort of …not true.

Sure, none of it is true. But try telling that to fans.

Just as the repercussions began, it was One Year Later. Selina Kyle, the woman we know as Catwoman, can't deal with the consequences of being mind-controlled, as she's got one main moral concern: her baby daughter Helena. Instead, her sister Holly prowls the night in the leather get-up of Catwoman. Except nobody seems to know that.

You'd think they would. Holly has nowhere near the assurance of Selina, and Pfeifer and his art team make no bones about it. She seems to know a lot in theory about being whatever it is you'd classify Catwoman, but in practice, she tends to come up short.

However, Holly does solve the conflicts before her, just not in the way Selina would. It's sloppy and it's savage, but it may also be injecting life into this title. Unlike many other characters less well-known than Catwoman, her secret identity is less important to the general public than her image.

The two Lopezes play with Selina's image quite well, and that's a strangely daring chance they're taking which should garner some interest. Since she's a new mom, Selina Kyle hasn't shaken the baby fat, and though still drawn attractively, her body has clearly not recovered from birth. Artistically, this book carries a more realistic tone.

Of course, we still don't know exactly what's going on in the wake of Infinite Crisis , so the book raises some important questions. (And probably answers one - is Batman so uptight because he's a virgin? The answer would be no.) Since when have Catwoman and the Huntress been so close that Selina would name the baby after her? Perhaps the continuity waves are still rocking the continuity boat.

If that's the case, the waves also allowed for the resurrection of one of my favorite obscure Bat-villains, the other major reason I'm putting this book in the spotlight. Rethought and updated for the twenty-first century, readers get to meet the Film Freak after too long an absence. Of course, he died the first time he fought Batman, so the absence is understandable.

Yet the Film Freak's time has come again. A perfect fit between the old and new schools of Batman villains, he should be one to watch throughout all the Bat-titles, once we figure out just who's who on which earth.


http://comicsfairplay.blogspot.com/2006/04/pre-read-pick-of-week-catwoman-54.html

Pre-Read Pick of the week: Catwoman 54

Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley .

I have been in love with the Catwoman series since Will Pfeifer took over the writing chores of the book. Each month I hotly anticipate the book when it comes in. This month is no exception.

After the first "One Year Later" issue, I am even more excited then ever. There are so many deep mysteries to solve, and there is an atmosphere that envokes the calm before the storm. Selina's life has changed, and I can hardly wait to see the repercussions.

This issue features David Lopez on art. I was a big fan of his work on Fallen Angel, and enjoyed his work on last month's Catwoman. He makes me think of Gary Frank, but with a twist.

I am betting on the fact that Catwoman will be good before reading it. Anyone else with me?

posted by Heidi Meeley @ 7:03 PM

Catwoman #54: My pre-read favorite this week didn't let me down. The new Catwoman loses it as Selena tries to keep the focus on her new daughter. There are so many great mysteries here, and the art by David Lopez just enhances it. Excellent. A



http://www.comixtreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26940

CATWOMAN #54 REVIEW

Reviewer: Matt DeWoskin mattdew@earthlink.net
Quick Rating: Mediocre
Title: The Replacements, Part Two

Holly finds herself in a jam and she can't call Selina, so she calls an old friend.

Writer: Will Pfeiffer
Artist: David Lopez
Inker: Alvaro Lopez
Letterer: Jared K. Fletcher
Colorist: Jeremy Cox
Editor: Matt Idelson
Cover Art: Adam Hughes
Publisher: DC Comics

REVIEW: This issue is essentially padding. We don't advance the plotline, any of them. We do have a few characters show up and let us in on what they've been up to, but there really isn't much to talk about as far as the story. I thought Pfeiffer was better than this. The father of Selina's baby is supposedly going to be revealed in issue #58. Right now, I'd guess Sam Bradley . It can't be Bruce Wayne , he'd know. I think Slam Bradley is out, just because of where we left him before OYL and where he's ended up. Just a hunch.

This issue starts with a peek into the missing year of the DCU. Selina isn't all bad after all, she breaks into a convience store for a pregnancy test and she leaves money on the counter. The test is positive. Back to OYL, Selina is up late with little Helena . She gets a phone call from Karon .Karon is worried about Holly ,Selena tells her to get used to it. Meanwhile, Angle Man has Holly bound and gagged and he's about to kick her off a rooftop. He announces that he's bound her in her own restraints. She cuts them open with her claws and slaps around Angle Man for a few panels before leaving him bloodied and humiliated. From another rooftop, someone was filming. Holly needs a few words of wisdom and she doesn't want to dial up Selina , so she calls up Wildcat . He's too busy slapping a few hoods around outside a bar to answer. Inside the bar, Slam Bradley is pounding a few. Apparently, the last year hasn't been kind to Slam and he's turned to the bottle. A GCPD detective swings by to ask a few questions about his relationship to Catwoman . Actually, he doesn't really ask questions, he just suggests that Catwoman might be behind Black Mask's murder. Back at Selina's , she turns on the TV to watch a late night movie. The Film Freak is on and he broadcasts the footage of Holly (sans mask) slapping around Angle Man .Angle Man , making his way back to his hideout, gets a call. It's Film Freak , asking if he wants another shot at Catwoman .

So, a whole comic and all that happens is two lame villains may or may not team up. I thought Film Freak was dead, seriously. Either way, not the most entertaining read and I'm still trying to figure out the point of including Wildcat . I'm guessing he'll help Holly with training, but this really wasn't the best spot for his appearance in this story. I also wish we'd get a few more clues about the father. Nothing happened with that plot thread. This was really a very disappointing issue from a story standpoint.

The artwork, however, is a big highlight of this issue and this story arc. The character designs are fairly slick, the action sequences are easy to follow and there isn't an awkward panel in this book. My favorite sequence in this book was the bar sequence. The use of lighting effects is really impressive, it looks like bar lighting and the sequence has a completely different feel from the rest of the book, most of which is outdoors at night or in a dimly lit apartment at night. The way the sequence is laid out is also worth mentioning. The use of closeups just sucked me into the sequence. Adam Hughes also delivers another awesome cover.



http://shellyscomics.blogspot.com/

Catwoman 54

Pfeifer continues to be a more than worthy successor to Brubaker. A lot of territory is covered, tantalizingly unhelpful clues re: Helena's parentage are dropped (my current theory is that Daddy is Sam and he's either missing or dead now, making Slam a granddaddy, which is just too weird). Ted's appearance was slipped in so naturally, it made me smile. Holly showed resourcefulness in getting out of a real jam, and film nut guy looks to be an intriguing villain. And the art is as lovely and suitable to the book as it was last issue. Catwoman and BoP continue to excel OYL and are my fav titles right now.

2006/05/08

¡Ledesma en la tele!

Lo flipo con este tío... se nos va a hacer famoso y todo...
Estaba un poco nervioso al principio, pero luego se soltó.


El sábado en "El Laberinto" español de tve 2 le vi, hablando de la guerra civil.
No soy ningún experto, pero sí que parece un tío bastante riguroso...


Con su pendiente y todo...


Si es que está hecho un chaval, el más joven de la mesa.