2007/10/27

Pasa la vida

Puf... hoy es 27 de Octubre, año 2007.

Para estructurar los recuerdos siempre pienso en momentos que me hayan marcado, y creo que ninguno fue más duro que el de hace quince años, es curioso, la muerte me enseñó a vivir...

En los últimos seis meses han pasado muchas cosas, más importantes o menos importantes, en eso creo que consiste...

El primero fue cuando me vine a Zaragoza (por tercera vez), abrupto y sin avisar... pero bueno, parece que no ha sido tan malo al final.

Pasé el verano bastante encerrado trabajando como nunca en mi cueva, nueva cueva.



He batido mi récord de producción de tebeos, en Agosto se publicaron cuatro tebeos míos en DC, CatWoman, CountDown, el anual de Batman y el segundo recopilatorio de CatWoman.

En Agosto también nacieron Iune y Mai, dos perlitas preciosas que se unen a la familia.

Mi madre cogió una nueva gata.

Septiembre fue más bien tranquilito, pude disfrutar de unos días de relax, diez días de estar tirado por la casa, eso son vacaciones y no irse por ahí a estresarse...

Octubre llegó lleno de cosas, el concierto de los héroes, las visitas de Iván y de Bertxo... el Pilar más salidor que recuerdo...

Y el otro día me enteré de otra muerte Juan Antonio Cebrián, me dejó tocadillo, al fin y al cabo he pasado muchas horas escuchando a este señor, y ya era como un compañero más... Bueno, tendrá a Jiménez del Oso para hacerle compañía. Una tragedia.

Por el lado más positivo, ayer, a las siete y media de la tarde, por fin, tras más de cinco años de trabajo, terminé "Espiral: Taxee!", una alegría y un dolor de cabeza que no os podéis imaginar, lo he hecho muy desordenadamente y he pagado por ello, pero bueno, creo que ha merecido la pena...

Esto es lo que he hecho en seis meses... bueno, un par de cosillas más que me guardo, pero ya es hacer...

¿Qué he hecho en los últimos quince años?

Vivir.

Y el sabor de la vida es muy dulce.

Gracias, Roge.

2007/10/06

Review Batman Annual 26




Batman Annual #26: Head of the Demon
Peter Milligan & David Lopez
CHRIS: This is apparently the “definitive” NEW EARF origin of Ra’s al Ghul, leading into this fall’s “Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul” Bat-event. This has two strikes going against it from the outset: I don’t think anyone wants another big Bat-Event, and Peter Milligan’s got a pretty shaky history on big work-for-hire books (check out his runs on X-Men and Elektra if you don’t believe me; better yet, don’t). On the plus side, it’s a big Bat-Event masterminded by Grant Morrison, who managed to run a tight ship and make the behemoth DC One Million more coherently and enjoyably than it ever should have been, and it’s a Bat-Event written by Morrison, Milligan and Fabian Nicieza, who can all write a good superhero story. Plus, it’s written by Peter Milligan, who missteps aside, also wrote X-Statix, Human Target, Enigma, Shade the Changing Man, and even a series of pretty enjoyable Batman stories for DC back in the early 1990s. If there was any way to make this sort of thing work, DC has put together the proper scenario for this occurrence.

http://www.funnybookbabylon.com/


Batman Annual #26

This is quite possibly the worst Batman story I’ve ever read. So bad, that you would almost have to think it was done on purpose. This is lampoon, pure and simple. If it wasn’t intended as satire, then it only goes to highlight the disassociative mess of a character that Batman has become.

Ra’s Al Ghul comes off as a bad Vampire: The Masquerade character. He won Waterloo! He slept with Napoleon’s woman! He married the only independent woman in Araby! I like Ra’s Al Ghul, but seriously, this was hard to take. I'm also not keen on the idea of Damien, and this did everything to justify why. Which is a shame b/c, I guarantee (sight unseen) he’s a better character than this when Morrison is writing him.

Gaze upon the travesty that is Batman Annual #26: Resurrection Shuffle (which is even a terrible name), written by Peter Milligan and drawn by the brothers Lopez.

”Do very important men look at me while they’re talking?”

Let’s start with this. Isn’t it more suspicious that Batman investigates Wayne interests all the damn time? Two ecologists have gone missing? Isn’t this a better job for Mr. Wayne himself, dressed in something breezy? Or don’t shave, put on a hat and latex scar and go as Matches McGivesacrap, Private Dick. Don’t pretend like you don’t do undercover.

Thanks for the lesson Smarty McKnowstuff.

Batman is exactly that asshole who saw some special on the Discovery Channel last night and can’t wait to drop his new fact on someone at work the next day like they’re the idiot. We all know that Batman is smart, this is just egregious showboating.

And why was he just standing on top of that rock? Just to cut a silouhette in the setting sun. No. For real.

Showoff.

Let it be on record. I hate the Batplane. Hate it. The Batmobile is about alls I can stand when it comes to the extended bat accoutrements. Are you the subtle fear who moves with the night? Or are you a showy playboy who wastes his money on Bat-themed vehicles for all seasons?

”Could you turn off the lights by the Jukebox? I want to skulk to the bathroom.”

Ugh. This is what I’m talking about right here. Batman is standing in the 2x2 square of darkness between the window and the doorway like he’s being stealthful. This is as ridiculous as Batman hiding behind a gumball machine in Heroclix. Just approach the bar, for Christ’s sakes. You’re not scaring anyone. You just look silly.

"I'm sorry, could you differentiate yourself from our other customers who dress up like mammals?"

Okay, so in two panels, we learn that no one in Asswater, Australia knows who Bruce Wayne or Batman are. Are you feeling at least a little stupid, Bruce?

"Nah, mate, I'm saying y'look queer. Get me?"

In case you didn’t already think it was ridiculous to be standing in the middle of a desert expanse in full Bat-gear, here’s Johnny Wirrabara to point it out for you. I usually appreciate when an artist recognizes something silly about what they’ve written. And by drawing attention to it, you can give my suspension of disbelief something to hang its hat on. In this case, it only draws attention to how ludacris this all looks, even in comic book world. If every Aussie is just going to make fun of Batman for wearing his whole kit, then maybe you should've written it differently.

“That? That’s a… that’s a metaphor. A metaphor for how much he'll love him-- and you-- when he gets back to life and all.”

Since when is Talia the idiot broodmare around Al Ghul manor? Talia should be cutting this jerk’s manriki gusari off, letting him know the price of looking at her funny without the initials B.W.

These ninja are the equivalent of #21 and #24 on the Venture Brothers.

Finally, Talia isn’t just wasting her time having babies. She runs the League of Assassins (when Batgirl isn’t --shrug). She’s the only person who gave Ra’s lip on a regular basis. She was on the Board of the Society. She fights Batman. She doesn’t take crap from Mr. White the 11th Hour sycophant.

World’s Greatest Detective, huh? I’m guessing its the guy in all white with the white hair, Bruce.

Is this just a comment that this douchebag holds zero significance to the Al Ghul mythology? You just spent this whole issue telling me the opposite. Seriously, is this supposed to be comedy? Irony? What?

”Should I fluff your nuts for you, sir?”

Ugh, Alfred as droll yes-man? Just… yech.

And note, Batman, nor Bruce Wayne really gave a crap about those ecologists he went to find. He left those hippies facedown in a Lazarus stream. They were just the barest MacGuffin to explain why Batman bothered to fly to Australia in full costume to happen across the badguys.

Worst. Batman. Ever.

http://grebok-sod.livejournal.com/2007/09/02/


Batman Annual #26 by Peter Milligan, David López, and Álvaro López. $3.99, DC.

I imagine this is setting up the new Ra’s al Ghul that Morrison will be writing about in the main title, so we get an origin story with an ambiguous ending. It’s not a bad story, but it lacks Milligan’s flair, so it’s simply a story that needed to be told to lead to other things. Batman heads to Australia to investigate the disappearance of two ecologists who worked for the Wayne Ecological Foundation, while Talia and Damian learn the history of Talia’s father. Batman figures out that there’s an underground Lazarus pit in the area, and he arrives at the scene a bit too late. Ra’s al Ghul’s right-hand man, the White Ghost, has plans for Damian, but they go awry and he ends up in the pit, his fate … unknown! So there’s that.

López, as usual, does a fine job with the art. He draws the action scenes very nicely, and he also has a good eye for features that make each character unique. The story contains some of Milligan’s oddities, like his portrayal of the Duke of Wellington as a whiny coward at the Battle of Waterloo and the weird old guy who was transported to Australia as a prisoner some years before. Of course, I spent six months in Australia and never heard anyone say “fair dinkum,” but I suppose our Aussie readers can say whether people actually use that term! And I like how the Aussies living out on the outback are at the Hewlett place - a reference to Jamie Hewlett, perhaps?

Damian remains a problem, because he’s really a whiner. I mean, he was bad enough when Morrison wrote him, but shouldn’t Talia slap him once or twice? She just puts up with his poor behavior, and I don’t like this Talia. She always seemed stronger than this. Come on, Talia!

It’s not really that necessary of a book. It’s an okay story, but nothing spectacular.

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/08/30/what-i-bought-29-august-2007/


Triple Frown Achievement in Bizarre Dialogue - Batman Annual #26

I know for a fact Peter Milligan is a good writer, so what's up with these cringeworthy exchanges?

"We don't want you skipping to the end!" Huh? She's calling the White Ghost on his confusing (and stilted plot necessitated) actions and he retorts by seriously saying (while wearing a white robe in a cave guarded by ninjas or someshit) that he doesn't want her reading ahead? I think a certain amount of solemnity should be required when one is torchlit. And then their little "embroidery" exchange? It sounds like a student film.

I could say the same about you, you little scamp. Forgivable because it's just the kind of thing an adolescent could think sounds cool but is actually incredibly stupid. Like when I told my mom "Time is money, and you owe me a lot.

""By the look of these droppings the bodies have been here almost two weeks." WHAT?! What droppings?! Are the droppings on the bodies? Are they the droppings of the dead ecologists? There are two dead bodies in a creek, what the shit kinda excretory evidence can he possibly be referencing?

http://geekanerd.blogspot.com/2007/09/panel-discussion-scans-from-this-weeks.html


Batman Annual #26
From: DC Comics
Written by: Peter Milligan
Art: David Lopez & Alvaro Lopez
Reviewed by Tim Janson

I freely admit it…I am a bit of a snob when it comes to comic books. I’ve been reading them for a long time, and I’ve taken the time to learn about the history and heritage of the titles, characters, and stories, of those books that came before I began reading comics. For example, I still think that no writer and artist has ever done a better job on Ra’s Al Ghul than Denny O’ Neil and Neal Adams, who introduced the character back in 1971. He’s always been an enigmatic character…usually an enemy but sometimes an ally to Batman. And unlike most of Batman’s villains, Ra’s isn’t unbalanced, relatively speaking, unless one considers the pursuit of immortality to be unbalance.

Batman Annual #26 advertises itself as featuring the origin of Ra’s Al Ghul, seemingly implying it’s the first time the origin has been told, or perhaps I am just inferring that is the case. His origin had already been told in depth in the Birth of the Demon graphic novel from 1992, again written by Denny O’ Neil. Milligan’s story offers little new information about the villain referred to as the Demon.

The book begins with Ghul’s daughter Talia meeting with a man in hooded robe as she learns that historical documents about her dead father still exist. She is to read these documents to her son Damian so he can learn about his notorious grandfather. Theses segments are told in flashbacks as Ra’s comes to an old man to learn his knowledge. The old man makes Ra’s marry his daughter Sora as payment for his teachings. Ra’s will uncover the mystical equations that the old man was working on that will eventually lead to his discovery of the Lazarus pit, the secret to his immortality. This is all basically covered in Birth of the Demon. We do get to see that Ra’s was involved in the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, however. This is where we meet Ghul’s confidant and servant referred to as the White Ghost.

The White Ghost is the man in the hooded robes and he is preparing the Lazarus pit for Ghul’s resurrection. Damian needs to learn all about his grandfather because he will be confused when he is born and only a male of his own blood can help Ghul recover his memory….right….I think we’re all seeing where this not too clever plot is going.

Oh yes, although it seems almost an afterthought, Batman does appear in his own annual although he’s resigned to a supporting role, traveling to Australia to help locate a couple of missing ecologists who work for the Wayne Foundation. Batman’s appearance in Australia, and the lair of the White Ghost and the Lazarus Pit are all a bit too convenient and Batman has little to do in the story until the last few pages. Ra’s Al Ghul is set to return to life this Fall but unfortunately this Annual was a bit of a clumsy and contrived attempt at setting the table for that storyline. On the plus side, the art of David and Alvaro Lopez was very good and keeps the book readable. Great cover, too, by Brian Stelfreeze.

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=127806


07. Batman: Annual #26 (05)
Peter Milligan (W), David Lopez (A), Brian Stelfreeze (C)
Well, this was…interesting. I think it is great that Ra’s Al Ghul is making a comeback and I think that using Damian as a proposed host (finally, a use for the character that isn’t going to bore me), with Talia and Batman both at odd’s with the “deceased” villains lackeys is a good way to jumpstart the storyline. Unfortunately, this issue was entirely too long and the “coincidence” of Batman finding a Lazarus stream at the exact same time that the White Ghost’s plot was unfolding was a little hard to swallow for me. The art by David and Alvaro Lopez was good, but it doesn’t live up to their work on Catwoman. If you are a diehard Ra’s fan, I’d recommend this one, otherwise I think you’d be fine giving this one a pass.

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=127374


Batman Annual #26
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by David Lopez
Rating: Check It
Dan's Review: Batman Annual #26 uses a rather pedestrian murder mystery as a backdrop for the retelling of Ra's Al Ghul's origin story, as told by Talia to her and Batman's son, Damien. If you're looking for a riveting and near-masterful version of the origin of the Demon's Head, then I suggest you pick up Birth of the Demon, written by Ra's Al Ghul creator Denny O'Neil and beautifully painted by Norm Breyfogle. This annual serves as merely a brief summary of that work, sort of like C.B. Cebulski's "Album" retellings of Marvel books like Runaways and Astonishing X-Men, among others. Writer Peter Milligan does introduce a few inspired gems to the Ra's Al Ghul mythos, such as the introduction of Ras' longtime aid and mystic, the White Ghost, and the revelation that Ra's' Uncle stole his life's memoirs and sold them under the pseudonym H.G. Wells, but these brief additions are few and far between. Milligan also sets in motion the events that will eventually lead to the resurrection of arguably Batman's greatest foe, which is one - and probably the only - reason this book will serve as a must have for diehard Batman and Ra's Al Ghul fans like myself.

Regular Catwoman artist David Lopez handles the art, and while I've regularly applauded his clean and straightforward artwork in the pages of that series, Lopez' style doesn't seem to fit the tone of a Ra's Al Ghul story. Still the artwork is far from a weakness, and I suspect that my love for Norm Breyfogle's stunning painted work in Birth of the Demon (and throughout his run as penciller on Detective Comics and Batman, in general) was the perfect match for a tale detailing the rise of the greatest eco-terrorist and global tyrant that ever lived (albeit over and over again). The most disappointing aspect of the issue is the rather anticlimactic finish, which leaves more than a few questioned unanswered, threads that will undoubtedly be picked up on in the upcoming Return of Ra's Al Ghul crossover event throughout the Bat-books.

If there's one reason this annual is absolutely necessary, it's to send both new and old Batman fans digging back to discover - and rediscover - O'Neil and Breyfogle's classic from the early nineties. Other than that, you can count this book as a starting point - issue #0, if you will - to the upcoming Batman event.

http://comics.ign.com/articles/816/816891p2.html


REVIEW: Batman annual 26
"Is Ra's Al Ghul immortal? Are his methods supernatural?" Deze oneliner uit de film 'Batman Begins' vat eigenlijk perfect samen waar deze annual over gaat.

DC loopt er langer dan vandaag mee te koop dat het aartsvijand Ra's Al Ghul weer wil doen terugkeren, nadat hij in 'Death of the maidens' aan zijn einde was gekomen. Natuurlijk gebeurt het in comics wel vaker dat personages niet dood blijven, maar in het geval van Ra's is het nog aanvaardbaar. Zijn verhalen hebben altijd al over het omzeilen van de dood gegaan. Dit keer zal het verhaal dus wat overtuigender zijn dan de vreselijke terugkeer van Jason Todd.

Het verhaal van de echte terugkeer van Ra's begint in 'Batman 670', maar deze 26e annual werkt eigenlijk als een opstapje naar dat verhaal. Bovendien wordt de origin van Ra's nog eens uit de doeken gedaan. De reclame voor deze comic dat die origin nu voor het eerst wordt verteld, klopt van geen kanten. Schrijver Dennis O'Neil schreef begin jaren '90 de origin al eens neer in het prachtige 'Birth of the Demon' met knap artwork van Norm Breyfogle.

Gelukkig spreekt het verhaal in deze annual dat meesterwerk van O'Neil niet tegen. Integendeel, schrijver Peter Milligan vat het eigenlijk mooi samen én verwerkt er recente gebeurtenissen in. Zo worden Damian en Ra's dochter Talia opgevoerd, en klaargestoomd voor de aankomende crossover. De plot werkt op zich dus wel aardig, en de personages zijn ook vrij goed geschreven. Zo wordt Talia eindelijk wat meer dan de volgzame slaaf van haar vader, en zien we dan Damian nog steeds de etter is zoals Grant Morrisson hem introduceerde in 'Batman and son'. Jammer genoeg is het schrijfwerk niet over de hele lijn even sterk. Met name de dialogen zijn behoorlijk zwak en knullig. Hier en daar was beter een tekstkader gebruikt, in plaats van de personages zelf te laten zeggen wat er gebeurt. Dat is namelijk nogal retro en ... tja ... knullig.

Het artwork is van de hand van David en Alvaro Lopez. Deze twee broertjes zijn tegenwoordig ook de vaste tekenaars van 'Catwoman'. Hun tekenwerk is helder, maar mist helaas sfeer en persoonlijkheid. Het blijft allemaal een beetje oppervlakkig en kan de lezer niet doen opgaan in het verhaal. Er zitten trouwens nogal wat harde, donkere en mysterieuze scènes in deze comic, maar die missen eigenlijk elke keer hun effect door de té brave tekeningen.

Deze annual is dus absoluut geen must. Alleen wie de origin van Ra's Al Ghul nog eens wil herlezen kan met deze comic aan zijn trekken komen. Al is het in dat geval echt wel beter 'Birth of the Demon' te lezen, maar die is helaas zeer moeilijk te vinden.

Nog een vreemd detail: DC kondigt deze comic al maanden aan met een 'exclusieve cover' van Tim Sale, maar uiteindelijk is het een geschilderde cover geworden van Brian Stelfreeze (bekend van de covers van 'Shadow of the Bat') die trouwens sterk doet denken aan de cover van 'Birth of the Demon'.

2,5/5
01-09-2007, 18:58:59

http://the-batcave.skynetblogs.be/post/4928670/review-batman-annual-26


Man, Batman's only been around 26 years? Seems longer.

Batman Annual #26: What we have here is a warm-up book, designed to get the reader ready for bigger, related stuff down the road. Sometimes it seems a lot of superhero books do this constantly on a grand scale, but this one’s more specific - it serves to give the reader a quick refresher on the highlights of Ra's al Ghul's origin, since the villain will soon be headlining a two-month Bat-crossover. It's not so much a prologue as the stuff some other author might tell you about in the Forward, but I suppose it wraps itself into an Annual neatly enough.

I suspect it’ll work better the more you already know about the villain; jumping around events and highlights in the character's history, writer Peter Milligan (in straightforward superhero mode) doesn't manage to convey much of the tragic sweep it’s apparently poised to suggest, although enough facts get out to keep things comprehensible. These exploits are being recounted to dear lil' heir Damian by mother Talia, at the behest of the White Ghost, a director of the Demon who has a nasty plan in mind. Meanwhile, Batman wanders around the Australian outback investigating some disappearances, and amusingly fails to grasp much of the larger plot swirling around. David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez provide efficient art. Nothing much is resolved. Hey: crossover coming.

There are some fun details, though. Milligan characterizes the White Ghost as a sort of ultimate Ra's al Ghul fanboy, so determined to carry on his hero’s story that he’s possibly moving into the realm of fanfiction. Combine that with Damian’s near-total disinterest in old grandpa stories -- a life-saving instinct, it turns out -- and you’ve got a strangely conflicted subtext at work. It doesn’t make this more than OKAY, but it adds needed spice to the summary.

Labels: Jog

http://savagecritic.com/2007/09/jog-reviews-829-batman-comic-jog.html


Batman Annual #26

Posted: Tuesday, September 4
By: Bryant Frattalone
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Writer: Peter Milligan
Artist9s): David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez

Publisher: DC Comics

Plot: Batman investigates a case of two of his employees missing in action in the Australian Outback. In the process he discovers a mystery around the unusual longevity being given to the local flora and fauna. All signs point to the possible resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul.

Commentary: I picked up this annual with anticipation. To me killing off Ra’s Al Ghul was a mistake and rectifying it would be a good thing. DC has tried to replace Ra’s with a spurned female version in recent years but no one else can match the presence and threat that Ra’s himself is. The cover is great with omens of greatness yet to come. The annual does feel a bit rushed in its execution. It’s odd to me that Morrison didn’t write it. All the more reason for me to believe it was rushed to coincide with Morrison’s own run on the core Batman book. Another thing is that the art is kind of simple and sketchy though competent.

Milligan and Lopez do manage to tell the story in acceptable fashion here. I was a bit concerned that Milligan was the writer on this considering the twisted debacle he made of a certain X-team of marvelous origin. Nonetheless Milligan has written some solid stuff in the past and does so again here. He gives us a Batman that hearkens back to the days when Ra’s was first introduced. By and large in this story he is, “The Detective.” This is how Ra’s always preferred to address him and so the emphasis on this aspect of Batman is fitting. Batman’s skills of deduction are highlighted here to good effect. Some might say the fact that Batman doesn’t suspect the physical, literal resurrection of Ra’s as the ultimate end to what is happening is a mistake on Milligan and DC’s part. It is well established by now that Talia and Damian are determined to be heirs to Ra’s empire and so it is reasonable Batman would suspect their involvement and not suspect an attempt to resurrect Al Ghul. Furthermore Batman most likely considers the utter destruction of the Lazarus Pits the final nail in Ra’s coffin and so his resurrection seems very unlikely.

Milligan also gives us a bit of globe-trotting adventure which works so well in a Ra’s story. What is a bit of a problem here is the introduction of a heretofore unknown character from Ra’s history, The White Ghost. First of all, it’s a rather obvious name for an albino character. If he is supposed to be shadowing and maneuvering from the background why should his name be such a dead giveaway of his normal appearance? The introduction of characters like this almost always seems like lazy writing to me. They did it in Spiderman 3 with the introduction of the butler who told Harry Spiderman didn’t kill his father. We never saw this butler lurking in the background in the other films. They just needed a means to let Harry know the truth and so contrived one. Here, The White Ghost almost seems like that kind of contrivance but, a better contrivance than most resurrection vehicles in comics. So, if it brings back Ra’s I’m willing to be forgiving.

Milligan’s writing of Talia and Damian is well done. Ultimately Talia is a mother who loves her son and has suffered enough pain in the past not to allow him to be sacrificed on the altar of her father’s resurrection. It adds depth to the character; the fact that she can recognize what is about to happen and forestall it through she and Damian’s martial prowess was a nice touch. A slight problem is that Bruce seems to dismiss the White Ghost as quickly as he found out about him. Even though Bruce suspects the resurrection of Ra’s is a product of the White Ghost’s madness I don’t think Batman would leave this stone unturned without an investigation into the White Ghost’s background. Since the next issue of Morrison’s Batman is called “Lazarus Rising” I suspect in some way this slightly out of character ending will be rectified. I look forward to how Morrison picks up the potential return of Ra’s and runs with it from here.

Final Word: All in all a solid story with some slight contrivances which set us up for some more interesting developments in the core Batman title.

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/reviews/118893220672270.htm


Batman Annual #26

Posted: Saturday, September 1
By: Ray Tate
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Writer: Peter Milligan
Artists: David Lopez(p), Alvaro Lopez(i), Trish Mulvihill(c)
Publisher: DC

In searching The Phantom of the Attic for books to add to my meager two issues, I considered The Batman Annual. Peter Milligan wrote a spectacular short run of stories in Batman long before No Man's Land marked the moment where all sensibility went screaming out the window. David Lopez handled some issues of Fallen Angel, when it was still part of DC, and his artwork if anything looked even better that I remembered.

Surprisingly, I really didn't expect to like The Batman Annual. I've been so divorced from Batman and his world that most Batman stories no longer make any sense to me and don't make my heart beat faster. While I'm mostly enjoying Dini's run on Detective Comics, it more often feels like an echo of the animated series I'm trying to recapture, and usually when he co-mingles continuity into the mix, the exercise just deadens me more.

Another strike against The Batman Annual was that it appeared to be relating the secret origin of Ra's Al Ghul. On the whole, I just don't care that much about villains. I'm in comic book fandom for the heroes, but Milligan pulls it off. The Batman Annual isn't just a great story. It's not just a great detective story. It's a great Batman story.

Milligan's Batman is the Batman I remember. He travels to the Outback to investigate the disappearance of two scientists in the employ of Wayne Enterprises. Batman cares. Batman looks after his employees.

He meets up with Ms. McMurphy, another ecologist, and treats her with respect. Batman isn't a sexist pig. He's polite. He recognizes Ms. McMurphy's intelligence and her experience in dealing with the deadly Australian landscape. He discerns clues from her knowledge and combines that knowledge with his own.

Batman's pursuit of the missing scientists takes him to an old mining town. There he intimidates a real battle-axe and some uncooperative coots. Batman is a figure of fear. He can at one moment look like a man in a costume, but he can also blend with the shadows and use his white slits to pull the truth from you. Fear tidies the mind considerably, and Batman instills fear to jar the answers out of people.

Batman follows the clues. Batman is "the world's greatest detective," and he pieces together the answer to what appears to be a simple puzzle that is in actuality tied into Ra's Al Ghul's possible rebirth. This is Batman.

Milligan does not just throw together a Ra's Al Ghul story. He takes Ra's Al Ghul through history. We see time's personages mingle with Ra's, and we see his impact on a recognizable history. This isn't about Al Ghul's influence on the all-new Atom's foray into an Elizabethan Age overrun by Monitors. This is about Ra's colliding with real people from the past, such as H.G. Welles.

Milligan juxtaposes Ra's effect on real history with Batman's contemporary interference in his long-reaching plans. These plans involve Talia, who is depicted as almost sane, and Damien, Batman's and Talia's son from Son of the Demon, as well as a new character who appears to be Elric's brother. Elric you may remember is an incarnation of Moorcock's Eternal Champion. This character, also an albino, is the eternal champion of Ra's Al Ghul.

Batman's hunt for the truth forces him to contend against the League of Assassins, and upon reading these scenes, I almost wept. Too often, writers depict Batman as a mere bruiser or a skillful boxer. Batman is bar none the best martial artist on the planet. In The Batman Annual we see that prowess. Milligan treats the so-called Society of Shadows as mere annoyances to Batman. The Dark Knight dispatches these ninja rejects with ease, and that my friends, is how it should be.

The ending of The Batman Annual recalls Batman's very first appearance in "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate," and Milligan's story spans all the facets that make Batman so fascinating. His cases often involved pulpy science fiction or the occult. Batman must think beyond the mere improbable. He often must consider what would normally be impossible and imagine how what was once thought of as impossible may become possible. This is what makes him the ultimate detective. His humanity arises in the reason why he is the ultimate detective. He hopes that his ratiocinative abilities will save lives and make the world a better place. For this, he is in addition a super-hero but as well a vigilante who works in the shadows to solve the cases that are beyond the ken of police.

Milligan's Batman Annual is quintessential Batman, but the Lopezes are not considered quintessential Batman artists. They damn well should be. David Lopez's Batman is scaled tall and sinewy. He moves quickly, furtively and purposefully. He fights like he's about twenty steps ahead of his opponent, and he can merge with the shadows one moment and issue classical heroism the next. Lopez roars an old Batman friend through the sky, and his illustrations of the regular folk Batman meets on his journey and Ra's Al Ghul's quest for world dominance are perfectly constructed, even when the anatomy leans toward corpulence or age. The historical figures are suitably elegant at times as well as mortal. Lopez gives several well-known heroes feet of clay, and meeting the needs of Milligan's script, real heroes are made by the results of their deeds not their airs.

Lopez's pencils enjoy a rich luster from Alvaro Lopez's lush inks. They make Batman's cape and cowl look leathery, but it's soft leather that flows from his shoulders and looks comfortable. Trish Mulvihill's colors exquisitely bake the Outback, green the forests and add an eerie glow to the Lazarus Pit.

While DC, surprise, surprise, did not hype The Batman Annual, Batman fans must not miss this book. I want Peter Milligan, the Lopezes and Mulvihill back on a Batman book right now.

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/reviews/118870069970435.htm


Batman Annual #26
Review: Nick Marino Date: Sep 02, 2007

I don’t know where to place this annual tale by writer Peter Milligan in the general scheme of things. Is it happening now? Did it already happen? I feel like it takes place in the past, prior to Grant Morrison’s introduction of Damian Wayne. I must admit that I’ve read only a couple of Morrison’s Batman issues. But considering this is an origin story, the present time isn’t that important. It’s more important to recognize how Ra’s Al Ghul himself spans many time periods, as seen in the flashbacks that explain his earlier years. It’s an okay origin; not very inventive in my opinion. In fact, I see no reason for Ra’s to have such a mundane foundation of character as witnessed in this issue. Why not take a few chances and make his start rather exceptional? Instead, he’s a man that winds up in a loveless marriage that eventually tugs at his heartstrings as he’s already begun his descent into his more familiar villainous persona. It’s the research of his father-in-law that sparks the flame Ra’s has for eternal life. After a few unimaginative tragedies he has enough bitterness in his life to warrant his moral decline into a mercenary opportunist.

While we witness Ra’s slash his way through history, we watch Batman in Australia on the trail of Ra’s in the now. But he’s chasing ghosts, quite literally. Ra’s trusted aide – the White Ghost – is the closest the Dark Knight gets to his immortal antagonist. But hidden within the flashbacks and Batman action is some character development for both Damian and his mother, Talia. As they recount the history of Damian’s grandfather piece by piece, they also formulate a plan in secret. In fact, the plan is so secret that we don’t know they had one until the end. The White Ghost fails to transfer Ra’s into the body of his grandson and the mother-son team split before Batman confronts the White Ghost at the Australian Lazarus Pit.

The art is clean and unique. At first, I found it reminiscent of Paul Smith’s early 80s work on Uncanny X-Men. Even when it’s busy, the pages look a bit sparse – in a good way, I might add. Penciler David Lopez has excellent command of negative space, using it to create an amazing tension between the shadows and the lack thereof. If you could imagine a collision between the techniques of Frank Quitely, Paul Gulacy, and Paul Smith, that would give you a good idea of Lopez’s strengths. Alvaro Lopez inks over David with a strong line that catches the varied thicknesses and nuances of the pencil work very well. The colors of Trish Mulvihill are decent, exceeding especially well when working in shades of brown, purple, and yellow. Phil Balsman’s restrained letters match the art, blending the dialogue into the images with success.

This issue really managed to save itself. I had my first few lines all picked out. The review would have read something like this: “I really don’t think Ra’s Al Ghul is a solid antagonist for Batman. And this annual tale does nothing to change that opinion.” And truth to be told, I still don’t care much for the character of Ra’s Al Ghul. But I find the concept of the Lazarus Pits and those who would exploit them to be wonderful adversaries for a mortal man that loves to play invincible by means of technology and determination (that’s Batman I’m referring to incase you had some trouble following my line of thought). In this issue’s exploration of how the Lazarus Pits are almost their own sly and silent yet not unseen enemy, this story is a success.

http://comicnewsi.com/reviews.php?catid=253&itemid=10318


Batman Annual #26 - I'd probably have more critique if I'd had my Birth of the Demon handy, but I didn't. That said, I didn't find anything really wrong with this origin of my favorite character. It filled in gaps and fleshed some things out. I dig Milligan and he didn't mess up my favorite character. And how great are Lopez and Lopez? They've been working on Catwoman since OYL and managed to do this annual without missing an issue.

This was fine in a wholly throwaway but still entertaining sort of way. Would've liked to see Milligan cut loose with it though.

http://comicsnexus.insidepulse.com/article_v3.php?contentid=70263&rssZone=1


BATMAN ANNUAL #26: Pretty much scene-setting for the upcoming Batbooks crossover next month, I'm not sure how true the cover blurb ("The origin of Ra's Al Ghul") really is - we see parts of his past, sure, but I don't really feel as if I've learned that much more about his motivations or exactly how he went from idealist to psychopath... Cutting to Talia explaining that his wife got killed and that "darkened his soul" doesn't really do the job for me. Again, Peter Milligan playing it straight is curiously unsatisfying - he doesn't really hit the petulant child mark for Damian, surprisingly - but David Lopez's art is nicer than his recent Countdown efforts. Okay, overall.

http://savagecritic.com/2007/09/surrounded-by-me-and-my-gang-your-life.html


JUN070164 BATMAN ANNUAL #26: HEAD OF THE DEMON
DC Comics $3.99

Peter Milligan kicks off the return of Ra’s al Ghul with his origin retelling in “Head of the Demon”. David Lopez illustrates, and it will be nice to see him drawing something other than that awful CATWOMAN book.

http://www.popimage.com/content/viewnews.cgi?newsid1188352476,72969,


Batman Annual #26 Head of the Demon
Adan: I really hate that Damian “Son of the Bat” kid.
It just doesn’t matter what he’s doing, what time period he’s in, or who he’s written by, that kid is just bad news. Every time he shows up, you know you’re in for a subpar issue. And boy was this is ever subpar. Every plot twist is telegraphed about five pages before the “reveal” and the jumps back and forth in time are muddled and confusing. This is touted as the “Origin of Ra’s al-Ghul,” but we learn very little of consequence. So he fought in Waterloo against Napoleon. Who gives a damn? So he was in Whitechapel while Jack the Ripper was doing his thing. Oooh, spooky. None of this matters to the character of Ra’s. In fact, all this “origin” story really does is introduce the documents that contain Ra’s “origin” story. It’s a sort of self-perpetuating MacGuffin that does an awful job of motivating anybody to do anything. And hey, another albino bad guy. Way to be original. What happened to you, Milligan? You used to be awesome. You know what, I’m gonna say editorial got in your way, and fucked you on this. This can’t possibly be your fault.

And why is nobody all that afraid of Batman in the Outback? Why’s he even out there as Batman? You’re a little out of your jurisdiction, mate.
At least the art’s pretty cool. David and Alvaro Lopez have a style reminiscent of Darwyn Cooke body types with Gary Frank faces. Regardless, they do share the blame for timejumps as their transitions could have used work (but I did like the panel borders differentiating past from present).
You know, maybe it’s nobody’s fault that this issue sucked.
Maybe it’s just Damian.

http://www.popcultureshock.com/pcs/columns/


Batman Annual #26

I was really happy to see Team Lopez doing the art on this book. Those guys draw a nice Batman.

Alright, do we need another Ra's Al Ghul origin comic? Maybe not, but it doesn't hurt. And this was entertaining, nice-looking, and will bring new readers up-to-speed. I know some hardcore fans don't like updated versions of stories that were don't right the first time, but it is important to consider new readers. I'm just sayin'. The real challenge of re-telling an origin story is to make it both informative for newbies, and interesting for long-time fans. I liked reading this, and I definitely liked looking at it. Plus it's not a bad idea to incorporate Damian into the re-telling of Al Ghul's origin. It's a good comic. I've got no complaints.

Incredible Change-Bots by Jeffrey Brown

http://livingbetweenwednesdays.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html

Review Batman Annual 26

Review CatWoman #71



Catwoman # 71 Review

Posted by EvilOmar on September 21, 2007 1:13 PM
Author: Will Pfeifer
Penciler: David Lopez
Inker: Alvaro Lopez
Cover: Adam Hughes

It's the beginning of a new story arc for Catwoman and it's been a long time since I reviewed a Catwoman book, I believe OYL was the last issue I reviewed. It peaked my interest if this title was still going on after Dan thought it was cancelled. I haven't read the book for almost a year, but I went back and re-read all the books in that gap. All I have to say is how is it possible the same writere is responsible for the last great years of Catwoman sotries also be responsible for the horrible Amazons Attack mini?

If only all the DC titles had managed to sustaing the same One Year Later storytelling momentum like Catwoman did. With the exceptioin of Aquaman, I can't think of another character being effected so long and drastic as Cawoman has. Selina is trying to keep a balance between being a mother and having to don the Catwoman outfit knowing it could endager the life of her child. There is a wonderful moment with Selina and Bruce/Batman which really reminded me of how much I missed their relationship they had back in Hush. A perfect understanding of how much Batman has changed since Infinite Crisis is show in one great panel of Bruce holding Helena. She wants to destroy the persona of Catwoman, even if it means destryoing her old life and going into hiding leaving her child without a mother.

I love the way that Pfeifer shows the moral complexity of Selena Kyle. He's got me wondering if she will actually give up the mantle and I worrying about the future of her little girl. David Lopez's art is always a joy to see, though his proportions on his facial expressions shift a bit throughout the issue. His backgrounds are truly amazing, if comics didn't work for him the guy could be an architect. It's really amazing to see this relationship between mother and daughter grow and to see the lengths that Selina is willing to go for Helena. A-

http://aboutheroes.com/content/2007/09/catwoman_71_review.php


Honking Horseman
joined: Jul 2005
Location: Bahamut's Lair
Posts: 2,706

Catwoman #71 Spoilers & Discussion
Another cool issue by Pfeifer, Lopez and Lopez. Again solid art and story telling from the team, I'm particularly liking Lopez's depiction of Batman.

This issue carries on the story of Selina trying to find the right way to keep her child safe. The issue starts with a nightmare Selina has in which all her foes are taking turns holding Helena. After waking she calls Bruce and asks him to 'swing by'. Bruce and Selina get a nice scene together with Bruce looking in on and then holding Helena which was really nice

Selina wants a new start for herself and Helena and asks Bruce if he can help 'kill' them both. Bruce agrees and complies by becoming a mad costumed terrorist for an afternoon, during which he takes Selina and Helena hostage in the middle of a busy street. The terrorist's explosives go off too soon and the onlookers are shocked to see the madman and his two victims dissapear in a huge explosion.

That evening Irina and Helena Dubrovna's deaths are reported on the news and Selina, now staying at Wayne Manor, asks Bruce to do 'one more thing'.

I imagine that the other thing Selina wants Bruce to do is help with Helena's adoption. Even though the big One Year Later change of Selina's pregnancy is kind of being 'undone' it's interesting to see her in this period of transistion. Selina explaning to Batman how her friends are slowy moving away (on a great page layout!) was cool and I'm wondering how much that has to do with her future return to being a thief. Zatanna's appearance next issue and the hype of Selina Kyle saying a 'painful, final goodbye' (to Helena?) and 'Catwoman's return to Villainy' makes me hope they don't sweep certain things away with a mindwipe or similar.

I still wonder how long her new 'villainy' will last and how that will mesh with her appearances in the new Outsiders team.

http://www.comicbloc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1169230


13. Catwoman #71 (12)
Will Pfeifer (W), David Lopez (A), Adam Hughes (C)
I think I would like this issue a lot more if I didn’t feel like DC is getting ready to push the reset button on Catwoman’s One Year Later changes (which, thus far, have been the longest lasting and most drastic changes that any DC book, except Aquaman, faced). While I can see how Helena limits the type of stories that can be told with Catwoman, I’d rather see Pfeifer push for more creative ways to use the addition instead of writing her out of the book after just over a year. That being said, I really liked the interaction between Batman and Catwoman, which reminded me a lot of their relationship in Hush (which I loved). David Lopez’s art is as enjoyable as ever, though his proportions shift a bit throughout the issue. Still, it’s a nice story that shows the lengths that Selina is willing to go for Helena, but I’m not sure I’m fond of the direction that the book is heading into.

http://www.comicbloc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1169427


Catwoman #71
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by David Lopez
Rating: Must Read
Dan's Review: I don't think I'll ever understand just how in the world the same writer responsible for the past few wonderful years of Catwoman was also behind the endlessly dreadful Amazons Attack miniseries. The truth of the matter is, writer Will Pfeifer's Catwoman is (and has been since the day Pfeifer took over the book) as delightful as Amazons Attack was painful. Consider this: Catwoman was the one and only series that survived Amazons Attack's insidious touch and actually managed to tell a compelling Amazons tie-in story. Pfeifer managed to pull off that seemingly impossible feat the same way he managed to make Catwoman the one and only title to sustain the storytelling momentum created by DC's failed line-wide "One Year Later" jump -- by continuing to focus on Selina Kyle's struggle to balance her identity as Catwoman with her new life as a mother. Thanks to Pfeifer's ongoing, pitch-perfect examination of the rich and morally complex character that is Selina Kyle, DC's decision to make Catwoman the mother of a one-year old girl has turned out to be a huge success - at least in this critic's eyes. Pfeifer hasn't really hit a single false note when developing this new aspect of Selina's character, coming up with endlessly inventive ways to provide a believable reason why Selina must don her Catwoman outfit even though she is fully aware that doing so will endanger her child.

Thankfully, Pfeifer uses this issue to at least temporarily lay to rest the device of putting young Helena in harm's way, and it's a testament to the writer's skill and timing that he does so at the precise moment this storytelling angle was beginning to grow old. It's also a real treat to watch the writer examine the complex and loving relationship between Catwoman and Batman, and I'd go so far as to say that this issue does more for the new and improved, kinder Bruce Wayne than any other writer - Paul Dini and Grant Morrison included - has managed thus far. As far as character driven, one-and-done issues go, you're not going to find a much better issue than this installment of Catwoman, and judging from its conclusion, it looks like Pfeifer has plenty more of these fantastic character pieces in store for the future. For the thousandth time - get on board Catwoman if you want to read a DC book done right.
Jesse's Take: Catwoman is a book I've enjoyed off and on since the One Year Later revamp. I managed to avoid nearly everything Amazons Attack-related, so I have no particularly ill feeling towards Will Pfeifer. It's fascinating to see how the birth of a baby can so dramatically impact a character's life.

Selena Kyle is a woman who spent much of her adult life leaping across rooftops and clashing with Batman. Heck, she started out her career as a prostitute if you believe Frank Miller's comics (not generally advisable anymore). This issue in particular is an example of how older age and motherhood have mellowed this femme fatale out. It's also supremely satisfying to see Pfeifer portraying the happier, more pleasant Batman we were supposed to be getting One Year Later. Most of DC's books seems to have lost that memo. Selena seems poised to hang up the Catwoman mantle forever, and Bruce is just the person to help her destroy her old life and go into hiding. Pfeifer left me wondering what direction Selena will head in. Will she actually give up the mantle? Wil her baby wind up motherless? I want to know, and I want to know now!

Jesse's Rating: Must Read

http://comics.ign.com/articles/821/821006p1.html


Catwoman 71
A not unpredictable fake her and Helena's death for Selina (guess that's another spoiler), not unlike the recent faked death of Sin in the Black Canary mini, but here, Selina instigated it and there Dinah was kept in the dark. But if anyone hadn't guessed before the reveal that the nutjob with the bomb was Batman acting on Selina's request, I think you might be working with a more befuddled brain than I do most times. Because it was obvious to me. And almost as obvious, I fear and hope I'm wrong, is that Selina is going to give up Helena. BTW, while the art is nice, as usual, just how many teeth do David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez think toddlers have, anyway? On the next to last page, Helena seems to have almost a full set.

http://shellyscomics.blogspot.com/2007/09/quite-haul.html


CATWOMAN #71 Written by Will Pfeifer. Illustrated by David Lopez & Alvaro Lopez. Cover by Adam Hughes. This title delivers month after month with one of the most solid creative teams in comics right now, and with the added bonus of covers by Adam Hughes. Things have been slowly building towards a significant change for Catwoman for some time now, and you should check this one out as the climax nears.

http://www.elfsar.com/Elfbytes%20Articles/July_2007.htm


Catwoman #71 – Will Pfeifer and David and Alvaro Lopez have made this one of the most consistent well done series at DC. Every issue moves the story forward and continues to bring you back for more. The official hype for this issue “Selina Kyle has to say goodbye to the most important person in her life! And when all that was caring in Selina is gone, Catwoman will be at her most unexpected, her most unpredictable and her most dangerous!”

http://comicsand.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-im-getting-wednesday_17.html


CATWOMAN #71 REVIEW
Reviewer: Terry Verticchio terryvert@hotmail.com
Quick rating: Very good
Title: Mother’s Day—Part One

Can Selina remain being Catwoman and still be a mother?

Writer: Will Pfeifer
Pencils: David Lopez
Inks: Alvaro Lopez
Colours: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Cover artist: Adam Hughes
Editor: Nachie Castro
Publisher: DC Comics

Selina is having bad dreams. They involve all of the nasty freaks and villains she’s run across in her time as Catwoman and her daughter, Helena. It seems these people can’t keep their hands off the baby and Selina is powerless to stop them. So she decides that to ensure her dreams don’t become a reality there has to be big changes in her life and those changes involve Batman in no small degree.

This is more a epilogue to what’s happened to Selina since she’s had her baby, rather than a beginning of another story arc. I especially like the interaction between Selina and Bruce in this issue. Will Pfeifer makes their relationship real and profound. Both characters have a love and respect for one another. And Bruce’s solution to her problems is a treat to behold.

The art is good. The lines are clean and the figures bold. There isn’t much in the way of action, but the art remains well rendered.

Catwoman is one of those nice little niche books that remains consistent month after month, with believable characterisation and great stories.

http://www.comixtreme.com/forums/showthread.php?p=526558


Catwoman #71 Spoilers & Discussion
Another cool issue by Pfeifer, Lopez and Lopez. Again solid art and story telling from the team, I'm particularly liking Lopez's depiction of Batman.

This issue carries on the story of Selina trying to find the right way to keep her child safe. The issue starts with a nightmare Selina has in which all her foes are taking turns holding Helena. After waking she calls Bruce and asks him to 'swing by'. Bruce and Selina get a nice scene together with Bruce looking in on and then holding Helena which was really nice

Selina wants a new start for herself and Helena and asks Bruce if he can help 'kill' them both. Bruce agrees and complies by becoming a mad costumed terrorist for an afternoon, during which he takes Selina and Helena hostage in the middle of a busy street. The terrorist's explosives go off too soon and the onlookers are shocked to see the madman and his two victims dissapear in a huge explosion.

That evening Irina and Helena Dubrovna's deaths are reported on the news and Selina, now staying at Wayne Manor, asks Bruce to do 'one more thing'.

I imagine that the other thing Selina wants Bruce to do is help with Helena's adoption. Even though the big One Year Later change of Selina's pregnancy is kind of being 'undone' it's interesting to see her in this period of transistion. Selina explaning to Batman how her friends are slowy moving away (on a great page layout!) was cool and I'm wondering how much that has to do with her future return to being a thief. Zatanna's appearance next issue and the hype of Selina Kyle saying a 'painful, final goodbye' (to Helena?) and 'Catwoman's return to Villainy' makes me hope they don't sweep certain things away with a mindwipe or similar.

I still wonder how long her new 'villainy' will last and how that will mesh with her appearances in the new Outsiders team.

http://www.comicbloc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1171950


13. Catwoman #71 (12)
Will Pfeifer (W), David Lopez (A), Adam Hughes (C)
I think I would like this issue a lot more if I didn’t feel like DC is getting ready to push the reset button on Catwoman’s One Year Later changes (which, thus far, have been the longest lasting and most drastic changes that any DC book, except Aquaman, faced). While I can see how Helena limits the type of stories that can be told with Catwoman, I’d rather see Pfeifer push for more creative ways to use the addition instead of writing her out of the book after just over a year. That being said, I really liked the interaction between Batman and Catwoman, which reminded me a lot of their relationship in Hush (which I loved). David Lopez’s art is as enjoyable as ever, though his proportions shift a bit throughout the issue. Still, it’s a nice story that shows the lengths that Selina is willing to go for Helena, but I’m not sure I’m fond of the direction that the book is heading into.

http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?p=4443072


Catwoman #71: Those of you who followed the rage that consumed the internet in the wake of the not-that-bad Amazons Attack may recall that even the folks who were frothing at the mouth over how Will Pfeifer had totally ruined Wonder Woman were generally pretty positive towards his run on Catwoman, which just goes to show one thing: Even the most bat-shit crazy comics reader can occasionally recognize when something’s awesome.

Such is the case here. Every month, Pfeifer and Lopez deliver a book that’s easily one of DC’s best titles, even in an issue like this, which, to be honest, didn’t strike me as Pfeifer’s best work. It might just be me, but Batman’s tactics for faking Selina and the baby’s death seem a little overboard, not to mention traumatic for the witnesses, but the more I think about it, the more I’m coming to realize that’s probably the only way it could’ve happened: big, noisy, and memorable in order to throw off suspicion. And besides, I guess if you live in Gotham City, seeing a super-villain explode is probably just something you have to factor into your daily commuting time. Slam Bradley in AA, however, just doesn’t seem to fit with the character.

Even with my misgivings about that, though, Pfeifer doesn’t disappoint. The scenes with Batman and Helena are just fantastic, and in a panel as simple as Batman smiling down at a baby, Lopez’s art carries so much emotional weight that it becomes something that really humanizes the character, which–aside from Beechen’s great portrayals of him in Robin–is really something we don’t see enough.

http://www.the-isb.com/?p=149


Catwoman #71 by Will Pfeifer, David López, and Alvaro López. $2.99, DC.

As I will prove to my good readers below, Judd Winick is not a good writer. Will Pfeifer, even if you hate what he did with the Amazons, is. How can I tell the difference? Because of the way Pfeifer writes Batman. He understands that Batman is not only about righting wrongs, but also, as Selina puts it, “protecting the innocent.” Some of the best Batman stories are when we see the positive impact of what he’s doing, and not just the hard-ass. He can be hard-ass all he wants, but when Selina needs his help, he doesn’t hesitate, except to cradle her daughter for a moment because Helena is an innocent and Bruce Wayne wants all children to remain that way - at least until they can handle the truth about the world. So he helps Selina disappear like she asks, and we get a beautiful portrait of a relationship that has moved past the usual bullshit and is founded on something strong. It’s interesting reading this comic and the Wedding Special on the same day. Pfeifer writes a real relationship; Winick writes a cartoon one.

Selina still has one more thing to ask of Bruce. What it is, we’ll find out. It doesn’t sound good.

Man, this is a good comic.

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/09/21/what-i-bought-19-september-2007/


Catwoman 71
A not unpredictable fake her and Helena's death for Selina (guess that's another spoiler), not unlike the recent faked death of Sin in the Black Canary mini, but here, Selina instigated it and there Dinah was kept in the dark. But if anyone hadn't guessed before the reveal that the nutjob with the bomb was Batman acting on Selina's request, I think you might be working with a more befuddled brain than I do most times. Because it was obvious to me. And almost as obvious, I fear and hope I'm wrong, is that Selina is going to give up Helena. BTW, while the art is nice, as usual, just how many teeth do David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez think toddlers have, anyway? On the next to last page, Helena seems to have almost a full set.

http://shellyscomics.blogspot.com/2007/09/quite-haul.html


Catwoman #71
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by David Lopez
Rating: Must Read
Dan's Review: I don't think I'll ever understand just how in the world the same writer responsible for the past few wonderful years of Catwoman was also behind the endlessly dreadful Amazons Attack miniseries. The truth of the matter is, writer Will Pfeifer's Catwoman is (and has been since the day Pfeifer took over the book) as delightful as Amazons Attack was painful. Consider this: Catwoman was the one and only series that survived Amazons Attack's insidious touch and actually managed to tell a compelling Amazons tie-in story. Pfeifer managed to pull off that seemingly impossible feat the same way he managed to make Catwoman the one and only title to sustain the storytelling momentum created by DC's failed line-wide "One Year Later" jump -- by continuing to focus on Selina Kyle's struggle to balance her identity as Catwoman with her new life as a mother. Thanks to Pfeifer's ongoing, pitch-perfect examination of the rich and morally complex character that is Selina Kyle, DC's decision to make Catwoman the mother of a one-year old girl has turned out to be a huge success - at least in this critic's eyes. Pfeifer hasn't really hit a single false note when developing this new aspect of Selina's character, coming up with endlessly inventive ways to provide a believable reason why Selina must don her Catwoman outfit even though she is fully aware that doing so will endanger her child.

Thankfully, Pfeifer uses this issue to at least temporarily lay to rest the device of putting young Helena in harm's way, and it's a testament to the writer's skill and timing that he does so at the precise moment this storytelling angle was beginning to grow old. It's also a real treat to watch the writer examine the complex and loving relationship between Catwoman and Batman, and I'd go so far as to say that this issue does more for the new and improved, kinder Bruce Wayne than any other writer - Paul Dini and Grant Morrison included - has managed thus far. As far as character driven, one-and-done issues go, you're not going to find a much better issue than this installment of Catwoman, and judging from its conclusion, it looks like Pfeifer has plenty more of these fantastic character pieces in store for the future. For the thousandth time - get on board Catwoman if you want to read a DC book done right.

http://comics.ign.com/articles/821/821006p1.html


Catwoman #71 – Will Pfeifer and David and Alvaro Lopez have made this one of the most consistent well done series at DC. Every issue moves the story forward and continues to bring you back for more. The official hype for this issue “Selina Kyle has to say goodbye to the most important person in her life! And when all that was caring in Selina is gone, Catwoman will be at her most unexpected, her most unpredictable and her most dangerous!”

http://comicsand.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-im-getting-wednesday_17.html

Review CatWoman #70



Catwoman #70: Great Storytelling, Stunning Artwork
Posted: Aug 21, 2007 2:48 PM

Excellent issue. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and it was actually quite lengthy. This issue actually took me longer than 10 minutes to read. And the cover was amazing. This issue stood out on the comic stands like a red sore thumb, but in good way. So I want to say "Thank You" to the creative team on a great comic.

I'm glad to see the bullwhip being used, and drawn in an exotic serpentile way. And again I like that both whip and costume are colored black instead of blue. Catwoman's looking great these days. Now if only Lopez can draw her cat-ears and gloves a little more feline, that would be nice. Add some claws, they always help.

I'm also glad to see that Oracle and Selina have a direct communications link to each other, but it seems only fitting to me that Selina also have a direct link to Batman as well. All of that should have been done a while back. This issue also introduced the Martian Manhunter into Selina's life, and we know now that he will be a teammate to her in the future in Batman's Outsiders. All exciting stuff. Good job!

catburgler_2100

Posts: 35
Registered: 2/6/06
Re: Catwoman #70: Great Storytelling, Stunning Artwork
Posted: Aug 22, 2007 8:15 AM in response to: hunters2

Reply

Spoiler Alert

this issue was good. i love that her costume is black rather than blue all of a sudden dont you? and it was great when that Amazonian b-yatch's got her comeuppance (but what was with the hand in the panel- weird right!)

as for Helena im getting attched to her but i know she going so 'whatever' i just hope she ends up with a now sane maggie or someone id hate to see her end up on a farm in kansas somewhere.

http://dcboards.warnerbros.com/web/thread.jspa?messageID=2003986755


CATWOMAN #70 REVIEW
Reviewer: Terry Verticchio terryvert@hotmail.com
Quick rating: Very good
Title: Life During Wartime

Sometimes in war you can lose more than your life.

Writer: Will Pfeifer
Pencils: David Lopez
Inks: Alvaro Lopez
Colours: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Cover artist: Adam Hughes
Editor: Nachie Castro
Publisher: DC Comics

After being pressured into joining the war against the Amazons by Batman, Selina finds herself quickly over her head and the fate of Gotham City is literally in her hands. But that’s the least of her worries. The Bana know about Selina Kyle. They know about Helena. So even if she saves the City, Selina might just lose everything she cares about.

This issue I believe marks a distinct change in Selina’s life. The actions of the Bana are the last straw for Selina. The fact that so many of the people who want Catwoman dead have used Helena to get to her has made her come to a grave decision.

The art is good in this issue. Even though there are few action big action sequences the fight scenes are well rendered. And Adam Hughes’ cover is especially brilliant this month.

While her part in Amazons Attack was a small one, the war itself has made a deep effect on Selina Kyle’s future and has raised a desperate question. What is more important being Catwoman or her child? I can’t wait to see where this all leads.

http://www.comixtreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36255


Catwoman #70 Review
(author) Luke Paton (date) Aug. 23, 2007 (12.52.49pm)

Wow, that’s a great cover. Darn that Adam Hughes. I was having doubts as to whether to go for this issue or not, as it’s really dealing with the Amazons Attack storyline and I’m not following that. But, after that cover…

Catwoman’s in trouble. She’s infiltrated a bunch of Amazons, the Bana, and earned their trust, but it’s all backfired. She was trying to bring them down, but now they have a bomb and are about to kill half the city. Can Selina stop them?

We find out literally within the first six pages. It was a little bit of a letdown for me, because I was thinking this was going to take up the rest of the issue. Nevertheless, Pfeifer makes it short and sweet and it’s not long before Selina finds herself in a load more trouble, especially with GCPD wanting her blood for Lenahan’s death.

It’s a credit to Pfeifer that he can effectively finish Selina’s involvement is his crossover series in the opening pages, but still make the rest of the issue worthwhile. Pfeifer really gets Catwoman – he’s got her voice and mannerisms down (I particularly liked her little victory dance) and he knows how to tell an action-packed story. And so do the Lopez’s. Their artwork is stunning and I can’t think of anyone else who could do it better. They make Catwoman sexy without being explicit or showy, whilst convincing you that she could kick your ass.

The problem is now Selina has a child; everything keeps coming back to the baby. Every storyline that she has, or that Pfeifer can dream up, always comes back to the kid. All the villains keep finding out who she is, and then they find Helena. It’s repetitive and it’s in danger of killing the series. I think Pfeifer is on to this fact as we leave the issue slightly unsure of what will happen next. He may even be pushing to retire Selina Kyle, but I hope not. For me, she is Catwoman and the series would not be the same without her.

Or maybe that’s just what he wants us to think… I don’t know, but I’m curious to find out.

http://www.silverbulletcomics.com/news/story.php?a=5901


Catwoman #70 by Will Pfeifer, David López, and Alvaro López. $2.99, DC.

You know all that stuff I’ve been saying about Catwoman for about 18 months? Yeah, ditto for this issue too. Someone commented that the odd choices of emphasis on words is annoying, and I paid attention to it this time, and it is odd, but not enough to make me not enjoy the heck out of the book. I just thought I’d mention it. Other than that, business as usual with this comic, which is fine with me, because it means another 20-some page slice of goodness.

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/08/17/what-i-bought-15-august-2007/


Cat Woman #70(and 69 too)

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By jeremeyes
Categories: women in comics, classic superheroes, superheroes, DC Comics, batman and comic books

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Written by Will Pfeifer

Art by David and Alvaro Lopez

Cover art by Adam Hughes

DC Comics $2.99

Checking out a new book is incredibly fun for a few reasons that don’t really transfer to an old favorite. First off, you don’t actually know what you’re getting into. If you’re familiar with the writer, in this case, Pfeifer is the lead writer of the wonderful DC mini-series that wraps up next week, Amazons Attack, which I’ve been reading. So I had an idea what I was getting into, strong characterization based around solid action scenes and a script that relies on a well-balanced mix of dialog boxes and scenes that make effective use of an action-based story. I also knew David Lopez from the first 20 issues of Fallen Angel, back when it was being put out by DC Comics. I knew his pencils were a good match for a strong writer because they tend to be mild and mellow, instead of screaming for attention, they add to the overall story without really grabbing the reader with the tackiness that some pencilers for superhero books tend to use. So, I had an idea that this book had the potential to be pretty entertaining. Plus, this Adam Hughes cover didn’t hurt.

I really love that cover, it’s beautiful and the simple background makes her stand out even more. That image is from the official DC page about the comic, which is slightly different from the final product that actually appears on the issue I have. But you get the picture. I went and looked up Adam Hughes and realized I have a whole bunch of covers by him and I generally really enjoy his work. And he has a thing for big breasts, in case you didn’t notice. I really like the shades of light reflecting off of the costume, so you can tell it’s leather and not spandex, the detail of the zipper, the goggles and the fact that there’s actual detail to her face, which makes her look like a real person, not just a thieving sex symbol.

The issue ended up being an Amazons tie-in about Selina’s workings with the Bana, the Amazon offshoot terrorist group. It was really good. I found out that she had a kid and had semi-retired from crime, had become friends with Batman and had allied herself on the side of the heroes since the Amazonian war had begun in the states. The issue relied heavily on dialog boxes and let Selina narrate the story in reverse, which was an interesting change. I liked it enough to go out and pick up the issue before, which was also good and featured all of the same talent, down to another Hughes cover.

I think I’ll be reading this on a regular schedule if this book continues to be as entertaining for a few more issues.

http://jeremeyes.wordpress.com/2007/08/26/cat-woman-70and-69-too/


Catwoman #70
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by David Lopez
Rating: Check It
Dan's Review: I just don't understand it. How can Will Pfeifer, the writer responsible for the unreadable mess that is Amazons Attack, do such a horrible job crafting that miniseries and simultaneously do such a fantastic job writing two Amazons Attack tie-in issues of Catwoman? Is it because, as a longtime writer of Catwoman, Pfeifer has such a profound knowledge of Selina Kyle that he can craft a decent story around the character, regardless of the circumstances? Or is it because, as the head writer of the whole Amazons Attack debacle, Pfeifer has first hand knowledge of the areas of the event's plot in which he's failed as a storyteller, and can thus focus his tie-in issues on the few appealing aspects of this storyline? I imagine the answer is a combination of both.

As someone who has spent the past few years crafting very entertaining Catwoman stories, Pfeifer has proven an ability to focus his dramas squarely on the shoulders of his complicated protagonist, and in doing so, squeeze a compelling read out of even the crummiest set-up. Likewise, Pfeifer must by now have realized that the large-scale "Amazons vs. the United States" battle scenes taking place in his main miniseries are not only uninteresting, but also downright unbelievable. Armed with that knowledge (and his comfort writing Selina), Pfeifer probably determined his best chances of telling a worthwhile Amazons tie-in story in Catwoman rested on focusing on the smaller scale struggle between the heroes and an Amazonian splinter cell of terrorists.

It is in this smaller, more intimate venue that Pfeiefer is able to focus not only on Catwoman's character and her willingness to go where other less morally ambiguous heroes would not, but he's also able to explore Selina's complicated relationship with Batman. It is this approach, coupled with David Lopez's reliable art, which makes this tie-in so much more than the expected stinker. The fact that this series continues to prevail and deliver strong stories is a testament to just how great -and underrated- it truly is.

http://comics.ign.com/articles/813/813209p2.html


Catwoman #70 – An Amazons Attack cross-over, but since Will Pfeifer is writing both books it will (I’m sure) work perfectly. Batman has asked Selina to infiltrate the other female warriors (whose name escapes me) to see what is going on. This continues to be an excellent series month in and month out. David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez as the art team is just icing on the cake for this book.

http://comicsand.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-im-getting-wednesday_13.html


CATWOMAN #70 Written by Will Pfeifer. Illustrated by David Lopez & Alvaro Lopez. This one ties into the Amazons Attacks miniseries, and begins a new story-line which should provide an excellent place for new readers to jump onboard. It’s one of DC's most consistently well written and well illustrated titles, and is well worth a look.

http://www.elfsar.com/Elfbytes%20Articles/June_2007.htm


Catwoman 70 (Will Pfeifer-writer, David Lopez- artist)

For the last few days, I've been trying to figure out why I haven't been reading Catwoman? It certainly isn't that I have a problem with strong female characters. Hell, there should be more of them in popular culture. It can't be that I have a problem with a sassy, slinky brunette who jumps from rooftop to rooftop in a tight black outfit, complete with goggles and a whip. You all know me better than that! The only concrete conclusion I can draw is that sometime in 2001, I suffered a minor stroke which rendered me incapable of noticing the truly awesome-ness of this title. Which is not to say that I don't think Catwoman is awesome. I do. She's a thief. She's badass.

Anyways…this issue is a tie-in to DC's Amazons Attack storyline. I haven't been following that series at all, but I've been able to suss (yeah, I said "suss", what of it?) out that a renegade group of Amazons from Egypt or thereabouts got pissed when their city was destroyed by OMACs during Infinite Crisis, so they decide to bring the thunder and attack the U.S. Because this is the DC Universe, an attack on the U.S. wouldn't be complete without a stop in Gotham City—Batman and Catwoman's stomping ground. This is where the issue picks up. Catwoman's gotten her claws on one of the attacking Amazons (who happens to be armed with some kind of bio-toxin virus grenade thingie). Of course Catwoman saves the day—for some reason, Selina Kyle is one of the few villains who can go semi-legit and make it work…maybe I just don't consider theft as bas as mass murder—but her heroics come at a price: her daughter. What's that? Oh, you didn't hear? I'm sorry. At some point during the "One Year Later" jump, Selina had a kid. A daughter, named Helena. (WARNING: Geek Content—in the Pre-Crisis Multiverse, Bruce and Selina had a daughter named Helena, who would become the Huntress of Earth-Two. This current Helena is not Bruce's kid.) Yeah, so to get back at Catwoman for ruining their plans, the Amazons go after her baby…which ends in Selina whomping on an Amazon with a hammer. J'onn Jonzz (aka The Martian Manhunter) shows up to take the bashed and bloodied Amazon away—interesting, given that both Selina and J'onn appear in promo art for the new Batman and the Outsiders series.

A quick word about Lopez's art. When Catwoman was first revamped back in the day, the art was handled by Darwyn Cooke. Cooke has a clean, almost timeless, cartoony style. Lopez, while still doing his own thing, retains the level of economy that I enjoy in my comic art.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4156448&blogID=300453123


CATWOMAN 70: B+
"Life During Wartime" – Part 2 (AMAZONS ATTACK tie-in)
Writer: Will Pfeifer
Art: David Lopez
The conclusion of the AA tie-in story shows improvement over part 1. Although I think it's a bit sad when a tie-in is better than the main title. This issue puts Selina back as in the line of the cops when they decide she's a killer, so it will be interesting to see if Pfeifer will follow up that thread. A problem with the issue is that once again we're getting a "baby in jeopardy" story. Those are logical stories to tell with Selina being a mother, but it's seeming like he's relying pretty heavily on them lately. I'm going to need something more compelling if I'm going to keep picking up this title every month. (Personally, I'd like to see this condensed into an ongoing backup serial in a Bat-book, instead of a standalone title.)

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=80463394&blogID=301394824

Review CatWoman #69



Catwoman - #69

Synopsis: In Gotham City, a Bana terrorist holds a handheld radioactive device in her hand and threatens to destroy the city if nebody shoots her b/c it's rigged on a deadman's switch. :o Catwoman tells us that she's supposed to be part of the Bana and stole the dangerous part of the device for them. She tried to stop them but things didn't go according to plan. She jumps out at lashes her whip.

We back up a week, and Catwoman is watching the news with her child thinking about how she had to give up her life. The news talks about how without Batman, the hero forces are disorganized.

Holly checks on Karon in the hospital and then flies away. XD

Catwoman goes to check on her kid when she sees Batman holding her. Batman recruits her to infiltrate the Bana and promises to keep Helena safe.

Catwoman breaks into a jewellry store and gets the Bana's attention and they approach her to join. She breaks into STAR labs and steals the device. She tries to take the radioactive part out and hide it but the Bana catch her and shoot her with a dart.

She wakes up and they inform her that they want her to witness the destruction of Gotham City. She beats them up and whips the Bana holding the bomb but she let's go of the switch and Gotham City is destroyed, everybody dead, including Batman!

Actually it's too be continued.

OMG IS GOTHAM CITY GONNA BE KILLED?

Review:

I dun even know the point of cliffhangers like this nemore. :\ Cliffhangers still DO work, but they at least need a "what's going to happen" type of question at the end, rather than a "will the city get destroyed or not?" question.

To me, and I'm sure a lot of other readers unfamiliar with the Bana, it's like they just appeared and everybody's talking about them in a way that suggests that they know them well but yet vague enuf that the rest of us dunno what's going on. :\

It's like not being allowed in on a joke. >:|

And that's a feeling that you dun want your readers or your fans to have. :(

No matter how much I keep not wanting it to be this way, Amazons Attack keeps appearing to be an anti-feminist rant. :\ Or at the very least "extremist feminism is bad!"

ORLY?

I thought Catwoman was skilled. :O How did she get caught so easily? And why isn't Batman around to help her? :o

I love how the news says that once Batman left the JLA is totally discombobulated and confused! XD So much for Black Canary being the leader. :\ It's not like all of the heroes are n00bs or nething! They KNOW how to operate as a team without Batman!

And considering how Hippolyta's only orders seem to be "KILL PUSSYCAT KILL!!!", how exactly are the heroes being outmaneuvred?

I love how the Bana realize that Catwoman's a traitor (in the issue that she joined them too!) and knock her out, but dun tie her up, or take any precautions around her even tho they've spent weeks watching her (apparently) and therefore should know how fast she can move, or how strong she is. :o

What WAS the point in having Catwoman infiltrate them if she's not there to learn nething? All it seems is that she needs to steal a weapon for them to use, that they would never have been able to obtain if she didn't do it for them.

Great plan Batman.

I have this annoying feeling that the bomb will be a dud and the Bana were "testing" her or something and by some bizarre fluke of writing, she passed. Or she swapped the radioactive thing with a fake radioactive thing. Considering the device is supposed to be able to spread radioactivity across a half mile and she took out the radiocative core, wouldn't it KILL HER!? My job is working with radiation (doing safety tests for medical labs) so to me this is such a stupid thing for her to do XD

Or something.

I dun care. Amazons Attack is dead to me now.

I love how Holly jumps off the building after visiting Karon but there's nothing visibly nearby for her to land on. XD It looks like she just flew off :O

Neways, I can't wait until DC's summer o' crossovers is over. >:|

Oh! I love how at comicon when interviewed, Didio said that ALL of the Countdown Crossovers are INTEGRAL to the plot and therefore you HAVE to get ALL of them. >:|

CONVENIENT!

>:|

Angelwings Rating: 2 stupid Catwomen out of 5 stupid Bana :(
Recommendation: This isn't a Catwoman issue, it's an Amazons Attack issue. :\ If you like Amazons Attack, you might want to get it to see more about the Bana, otherwise.. no >:

http://ami-angelwings.blogspot.com/2007/07/catwoman-69-review.html


Catwoman #69 - Review and Spoilers
Posted: Jul 18, 2007 1:43 PM

This was totally a filler issue. And not one of Pfiefer's greatest. Neither was Amazon's Attack #4; I shouldn't have even bought that.

I don't understand why the JLA are having such a hard time with the Amazons and the Bana. Seriously, Superman and Wonder Woman could handle this whole catastrophe alone. So when Supergirl and Wonder Girl help them, that should make the task so much easier. I also don't understand why Diana doesn't simply take her mamma down hard without killing her, nor why Superman would interfere with Diana's and Hippolyta's argument, or whatever you can call it. The JLA seem pretty incompetent right about now.

I also don't understand why Batman selected Catwoman of all people to help in the fight. I know the Bana are interested in her, but how does Batman know this? He sure knows a lot about them and learned it all in a short amount of time, from Wonder Woman I guess. So if the JLA know who the Bana are, and who they are interested in in Gotham City, then why can't Superman and Wonder Woman just crush them? See, this whole thing is just a little weak and half-hearted and I suppose Will Pfiefer's to blame, but he may be answering to someone else, who knows?

I thought it was sad that Selina had to sit at home and just watch the destruction happen on CNN; if I were in her position and couldn't find a babysitter, I'd probably turn on Spongebob Squarepants and enjoy what little time I had left with my daughter.

But it was great to see Bruce, Selina, and Helena riding down the road together in Bruce's Batmobile going to the good ol' Batcave. It's also good that Alfred is taking care of Helena. These things make purchasing this issue a little worthwhile.

Catwoman really blew it in the end, easily losing the Bana's trust and all. If Pfiefer's trying to direct people's attention to Catwoman, shouldn't he present her in a more flattering manner? This issue will probably sell more than previous issues of "Catwoman" since it's all but advertised in "Amazons Attack" (then again, who's buying that?), and people are going to buy this issue just to see that Catwoman FLOPPED on her first assignment.

She'll get no respect from anyone with this issue, so Pfiefer had better work some "Myth and Magic" of his own (soon) if he's going to redeem the reputation of his Home Comic's star character.

kkglinka

Posts: 54
Registered: 7/29/06
Re: Catwoman #69 - Review and Spoilers
Posted: Jul 18, 2007 4:03 PM in response to: hunters2

You mean, why didn't she just hire a bodyguard, let Holly, who is both loyal and qualified babysit, or even have Alfred do the job in the safety of Wayne Manor? Well, that would require her to have a brain and, more importantly, it would completely undermine the writer's intended direction for this subplot. You see, there were two ways Pfeifer could have handled Helena: a) how does Selina overcome the new challenge, which assumes for competence and ultimate heroic victory and reconcilement or b) can Selina overcome the new challenge, which suggests some level of incompetence and likely failure at either one task or the other.

Everything I've seen indicates Pfeifer chose the latter path, especially his revealing comment that the Helena subplot would have a conclusion, which is incompatible with a permanent cast roster change. As a result, a molehill has been exaggerated into a mountain to service a pre-defined ending. We have been shown over and over again that Selina as a mother is tired, falls asleep on the job, unhappy that she can't do Catwoman stuff, ignores legal problems like homicide investigations, relies on other vigilantes to solve her problems (Zatanna, Calculator, now Batman and probably Zatanna again), is incapable of maintaining a secure double identity, etc. She's only happy when she's stealing stuff, landing on her butt a lot, and whining to Superman about how unfair he's being.

In short, we've been given the latest variation of the ham-fisted, cliched standard about how superheroes just can't have families. (Just because). Selina has been reduced to a plot device to meet this goal; she's stupid because the writer needs her to be stupid to avoid seeing obvious solutions or avoid problems. Above all, she can't be a competent working single parent because that would reveal the underlying straw man logic that she must make a "tragic" choice. That will probably involve giving away Helena and a mind-wipe from Zatanna so Selina can forget all about it, to avoid any sort of character growth.

Or maybe there'll be an 11'o'clock turnaround and Selina will heroically overcome the challenge instead of failing and taking the coward's way out. Because, you know, failure and incompetence are so inspiring. As a reader, I totally identify with a hero who distinctly lacks heroic traits or idealized achievements. Wouldn't it have been awesome if No Man's Land had ended with all the heroes realistically admitting they couldn't hack it and giving up? I also want to see a story that emphasizes, for 1.5 years, how Bruce Wayne just can't handle being Batman in Gotham, Batman in the JLA and CEO of his company. Clearly he needs to choose between one vocation or the other because it's not like delegation of tasks is an option in life.

As for AA!, I find its flaws very consistent with Pfeifer's writing on Catwoman, especially the way characters' established motivations are being ignored for the sake of the plot, which then makes their arbitrary action or inaction look incredibly stupid and out of character.

http://dcboards.warnerbros.com/web/thread.jspa?threadID=2000123372


CATWOMAN #69 REVIEW
Reviewer: Terry Verticchio terryvert@hotmail.com
Quick rating: Good
Title: Life During Wartime

The Amazons bring their war to the streets of Gotham.

Writer: Will Pfeifer
Pencils: David Lopez
Inks: Alvaro Lopez
Colours: Jeromy Cox
Letters: Jared K. Fletcher
Cover: Adam Hughes
Editor: Nachie Castro
Publisher: DC Comics

Just when she thought her life would become a bit quieter Selina becomes involved in the war with the Amazons. Batman has learned that another side has entered the war and Bruce wants Selina to infiltrate their ranks and help bring them down. The Bana are a splinter group of the Amazons themselves and they have been watching Catwoman for some time. It’s no problem for her to become part of their movement. But can she accomplish her mission in time before being found out?

This issue unfortunately feels a bit rushed to me. Will Pfeifer I think tried a bit too hard to get this title into his Amazons Attack story line and having Selina become part of the Bana so quickly didn’t feel real to me.

The art was good with this issue. The Lopez team is growing on me more and more. There is one really fantastic panel of a Bana warrior on the second to last page.

I’m not sure if Catwoman really belongs in the Amazons Attack crossover, but this was a fair issue nonetheless and an interesting interlude.

http://www.comixtreme.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35740


Catwoman #69

One-sentence summary: An Amazon Attacks tie-in -- woo...

I guess this is all biased because I'm just not into the Amazons Attack stuff, but I really didn't care much for this issue. Nothing was that bad about it; just very neutral.

I did like seeing Selina's bad side a little more than we normally do, as the book seems to want her to be a hero more than an anti-hero, but that's a personal preference of mine I suppose.

It seems to me everything having to do with Amazons Attack has a sort of weaksauce story (yes, I said weaksauce -- thanks Dino Comics). Here the second act (stop the evil Amazons with the bomb!) has almost no correlation with the plan of the first act (infiltrate the Amazons to stop them). It's like the writer knew what he wanted to happen in both acts, but just couldn't think of any really good ways to connect them, so just, well, slapped some stuff down and called it a day.

I hate to be so negative, but, yeah, this wasn't very good. It wasn't awful, but I wouldn't recommend the title to anyone.

http://justcomicbookreviews.blogspot.com/2007/07/catwoman-69.html


Catwoman #69
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by David Lopez
Rating: Check It
Dan's Review: Like Birds of Prey, Catwoman takes a step in a rather worrisome direction with its current issue, as Selina Kyle throws her hat into the boring quagmire that is the whole Amazon Attacks storyline.

Whether this disappointing new direction is a result of DC mandating that Will Pfeifer tie his Catwoman series into his Amazons mini, or Pfeifer himself decided it would be useful to do so, I don't know. I do, however, know that the reason I took such a strong liking to Pfeifer's work on Catwoman had little do with Selina mixing it up with the rest of the DC Universe and a lot to do with the inspired, energetic and self-contained stories he told in this series. The character-driven drama and zany D-list villains Pfeifer introduced in this series seem to be taking a backseat for now, and I can only hope they return sometime soon.

The good news is that, unlike so many of these tie-ins, Pfeifer is able to maintain the series' unique tone and energy, and besides the presence of Batman and a rogue Amazonian terrorist cell, there's little to distinguish this issue from its mostly fantastic predecessors. Artist David Lopez is his normal crisp and dynamic self, reminding me once again that - despite what they might believe - DC has some incredibly talented artists on their payroll that are also capable of churning out a monthly book on time.

http://comics.ign.com/articles/806/806078p2.html






CATWOMAN 69
Written by Will Pfeifer; Art by David Lopez and Alvaro Lopez; Cover by Adam Hughes

I don't know what was supposed to happen in this issue based on the cover art and solicitation. I don't actually follow Catwoman, but occasionally I'll pick up an issue out of curiosity and because I like a good Adam Hughes cover.

This issue ties in with the events in Amazons Attack 4, as Batman returns to Gotham to recruit Catwoman to infiltrate the Bana Mighdall. It's not clear that the events of this issue will be that important to the upcoming events of Amazons Attack, but it explains the page or so of conversation about Batman's return to Gotham, etc...

Falling in to this issue provided me with most of the problems I have picking up any series mid-run. I vaguely know what's going on, but not really. I guess Catwoman had a pseudo-identity set up that is now in tatters, which sets the emotional groundwork for this issue. Not knowing much about that, I'll just accept that and move on.

One is left still wondering if Batman is not, in fact, Catwoman's baby daddy (as he is also Talia's), and the bit with a babyseat in the Batmobile is sort of cute.

The issue itself works pretty well, tying in to the Amazons Attack storyline as it does. The art is well rendered, and Will Pfeiffer seems more at home playing in the streets of Gotham than he does trying to write about a foreign invasion in our nation's capital.

Readers looking for a sideline tie-in to Amazons Attack which is far more coherent than the actually Amazons Attack storyline may wish to pick up this issue, which, again, has nothing to do with the cover.

http://www.filmfodder.com/comics/archives/2007/07/dc_comic_reviews_week_july_18.shtml


Catwoman #69 — Writer: Will Pfeifer; Penciller: David Lopez; Inker: Alvaro Lopez
Batman runs over from Countdown, or Amazon Attacks, or somewhere, and ropes Selina into the whole Circe’s-giving-Hippolyta-a-hot-flash-and-the-Amazons-are-attacking-the-U.S. thing. Part one of two, for those of you excited by this news (and, to be fair, at least it offers a consistent part of the crossover, since Pfeifer is the writer on that too).

http://www.allaboutcomics.com/blog/?p=98


Catwoman #69
Review by PBR Staff
Permalink: http://www.paperbackreader.com/permalnkreview.php?id=1957

Grade : B
DC Comics $2.99
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Other Reviews by PBR Staff
Catwoman #69
W : Will Pfeifer
A: David Lopez
I : Alvaro Lopez
C: Jeromy Cox
The Catwoman character has always been a hard one for me. What motivates a theif-in-the-night to fall in love with a costumed superhero -- but never act on it -- and alternately steal things and save the world? We know that Selina has no special powers, just like Batman, but she still is able to do just about anything she sets her mind and her limited abilities on. In some ways, she's like the Huntress, in other ways, she's like Talia Al Ghul. A very hard character to pin down.
So, in this issue, we see her doing a few things that seem incongruous. In the first part of the issue, we see her attempting to watch the news around a screaming baby on the floor. Watching tv and raising children are two things I wouldn't have put high up on her list of things to do. But those pale to what comes next; The Batman is standing in her nursery.
Opening the door to her babe's room, she sees Bruce standing there, holding the child in one arm, and a packed suitcase in the other. He tells her it's time to save the world, time to come back to Gotham, and the time for discussion (as it was) has passed. Selina agrees.
She returns to Gotham, to infiltrate an offshoot of the Amazons, known as "The Bana" (maybe a shout out to the Hulk movie?) in order to figure out what they are plotting, and to stop it. In this issue, she succeeds in neither. Instead, she merely steals some amount of weapons-grade "radioactive material" which is quickly made into a bomb for The Bana. As she says, things didn't quite go according to plan.
This is a pretty nicely done issue, though it's a bit slow moving (by the time Batman shows up, the book is 1/3 over.) My sense is that this story could have been told in much less space, or at the least, more story could have been put in. However, what's there is pretty good, and gives some pretty good depth to Catwoman's feelings -- especially demarcating how she's changed and grown as a person in the intervening years. I'll have to read #70, to determine if the payoff is worth the start, but this was certainly good enough for me to give it at try.

http://www.paperbackreader.com/review.php?ReviewID=1957


Catwoman #69 – The previously mention Will Pfeifer has made Catwoman into one of my favorite series. The official hype “The conclusion of the "Catwoman Dies" storyline! The identity that Selina Kyle built for herself to protect her baby daughter is being destroyed at the hands of Hammer and Sickle, and that's just the beginning. With supervillains and the Gotham police hunting for both Selina and her replacement, Holly, drastic measures are needed!” Of course if you follow Countdown you know Holly has ended up in Metropolis and in an Amazon Center for Women, but where this leaves Selina is still unknown.

http://comicsand.blogspot.com/2007/07/what-im-getting-wednesday_16.html


Catwoman #69: I know I say this virtually every month, but if you’re not reading Catwoman–and statistically, you’re not–you’re really missing out. Will Pfeifer routinely turns in some of the sharpest scripts in comics (which explailns why I’m still reading Amazons Attack, even though I’m only getting half of the story), but the real star of this issue is the art team of David and Alvaro Lopez. Their work’s always gorgeous, but this one’s got a scene Selina walks into a room to find Batman holding her baby, and there’s a little smile on his face that’s… well, it’s just perfect. It’s a great piece of a great issue of a great run, and if you’re one of the poor suckers who’s missing out, jump on. Assuming that you like things that are totally awesome, I doubt you’ll regret it.

http://www.the-isb.com/?p=85


10. Catwoman 69- More people need to be reading Catwoman. It's just a great read month after month! The issue is a tie-in to Amazons Attack and does a nice job standing on its own. David Lopen does a great job on the artwork as usual.

http://blog.myspace.com/pmhernandez


Catwoman 69:
Batman holding a baby. That all I have to say
5 out of 5

http://destinysgarden.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html


Catwoman #69 - This issue didn't blow me away. I liked the stuff with Batman and Helena. I liked the stuff with Selina and Helena. But the crossover stuff still felt forced, even though Pfeifer is the mastermind behind both this issue and the crossover. It wasn't a bad issue, it just wasn't the usual greatness I'd come to expect.

I like that it made a whole lot more sense than Amazons Attack has yet, but since I'm not really onboard with that book, this one sort of went in one ear and out the other. No real staying power.

http://comicsnexus.insidepulse.com/article_v3.php?contentid=69174&rssZone=1


Catwoman #69 by Will Pfeifer, David López, and Alvaro López. $2.99, DC.

Man, remember when Adam Hughes did interior art? Look at that cover and tell me you wouldn’t drool to see him doing interior art again. And where the hell is All Star Wonder Woman, anyway?

Anyway, I suppose this is a personal feeling, but for me, Catwoman crackles with tension in a way that Birds of Prey does not. Everything that happens makes sense and feels like it happens for a reason and ups the ante for Selina and her child. Pfeifer here constructs a story that begins at the end so that we can see the threat - a rogue Amazon with a radioactive bomb standing in the middle of Gotham with the cops all around her, and Selina dashing forward to save the day. Then, of course, we have to have the flashback to how we reached that point. Pfeifer ties the story into Amazons Attack! (and really, DC, would it kill you to put a footnote in the book that reads “Confused? Don’t be - pick up the Amazons Attack! mini-series, on sale now!”? or would that be too smart from, I don’t know, a marketing perspective?) but also continues the stories he’s been working on for a while in this title, as we check in briefly to see Karon in the hospital and Holly leaving to do something drastic, I would say. Batman recruits Selina to infiltrate the Bana, the Amazon splinter group who’s been blowing things up across the country, and Selina agrees, but things go pear-shaped pretty quickly. It’s a tense little drama that zips along, ending at the moment we began, when things get even worse. But it leaves us wanting more, and that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?

Oh, and this issue features one of the Top Ten Batman Panels of all time. It’s awesome.

You want to buy Catwoman, you just haven’t yet. So why not now?

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2007/07/19/what-i-bought-18-july-2007/