Alright, I’m a bit late with this review, but it’s been a busy and hot week for me. This comic came out last Tuesday, and it’s the conclusion to a two-part story.

I’ll note that since the first issue I learned that the villain SNOWFLAME is indeed a previously established, albeit obscure, character. I’d never heard of him before, and its a credit to the writing team that no previous knowledge was necessary to follow the story.

Picking up right from the previous issue’s cliffhanger, Catwoman has been cornered by a young girl and a giant black panther. The girl is named Angelica, and the panther is Kisin. After managing to convince Angelica that she is not allied with Snowflame, the girl takes her to her mother Liseth. And through her, Selina (and us) learn a lot more about Snowflame’s rule of Isla Nevada, and despite is playful Miami Vice clothing style and flirty demeanor, he’s actually a brutal dictator, keeping the majority of the population in poverty as they work to enrich his drug empire. Angelica and Liseth think Selina’s arrival is a sign and that she’s been sent to help them. But Selina isn’t any kind of savior, she’s just a jewel thief, right?

Of course, we know she’s more than that. That night, as Snowflame’s auction is underway, Selina makes her move, with some help from Kisin, with a full-on assault on Snowflame’s castle. As his party, and his empire, crash down around him, Snowflame is forced to get directly involved and we see how his powers work. Meanwhile, Selina is still trying to accomplish her main objective, which is getting that secret supervillain list that Snowflame has.  This is a lot more action-packed than the first issue, with several interesting twists and turns before it comes to its exciting conclusion. The only disappointment I felt at the end was in knowing that this the final issue on this title for this creative team. I really wanted to see what they could come up with next.

Sean Gordon Murphy is credited as co-writer, but has stated online that while the story was his idea all of the real writing was done by Blake Northcott. I’ve been a fan of her writing for years and this two-parter exemplified all her strengths, from her ability with world-building, as Isla Nevada feels like a real place, to her dialog, the introduction of supervillain/social media influencer Tambra Quartz and her rivalry with Selina, the story kept me hooked from first page to last. And artist Cian Tormey proves to be a versatile artist, just as adept at drawing fight scenes in a jungle as he is drawing a black-tie party in a castle. I’m definitely a fan of his now too.

Catwoman #23-24 is an entertaining story sure to delight both old and new fans. Chacebook rating: FIVE STARS

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