This is simply a space to discuss the ins and outs of Tom King’s Batman/Catwoman and all that entails. (As the title says, issues 9 to 12 will be the focus but feel free to discuss the whole series).
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Issue 11 drops today! Tom King posted on twitter pointing out that Clay Mann’s main cover is an engagement ring. That’s kind of cool - I really hope that we get a satisfying and beautiful wedding out of issue #12, though I’m very curious how it’ll get there - it feels like it would be out of nowhere with what we have so far. And it’s not till June! So long!
But, at long last, we have the endgame of Tom King’s Batman saga in sight! I’m pretty excited, as a big fan of Tom King’s run.
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I like Tom King books. I like Helena Wayne. I’m not really liking this book though.
I say it’s down to a few things. The biggest being the confusion when reading from the framing device of past, present, and future. Yes I understand it’s a writing pun on the ghosts of past, present, and future but I don’t like it because it’s ruining pacing and interest every-time the story becomes engaging but switches to another story.
Clayman has amazing art, but I won’t lie and say rarely have the tights of a superhero costume in a comic book have made me feel more uncomfortable than when I read this series. That includes the Batman and Robin movie with bat nipples.
To bring back Andrea Belmont and the phantom was intriguing but now I’m left bitter and annoyed that she became this lame and end up being worse off than when she arrived. I wish she never came back.
I don’t like Catwoman here. In fact I never appreciated Ram V or even Tini Howard Catwoman than I did when seeing the most toxic version of Catwoman in a comic. This kind of Catwoman would be fine with a frank Miller Batman and that’s not really a compliment. She’s unhinged and has these destructive tendencies I can’t understand.
I just wanted to go ahead and say these things because imagine what this series could have been if Tom King had dropped the framing device, maybe focus more on Helena Wayne and just made the Phantom the main villian instead of the Joker.
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I have to say, some of King’s characterizations of Catwoman are kind of at odds with how he wrote her during his main Batman run. For example, her friendship with the Joker seems really contradictory considering what Catwoman’s attitude towards both the Riddler and the Joker was during the War of Jokes and Riddles.
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I did not notice till I read this (i am never on Twitter)…and now i went and looked and there are engagement ring’s in every nonvariant cover. batman’s utility belt and Catwoman’s wip issue one, the stained glass in issue two, the shape of a drop of blood on phantasms scythe in issue three, the abdominal armor of Helena’s batsuit in issue 4 has a very engagement ring-like shape, (its abstract), issue five the ring on Selina’s costume combined with her chin window, issue six the shadow on Phantasm’s scythe, issue seven the helmet on one of the police officers helmet combined with the shadow (right side of the screen), eight batmans cape is the band with the logo being the gem, issue nine the watch dangling from Selina’s wrist issue. Selena’s costume’s zipper ring combined with a shadow in her cleavage, issue ten the ring of light and the street light. special the train track and the building. posable cover for the final issue…Selina’s flowers and batman’s utility belt. 0_0 om someone please double check this for me.
As to the issue itself, Holy Christmas gifts Batman: Catwoman’s gift she picked a side Bruce’s.
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That is in fact true! King has said Joelle Jones challenged him on making Catwoman too perfect in his Batman run, so I think he wanted to really explore the tension between her flaws and her love of Batman.
@Nobody.bladesmith Oh, wow, brilliant! Love that!
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That is in fact true! King has said Joelle Jones challenged him on making Catwoman too perfect in his Batman run, so I think he wanted to really explore the tension between her flaws and her love of Batman.
If that is true than damn he didn’t just make Catwoman flawed, he made her into a metaphorical frag grenade.
Actually the villain in this is Selina, the hero Helena. However this is a Psychological thriller similar to Akira Kurosiwo’s Rashomon instead of a traditional super hero story. its told not just from three time periods But as i understand the work also from three points of view, Selina’s, Helena’s and The truth. however the three POV’s only becomes clear if you page through it and just focus on the artwork. Selina’s point of view is what she wants us to think happened, what helena thinks happened, and what really happened.
also, this is not an independent title it’s linked to King’s entire batman work. i explained it here:Batman/Catwoman Special Issue Discussion (Major spoilers) - #6 by Nobody.bladesmith
PS: I would love a Helena Wayne future as Batwoman series.
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Which of us isn’t, though? 
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actually catwoman has struggled with alcoholism in the past. I believe in catwoman volume 3 there is a scene very similar to this were she drunkenly tries to break into a museum. we see her sharing a flask with lois in double date.
This is from when they just started seeing each other, she has been in Arkham several times at this point when she is in Arkham she pumped so full of drugs she thinks she is a actual cat (batman killing time issue 2) we see her in her first stay in Arkham in batman catwoman special too.
we see she has anger issues which stem somewhat from her abandonment in a dumpster as a baby. however in the special issue we see she is also protective of the things she cares about. for example she badly beats a fellow inmate of in Juvenal hall after she threatens a cat Selina had been caring for. at this point in her life she was being pulled between to people she cares for. one is someone she thinks is her friend the Joker, and the man she had fallen in love with Bruce.
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Yeah, this is a fair point, she would be utterly conflicted at the start of their relationship, and she has, in fact, struggled with alcoholism in the past like you say. On a side note, I’m not really sure why she was ever sent to Arkham Asylum in the first place.
I don’t mind the doom and gloom, but I do hope we can have some more happy and heartwarming moments in the final issue.
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I like the way you put it in the last paragraph.
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Well, here’s how I currently understand it: Selina is able to escape from any prison, and like Batman give her enough time to plan something and she is unbeatable as she is also the one person batman cant quite anticipate things from. she was escaping other prisons likely using very violent methods (without going so far as to kill) so they finally threw her in Arkham. and yet she still escapes. but once they slap the insanity bit on her they can just keep throwing her in arkham.
thank you.
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Hmmm. Interesting theory. I think that a possible explanation could be that she simply feigns being insane? It could also be just a narrative choice to use a more recognizable place? Because by all accounts, she should always be going to a prison like Blackgate, not an insane asylum.
we will likely find out in killing time its hard to speculate with so little information. but during the time this was rebirth, she got thrown into Arkham due to how violent she got inside. its mentioned somewhere around batman I am suicide to rooftops.
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Can anyone else see traces of Catwoman from Cat-tales by Chris Dee in some of Selina’s actions in King’s work? I see it more in Selina’s attitude…and Helena’s tasing dick reminds me of Selina setting fire to the scarecrow in the metafanwork. (it’s been ongoing for 20 years and about 76 stories, I think it’s safe to say its the closest thing a fanwork can get to being unofficially official)
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I’d have to read the entirety of Cat-Tales to give a definitive answer. While it is possible that inspiration was taken from it when you have that many stories, there’s bound to be some overlap and similar plot devices and scenes.
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Have you read all of Cat-Tales?
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