Gotham City sits on a powder keg as election day looms large, with Mayor Harvey Dent hellbent on increasing police presence to crack down on dissent, adding more fuel to the fires of civil unrest. Intending to enter the abandoned Batcave, Selina Kyle, formerly known as the Catwoman, brings Poison Ivy and the enigmatic Jason Blood in tow for the heist of a lifetime. She wants to unravel the mystery of the “Orpheus” — the word that Batman whispered into her ear with his dying breath on Fool’s Night eight years ago. Catwoman: Lonely City #4 from DC Black Label, written, drawn, colored, and lettered by Cliff Chiang, brings the epic journey through Gotham’s bureaucracy to a satisfying conclusion.
Catwoman: Lonely City #4 takes the reader back to the night when Joker gave Batman two choices: save Commissioner Gordon or save Gotham City from his goons’ wrath. The present-day scenario is remarkably similar, with the demon Etrigan having both Selina and Pamela in his clutches. Fortunately, Catwoman calms him down just in time for them to begin the descent into the cave when they come across various security measures, magical and otherwise, that deter them from venturing too deep. But Selina’s guile helps the team find their bearings as they overcome every obstacle on the way. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent prepares to enter the Batcave with a full battalion of Batcops and a tank.
For a story entrenched in melancholy, Catwoman: Lonely City #4 opens with a rush of adrenaline. Chiang draws parallels between the events of Fool’s Night and the current predicament Catwoman finds herself in but serves more as a reminder or a painful memory than a meaningful lesson. From the start, Chiang has placed a character-driven focus on Selina, whose every emotion has led to this moment. The dialogue highlights each character’s distinct personality as they voice their concerns. Although it would have been nice to see Etrigan speaking in rhymes, even the demon spawn finds a place in this rogue tale disguised as a political drama.
Chiang also pulls off the artwork and lettering with flying colors, whipping up a storm of stunning colors and bold linework that is bound to leave readers wide-eyed in amazement. He plays around with the three-dimensional space to create an enormous Batcavethat makes Selina and her cohorts look tiny. Surrounded by recognizable memorabilia and familiar motifs, the Batcave is a definite high-point in this issue, but the visual spectacle doesn’t stop there. Gotham City is a living, breathing organism, an ever-evolving landscape that assimilates the new and the old. Using carefully placed details, Chiang lights up each panel with beautiful decor, as stimulating colors set the tone.
Catwoman: Lonely City #4 conjures memories of one of poet Dylan Thomas’ famous lines, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” This stubborn spirit brings together a broken city to fight back against oppression and mends Selina’s broken heart, giving her the solace and closure she has been looking for. In just four prestige format issues, Chiang has created a memorable tale that puts the Batman mythos to good use. But the most satisfying part is the gorgeous artwork that takes the reader by the hand to guide them to new beginnings.
Leave a Reply