A review by jonwesleyhuff
Catwoman Vol. 1: Copycats by Joëlle Jones
This is a weird one. I got the first couple issues and read them and was really excited about this run. Joelle Jones's art is beautiful, and her design for Catwoman's suit is really interesting, taking some of her best looks and adding some high-fashion to it. Her depiction of the villain in issue one is really effectively chilling. Then, I decided to trade wait and got back to the book... and I'm sad to say the first volume kind of falls apart.
First of all, there isn't much of a story here? This is one of those instances where I might bump up my rating after I read future volumes, but there just isn't a lot to this book. There's some interesting set-up of new villains, but it's almost all squandered and resolved by the end of the first arc. There's a death that's supposed to be dramatic but wasn't set up very well. And, perhaps most frustrating, the intriguing set-up and name has a pretty weak resolution that feels more like a concept that Jones didn't know what to do with versus a fleshed out story.
Now, there's still a lot to like here. Don't get me wrong. There's some great side characters I look forward to getting to know better. The art and storytelling is top notch. But I'm just missing some basic storytelling here. Hopefully we'll get more in volume 2.
First of all, there isn't much of a story here? This is one of those instances where I might bump up my rating after I read future volumes, but there just isn't a lot to this book. There's some interesting set-up of new villains, but it's almost all squandered and resolved by the end of the first arc. There's a death that's supposed to be dramatic but wasn't set up very well. And, perhaps most frustrating, the intriguing set-up and name has a pretty weak resolution that feels more like a concept that Jones didn't know what to do with versus a fleshed out story.
Now, there's still a lot to like here. Don't get me wrong. There's some great side characters I look forward to getting to know better. The art and storytelling is top notch. But I'm just missing some basic storytelling here. Hopefully we'll get more in volume 2.