Catwoman: Replacements by Will Pfeifer

Selina Kyle has become pregnant, and her life as Catwoman is over for the moment. Yet there is someone out there in Gotham City who is watching her every move; taking photographs of her doing her duty to protect the city of Gotham from the scum on the streets. Now that Selina has given up her Catwoman status as a superhero, there are others who have felt the calling, and have taken it upon themselves to don similar outfits and fight in her name. Selina isn’t flattered by others pretending to be her, but as she is out of commission she doesn’t have much choice but to let the other cat women take up where she left off, resulting in some rather sloppy apprehending on their part which reflects on Catwoman’s actual abilities. This annoys her, but what else can she do when she is about to give birth, then have to look after a baby for the first time in her life?

Daniel Lopez’s graphic art mixes the comic element with the photorealistic look that is so popular today. The cover image by Adam Hughes uses this and shows Catwoman on the very edge of a building, as if she is going to fall off if she doesn’t get a grip of the situation. The general story is what every single female super hero dreads – when she is rendered powerless and all the bad guys are still out there, prowling the streets without her to bring them to justice. Her replacement encounters a man who knows Catwoman and wants her dead, thinking it’s Selina in her usual disguise. This is what starts off this strange but thrilling situation. Selina is in a vulnerable position as a former super heroine and she has never felt this way before. She is a strong and capable woman who is used to finding and capturing her suspects.

Catwoman: The Replacements tells the story of the result of letting someone else take on that responsibility. The villains in this story serve as a decent foe, if a little insane, but one of them should have known he would never get the better of Catwoman. I would recommend this novel to anyone who has already read Batman:The Dark Knight Returns, or Batman: Year One. There is a bonus cover gallery by Adam Hughes which shows his mastery of colour, tone and perspective.