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By Ed Brubaker & Cameron Stewart (DC Comics)
ISBN: ISBN: 1-84576-190-1
This last collection of tales (taken from Catwoman Secret Files #1 and issues #20 – 24 of her monthly comic) before a major redefinition of the character, sees Selina Kyle take her long time associate (“Don’t call me side-kickâ€) Holly on a mysterious road-trip across DC Universe America, having adventures in the home cities of other heroes.
After a brief stopover in up-state New York with Wildcat for some self-defence lessons for Holly and a rooftop fight with some Egyptian Cat Cultists, our four-color Thelma and Louise arrive in Keystone City and become involved with Captain Cold’s plan to burglarize the Flash Museum.
As octogenarian Shamus (and sometime paramour) Slam Bradley keeps an eye on Catwoman’s home turf for her, she and Holly hijack a mob hijacking at a diner on the way to Opal City, meeting up with the fondly remembered Bobo Bennetti (from James Robinson’s Starman series), before ending up Down South in St Roch for a team-up with Hawkman and Hawkgirl.
They finally reveal the origins of those cat cultists who have been popping up ever since paragraph two. Most brilliant moment comes as Bradley and Batman have a bitchfight over who gets to be Selina’s boyfriend.
This sassy, thrilling and charming ramble is Brubaker at his streetwise best and the retro styling of Cameron Stewart captures the joy and horror of these extraordinary characters lives in an mesmerisingly subversive way. Utterly recommendable, fun comics.
© 2005 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.