Catwoman Vol. 4: Wild Ride (Batman)
One of Batman's earliest foes--she fought the Caped Crusader in the very first issue ofBatmanin 1940--Catwoman has reformed into a jumpsuited vigilante who defends the defenseless in Gotham City. In the latest collection of her own comic, she and protege Holly take a road trip to raise their spirits after the dark events of the just-previous story arc. As they cross the country, they encounter other DC Comics characters, including Wildcat, Captain Cold, and Hawkman (back in Gotham, Batman puts in a cameo). SinceCatwomanowes its appeal to being more a crime than a superhero comic, this ploy shouldn't work. But Brubaker keeps things low-key--Catwoman spends more time in mufti than costume--and this humanizes her costars, too. Artist Stewart matches Brubaker's tone with a style poised midway between originalCatwomanartist Darwyn Cooke's animated-cartoon look and the noirish aura of Michael Lark in theGotham Centralcollection,Half a Life(2005). The collaboration effectively liftsWild Ridea notch above the rest of the Batman line.Gordon FlaggCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved