Catwoman Vol1 #81 Review

Catwoman Vol 1 #81 Review: It's a Wonderful Life

Published June 2000

Writer: Bronwyn Carlton

Pencils: Staz Johnson

Inks: Wayne Faucher

Stunning truths are revealed in what may be the strangest, most disturbing issue of CATWOMAN ever. It's a pivotal chapter in the life of DC's Feline Fatale. If Selina thought being in prison was bad, wait'll she tries a few days in solitary confinement. Making matters worse, this confinement isn't exactly as solitary as it's supposed to be, and someone very dangerous lurks in the shadows, revealing truths about Catwoman she isn't prepared to face.

Wait a minute! This is a Harley Quinn Blog! What are you doing writing a review of an old Catwoman comic?? 

Well, dear ones, this is one of my favourite Harley Quinn cameos/story arc. 

True story, I was a massive Catwoman fan as a kid! 

 It started with this comic in my local library. It was amazing to read something so unabashedly gritty and dark (well, to me anyway at that time in my youth) about a bad ass woman who didn't back down. Also cats. Yes, I really liked cats. I now know that I would like to be a cat (I would love to have a tail. I don't care how awkward the pants wearing would become) but that cats themselves are Satan incarnate.

Anyway, Selina Kyle was firmly cemented in my mind as an icon alongside Wonder Woman in DC Mythology.

 Even in her 'body paint costume, thigh high boots and smuggling rockmelons' phase, she was bloody amazing. She was smart, calculating, fearsome and straightforward enough to be cool without being a jerk.

Well, I think so. My local library didn't have much of a variety of good comics and this was before I could use the internet freely.

Catwoman was never short of representation though, whether it was in live action movies, cartoons, TV shows, action figures and cameos in other DC comics.

Then there's this bad ass...

And Harley's homage to that iconic scene

I still kept up with the reading though as I got older. I don't know if it was me being desensitised, or the signs of DC beginning to suck but Catwoman slowly became more heroic then anti-hero sometimes hero and the constant romance with Batman became a bit of a turn off and I read her comics less and less. 

It was probably around that time that the Harley Quinn set in. 

When this comic came out, Harley was still fairly new to the mainstream comic scene and I think she wasn't taken very seriously due to her cartoon origins. I think that's why I love this comic so much, because it shows how much of a threat she can be without going over the top - something they really fail at when they try do it in her new series. I mean great, put the psychiatrist to work with a baseball bat instead of using her strongest weapon - her freaking mind!

Anyway - in this issue Catwoman's finally been imprisoned and is not doing so well. She's in solitary, not eating and definitely not living up to her reputation. 

 She's flashing back to her childhood - where she lives with her loving mom and abusive dad. Things are breaking down in their marriage - he's been cut off from his wealthy family as they're unhappy he's married 'beneath' him - into an ethnic family.

Things get weird when Selina's mom breaks character to ask where her sister is. Selina is confused, she hasn't got a sister. (Well she kinds does) This sister however, is pig tailed and vanishes when Selina goes over to her.

 Things escalate when young Selina returns home from school and discovers her mother dead in a bath tub. Her flashback mother questions her with an outsider's voice - Did you know she was dead?

Selina's clearly rattled but that gives way to anger as she realises she hates her father's side of the family for pushing her mother to end her life.

 After the fact, the police arrive and are asking questions, analysing why this happened. Again the police officer's words don't fit into the scene but then we segue back into reality - Catwoman in a padded cell in the foetal position being spoken to by an unknown figure in the cell next to her.

They next discuss her dad's death by alcoholism (side note - interesting that Selina's home is now filled with quite a few cats.  Not sure if it's her subconscious Catwoman persona setting in or if that really happened.

She is again questioned about her sister's fate - angrily replying that she doesn't have one before a vision of the pig-tailed girl in flames.

Memories swim together of Selina's first foray into street crime and being sentenced to Juvenile - the latter being played out like a school excursion.

When questioned about being caught and what she did next - something within Selina snaps and she rouses in her cell.

SHE ESCAPED.

 

Catwoman - back to something of her old self - takes down two guards at feeding time - unlocking the room next to her and throwing in one of the guards so that the resident inside can take the uniform. Catwoman - also in a guard uniform, is making a break for it - and ends up holding another guard hostage in view of other residents/guards. 

The Good:

*Seeing Catwoman, robbed of her beloved freedom, so close to her breaking point and about to snap. Clearly the worst situation she's been in thus far and it makes for an interesting story. 

* The distorted memories - Selina clearly does have a sister - as we know from other comics, and the way her parents talk - but only Selina appears to be able to see her. Selina begins to reject this sister that is clearly being implanted in her mind. 

The Bad:

* I love the art work but sometimes it does look off - one panel I'm thinking of is when young Selina is calling the police after her mother Maria commits suicide - and her lips are massive. Like, silicon injection too mature for a girl her age massive. Apart from that, everything else is realistic enough. 

The Ugly:

* It's never easy seeing domestic abuse - but here it's done well and paints a disturbing picture of Selina's home life that clashes with how we first see her - an acrobatic, happy child. 

Also a lot better than this variant cover cameo. What the heck is going on with Harley's tits?