Catwoman Vol 1 #82 Review

Catwoman Vol 1 #82 Review - Cat Outta Hell

Published July 2000

Writer: Bronwyn Carlton

Pencils: Staz Johnson

Inks: Wayne Faucher

Catwoman gets out of solitary! Riding a wave of barely contained rage at the world at large, it's payback time, starting with the prison staff. But not everyone on the wrong side of the law shares Selina's agenda, and the authorities are not the only ones whose blood will be spilled. However, instead of it being a cop, Harley Quinn is in disguise, wanting something from Catwoman.

We pick up this issue following Catwoman's dramatic reawakening in the Cinque centre.

Hot damn, I love this cover. It's just so reminiscent of a Joker pose, especially with the teeth showing from a huge grin and the colouring is pure classic horror - all muted monochromatic tones, glaring white teeth with just the blood in colour. It's just so dramatic and intriguing at the same time.

Now when I first read this I had no idea what a Cinque centre was. I mean, obviously it's a mix between a light prison and rehabilitation? Or something like that for criminals?
I'm older now and have the internet so I did a search to help other people with my knowledge gathering skills but all I can find is the number five and a bunch of Catwoman references. Useless.

So pretty much it's a sort of a minimum security prison for women but it's not really a prison kind of, the inmates are residents but also criminals and the guards are officers in uniform.

We open up on the newly escaped Catwoman clad in cinque officer garb holding a knife to another officer - beginning a riot amongst the residents. Catwoman only wants to get out of there but other residents are happy to start some drama and get violent. I love the fight scenes on this page because they are fluid and authentic looking. They show exactly how violent the residents are and how unprepared or rather, untrained the officers are for this kind of scenario. It's really believable how it has escalated so fast. 

It's only the quick thinking of a trustee who suggests that the downed officers become hostages that has probably saved several of their lives. The residents snatch up key cards and quickly work on unlocking doors and moving the hostages to the cafeteria while the other officers watch on in horror from the control room. They try to escalate the issue to the police before the lines are cut - the director sends some officers out to secure the office and to do recon and it's not long before they run into one of their own?

As well as setting up the scene for our special guest star, it adds a bit of a human element to the riot. It'd be easy to just show the riot scenes and the director watching the CCTV but here we have two officers who are clearly rattled by the destruction they have found in this hallway alone and they practically jump out of their skin when they come across another officer. 

This officer strangely doesn't raise any suspicions. It's understandable that they may not recognise her and yes, they've got more pressing matters on their mind but when this officer jumps into every emotion possible, over acts ("Oy, the pain!") uses her 'broken' arm freely and offers no explanation about how she escaped the twostrong gang without any marks on her?

Meanwhile in the cafeteria, inventory is taken and they discuss their next steps.
Fischer is still keen on killing some 'pigs' but Uniqua - the trustee is selected to take negotiation demands to the director. Catwoman is present but remains silent, and does not contribute to the proceedings.

Harley has made it to the directors office where she blends in and attracts no untoward attention. The police have arrived and are discussing contingency plans and bringing in ex-marine sharp shooters. 

Director Norsing is horrified at bringing in guns as she is still trying to look out for her charges which exasperates Captain Rossetti to no end - he's a bit more jaded about this type of thing.

A distraction arrives in the form of Uniqua bringing the demands which include ending involuntary drug treatments, uncensored access to letters, visitors and phone calls as well as amnesty for the uprising. Norsing isn't impressed with these demands as she believes they will in effect reverse the good the Cinque centre is trying to do - and to Rossetti's delight she agrees that this may require a more forceful hand. 

Norsing asks for the injured officer Perez to be released, and they compromise - discussing safe passage for injured officers and residents. Norsing selects an officer to go back with Uniqua to help transport the injured... and it's none other than Harley who has slowly but surely been making her way to the centre of the action. 

They reach the cafeteria and Harley walks in with Uniqua and gets a mixed reaction from the residents. Fischer and the others are unsure about releasing anyone, so Harley asks what Catwoman thinks which raises some hackles but Harley presses the issue with her hold over Catwoman and secures a private meeting with Fischer along as a chaperone.

The meeting starts off discussing what Catwoman wanted to achieve and quickly escalates, courtesy of a manic smile and a hidden knife.

This allows Harley to leave - escorting Catwoman to the ambulance with urgency (and not waiting for the injured guard) and they receive a clear path while the other residents move into damage control.

Outside, Catwoman's placed in the ambulance where the paramedic confirms it's not as bad as it looks. 

Unfortunately, it kind of is as Harley chooses that time to tase the paramedic and make her big reveal. 

THE GOOD!

• The art is gorgeous - fluid motion and clear lines. The eyes are realistic and engrossing, lips are beautiful, poses natural. Backgrounds are consistent.
• Harley Quinn is awesome - she uses her charisma and smarts to turn every situation into her advantage.   
• Again, the riot scene is believable without being over the top

THE BAD!

• Quite a few times the characters are blackened out silhouettes but it's usually at dramatic times and not from laziness.  
• Before Uniqua and Harley head back to the cafeteria, Harley runs back to get something which makes Uniqua a little bit suspicious but not enough to act which seems funny for her character who seems smarter than the average resident, boo-boo.

THE UGLY!

• The first scene that we fully see the hostage situation in the cafeteria, there is a red headed resident that's usually the first thing you focus on. She bugs me! The overly butch thing isn't a problem, but she's wearing a torn up shirt and apparently no bra. I mean, if she was in her pyjamas or trackie dacks, yeah I could see that but this is a white dress shirt with a collar. What, gotta riot, better lose my underwear first?? 
• I'm still not really sure what a cinque centre is defined as and why they call it that.

THE VERDICT!

This is my favourite comic in this run of Catwoman. 

It's a good mix of classic cartoon and mainstream comic Harley Quinn. She's psychotically violent when it suits her plan, but she's also comical, like saying that the officers would be in deep doo-doo. 

She enters the cafeteria waving to the residents, she startles Ramirez when she dramatically bursts out that she's 'NOT a hostage, I am a human being!", casually jokes about threesomes in a serious situation, Her improvised banter with the first two officers she meets was hilarious. 

She shows off her ability to disguise herself and integrate herself into any social environment - a skill her new comic counterpart does not have (due to being pasty white and horribly self centred and obnoxious) and shows that she can be a villain you need to watch out for.

It also brings the storyline to it's first climax - that it was Catwoman's story but then it turns out someone was pulling her strings.