Batman and Catwoman #22

Batman and Catwoman #22

Peter J. Tomasi: Writer
Patrick Gleason: Penciller
Mick Gray: Inker

Preview and Solicitation

Review
Well, this was an interesting issue.

I don't quite know how to describe it. It was entertaining, but it was lacking something. There was some emotional punch with the story that just felt missing. There wasn't that contrasting character personalities really battling it out would be the best way to describe it.

Also off in this issue was Carrie's flexibility. Between the weird held tilts and the broken back she displayed when talking with Bruce (seriously, how is her hand touching the small of her back and that is a comfortable pose?) I just felt like she was an alien in this issue. No human could bend like that. I even think Catwoman looked less flexible that Carrie did in this issue.

I will say that it was a touching moment when Batman and Catwoman had their one page of awesome sauce with Bruce carrying the little girl with the moon in the background. It really makes it seem like this entire issue was planned just around that one image, and it works in that regard. It does make the reader wonder if this was intentionally planned by Catwoman to help stir Bruce out of his misery (nicely done) or if this is happenstance. I'm going with the former more so than the latter.

Do you know what provides for some solid build up and entertainment? The Two-Face pages at the end of the issue. He's been building up for awhile now, and I find ti to be very entertaining. You know why this snail's pace of an introduction is better than the Reverse Flash's appearance in The Flash? They are quite similar in the fact that they are slowly building up this character over the course of several issue using just a page or two at a time. The detail lies mostly in the art.

Two-Face is given more of a presence than Reverse Flash. There is the mystery of who is Reverse Flash, but there isn't a whole lot being conveyed about him. He shows up and he kills someone. Some powers are displayed, but it isn't anything that really grabs me. With Two-Face, the art is bringing out his character. Very few words are ever spoken when he is around.  The faces of the other people in the room show more about how he is perceived. You know more about what Two-Face is about and his objective that leaves for a suspenseful moment. Reverse Flash is just going to kill for some reason that we won't see for what feels like a couple more issues from now.

Grades
Words: 7/10
Pictures: 7/10
General Feeling After Reading: Surprisingly uninspired.
Buy Next Issue: Nightwing is up next, that family relationship should be interesting to see.