Reviewer: Tim Sheridan
Story Title: Cold Hard Facts
Written by: Ed Brubaker
Penciled by: Paul Gulacy
Inked by: Jimmy Palmotti
Colored by: Laurie Kronenberg
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Editor: Matt Idelson
Publisher: DC Comics
This was one of the best parts of War Games so far. But not for most of it. I was initially a little wary of buying a Catwoman issue of a crossover, because usually, those are the weakest and have the least to do with the main story. And I suppose that most of this issue didn’t have too much to do with Batman and what he was up to, but the issue really seemed to broaden the scope of the story.
The entire issue is taken as a different aspect of War Games and it just shows that the whole city is being overtaken by crime. We see a day and night in the life of Catwoman, and this is a story that is very easily accessable to those who have not picked up the series in a long time (or at all) but it also flows from the way the last few arcs have been going.
There had been a lot of controversy surrounding the book when Paul Gulacy and Jimmy Pallmotti took over the art, giving the book a much more realistic style, but I have to say, I really liked it. I liked Darywn Cooke’s style a whole lot too, but with the way Brubaker writes, I think this works better. Gulacy has a very specific way of designing his art, from the way cars and guns look to the way a shot is angled. I’ve been a fan of his since his first run in Legends of the Dark Knight, which was way back in 1990, and it’s nice to see he hasn’t changed too much.
The issue paints a nice picture of just how well Selina is connected in the city. We start out with Catwoman in a thrilling car chase scene…without a car. She finds out a bystander was inured, and when she drops by to see Leslie Thompkins to bring the patient to her, it’s a little disheartening the way Leslie reacts. Then Selina stops Mr Freeze from…doing something. I say “something” because it doesn’t really matter. The important part is that he fights with Catwoman and she wins.
After that bizarre-interlude type fight, she find the Spoiler and invites her over to a friend’s house for tea. Yeah, if it sounds weird, it’s because it is. These people don’t know each other. They hung out for a moment during the 12 cent adventure. That’s it really. But see this is where the issue takes on a whole new aspect. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’m going to tell you what is discussed. But the end to this issue really surpsied me. In the last two pages, Spoiler reveals what was the impetus for this gang war, and actually, why the whole story is called War Games.
So yeah up until the end it was pretty much a little innocuous comic book, and something I was just fine with. But the last two pages truly made the whole thing worth it for me.
The Final Word: A weak issue begets an outstanding end, that gives new weight to War Games.
