Absolute Catwoman #1 Review
Writers: Che Grayson & Scott Snyder
Artist & Cover Artist: Bengal
Colorist: Giovanna Niro
Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Variant Cover Artists: David Nakayama, Sozomaika & Kaare
Andrews
1:25 Variant Cover Artist: Mateus Manhanini
Foil Variant Cover Artist: Bengal
Also Available: Logo Cover
Editors: Andrew Marino, Katie Kubert & Chris Conroy
Publisher: DC Comics
Price: $4.99 US/Variants $5.99 (cardstock)
Release Date: June 10, 2026
She grew up with Bruce, Waylon, Ozzie, Eddie, and Harvey in
Crime Alley. Selina helped Bruce set up the deal with Carmine Falcone that got
Waylon his gym. Then she escaped Gotham and made a name for herself as she
traveled the world. But when Bruce went missing for months, Selina Kyle
returned home to see what Ark M did to him.
"Don't trust her, kid," Alfred Pennyworth advised.
But Bruce knew what he needed to know about Selina Kyle. Her gear suggested an
association with Black Mask, the organization that had wracked Gotham with
violence. "Don't tell me you got where you got by playing clean,"
Bruce said to her. Still, she helped him battle Bane. "If the rules aren't
fair, stop playing by them," was Selina's slogan.
What did Selina Kyle do in Penang that turned Alfred against
her? And where will Catwoman turn up next? Let’s leap into Absolute Catwoman #1
and see!
Story
As a woman in a Catsuit slips into her apartment on a rainy
night, Selina Kyle is ready. She shoots the intruder with tranquilizer darts.
But then someone starts shooting at Selina. And they're not firing darts. After
finding cover, Selina spies more women dressed like her. But unlike her, the
copycats' gear is a mere costume. Selina uses her enhancements and abilities to
send them scurrying away. Then Selina notices the explosives they left. And
before she can deactivate them or escape, the Semtex detonates.
The explosive beginning in Absolute Catwoman #1 hurls
readers back in time. When she awakens that morning, Selina is contemplating a
major life change. Then the clock winds back further. Before Selina Kyle could
afford a penthouse flat in London, she was a foster child in Gotham. Selina
never had a loving family. But she forged friendships along the way. And she
always had a dream.
Che Grayson and Scott Snyder interweave past and present to
bring readers up to speed on Selina's life. Amid the rapid-fire action, Selina
realizes that her plans have abruptly changed. In one crazy night, she loses
the sense of security she fought hard to achieve. Yet even though people have
done her wrong, Selina risks her life to protect them from danger in Absolute
Catwoman #1.
Art
As cats watch from a dark alley, a gleaming tower rises
above the London streets. Within the glass-walled flat, a silhouette crawls
along the floor. After removing a painting from the wall, the woman in a
catsuit turns as the shadow of a cat rises on the wall safe. Bengal devotes a
two-page spread to show Selena utilizing her weapons and fighting skills
against her opponents. Then, Selina's blue-and-green apartment transforms into
a yellow, orange, and red inferno.
Giovanna Niro draws on a collection of limited palettes to
differentiate time and location. Sunlight fills her apartment with pink and
purple. Green, blue, and yellow fill spaces without windows. Gray links
Selina’s past with her present, while orange, yellow, and red hint at how she
was always one step ahead of trouble in her youth. Yet as Selina remembers the
evening before her apartment exploded, pink foreshadows the violence to come in
Absolute Catwoman #1.
Lucas Gattoni slips black uppercase letters into white
dialogue balloons and white uppercase letters into blue boxes. Dark blue boxes
indicate Selina's thoughts and comments to her aide, while medium blue boxes
convey Jonesy's responses. Stylish black letters in light blue fields locate
readers in space and time. While orange and red exhalations indicate fatigue,
purple communicates pain. Sound effects enhance Selina's reaction to threats,
while gunfire and explosions threaten her glorious future. Thanks to DC Comics
for sharing this story with us.
Final Thoughts
Serena had seen how people could abuse positions of trust.
Instead of loving and safeguarding her, they had exploited her. So when
relationships proved too difficult, Selina Kyle opted for isolation. After so
many years alone, she may have consigned her childhood dreams to the dustbin.
But then, an unexpected reunion sparks a journey that could offer Selina Kyle
another shot at everything she once wanted in Absolute Catwoman #1.
Rating 9.8/10
To look inside see my preview of Absolute Catwoman #1.
For Selina Kyle's relationship with Bruce Wayne, see my preview of Absolute Batman #12,
My preview of Absolute Batman #13, and
My preview of Absolute Batman #14.
