The Real Flavor
One of the best things about this book is how it captures the essence of Catwoman. Everything we know she will become is demonstrated in these pages. We see her attachment to cats. We understand her taste for stealing ‘the finer things’. Her journey shows us why she is so intensely private and untrusting, even to those that want to be there for her.
Above all, this novel demonstrates the best side of Selina. She may be a crook and a thief, but she always looks out for others who are also struggling. She is a friend to the friendless at school. When she steals, she shares with others that are starving on the street, and when she joins her heist team, she looks after the smallest and most vulnerable of the group. Catwoman is a criminal, but she is a criminal with heart and compassion for those struggling with life.
Wrapping Things Up
This graphic novel does a great job intertwining all these issues in a believable and non-preachy way. One hopes this book can connect with some girls out there and help them through their issues.
While there is a bunch of stuff that goes down, the book ends with a hopeful Selina and and faith in her new identity of Catgirl. What is also nice is after some brilliant moon art to wrap things up, there are two pages devoted to help lines, whether it be suicide, self harming, or domestic violence.
To the average Catwoman fan, this is a great book telling her back story and showing us how she overcomes such horrendous events in her life, but more importantly, this can be a book that reaches young kids, especially girls, in need of help.
