I love that DC is coming out with all of these graphic novels about the superheroes and bringing the stories back out in novel form!

This is not my cup of tea, and generally speaking I like Catwoman. I am not a big follower of DC comics, and neither are most of my students, so I know that there are things that I missed.

All of that being said, there are other Catwoman stories that I find much easier as an access point and for teenagers.

Catwoman can be a fascinating character and I actually was kind of digging her Batman Returns esque costume in this volume. If I had to level a critique at this run so far it would be that Catwoman feels like a side character in her own book. It left the collection without a real centerpiece. After the epic wedding saga, I would have preferred Catwoman to go back to her roots with a simple, classic cat burglar tale. The shady political intrigue found in this book could make an interesting story, but as is it left a little choked. It almost feels like Catwoman could be completely excised from the story and you'd hardly notice. Catwoman stories work best when you've got a birds eye view into Selina's world. (See the Brubaker/Cooke run for a great example.) I feel the character was under utilized here.

In any kickoff volume you expect a little exposition, but from Catwoman you also expect fun. You need it. This was not a fun read. Here's hoping the second volume finds its groove.

This review will be posted on 4/16/19 at https://smallvillechronicle.blogspot.com/2019/02/book-review-catwoman-v1-copycats.html

I really enjoyed this - I don't normally read Catwoman, but I thought this was a great take on the character. She's drawn sexily but not ridiculously, there's a great villain, everything is pretty self-contained, and it's a page turner.

This was OK, not super great. Selina is trying not to focus on the past, but instead that's all she thinks about. That and her inability to sleep. It would be nice for readers who missed the wedding (like me) to know what happened to make her this way.

Stunning to look at with excellent art work and brilliant colors . This story is a thriller . After leaving Batman at the altar Selina leaves town only to find many copycats around town committing crimes. While she find out who is behind this before she lands in jail. Excellent story keeps you turning the pages

This is from an advance review copy for which I thank the publisher.

This was a nicely done comic, written and illustrated by Jones in partnership with fellow artist Fernando Blanco, and colorists Laura Allread and John Kalisz. I liked this version of Selina Kyle: perky, confident, realistic, and not overblown into some pneumatic caricature. The writing was sensible and fun, and the artwork excellent.

She would pre-fur to live in relative obscurity at her new scratching-post away from Gotham, but unfortunately Catwoman cannot find the peace she seeks because of a cat nipping at her heels - or rather, several of them. There seems to be a veritable plethora of cat-women here. Why? Is it some sort of Meow-Too movement? Will the real Selina please stand and arch her back?

Making a feline for the answer, the real Catwoman stray-cat-struts her way boldly into the fray to tear down this caterwaul and see what's on the other side of it. I commend this as a worthy read.

Catwoman Vol. 1: Copycats picks up where Batman Vol. 7: The Wedding ended for Selina Kyle. Broken hearted and needing sleep, Selina is trying to mind her own business as she blows her money each night consigning Bruce Wayne from memory. A cop is shot by someone in a cat suit and Selina quickly realizes someone is trying to get her attention. A politician's crooked wife and a room full of actors in catsuits, Selina comes out swinging and everyone quickly acknowledges the Cat still has her claws. I loved this book. I loved the Cat seemingly broken but recovering enough to reemerge tough as nails and taking no crap. The art is eye candy and the story simply pleasing and rousing. This book is definitely worthy of a re-read and I am hoping for more in the series by Joelle Jones. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

I feel like I've waited a long time to read Joelle Jones' Catwoman story and it did not disappoint. First off, I appreciate anyone writing Catwoman that refers to Her Sister's Keeper, which I consider key to Selina's backstory. Additionally, I think that Jones captures Selina Kyle's character perfectly. She's not the cutesy, dippy cat lady but she's not entirely the villain either. The story featuring young Selina and her sister was a spot-on interpretation of the character and I hope we see more of it in the future. I also think how Jones handles the Bat/Cat relationship, especially after Batman #50, was excellent. Selina suffering from insomnia leaves Gotham and finds herself involved in a pretty weird mob-esque type family. Looking forward to future issues!

I have not read Catwoman before, so this story line had me a little confused. I did enjoy the artwork as it was fantastic, but as the story unfolded, it seemed disjointed to me. Too many things happening, too little explained. Her move from Gotham, I guess was explained in a previous story arc. Don’t understand why she can’t sleep and why her new nemesis won’t leave her alone. Again, loved the graphics, not the story arc.

All I knew about Catwoman before picking up this comic I learned from from Batman Returns, so I was relieved to find that I could understand the character and catch on to the story pretty quickly. The art is engaging, and the story was getting there; it didn't super grip me, but I would be interested in reading further volumes. All in all a solid good if not great read.

I received a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.

This was not my cup of tea. I found the storyline choppy and confusing, and while the art is interesting and well done, some of the spreads were choppy and confusing as well. I'm sure for the right reader this is awesome, but as someone who isn't a hardcore Batman fan, I wanted to like this so much more than I did.

This was closer to a 3 1/2 star, almost a 4 star, read, but there were a couple of things that knocked it back. Jones is a great artist, but needs to work a bit on the storytelling. There were a number of loose threads in the story of the Creel family that needed to be snipped off or developed a bit further. Also, for some reason, in the pdf of this that I read (via Netgalley), the issues were all out of order. Four issues and then a bunch of alternate covers and sketches of art in process, etc., followed by the usual ads for other Bat-titles. And then, there were the two missing issues. Very odd how that happened, but it completely blew the flow of the story for me. Still, this is very promising and I will look for further collections in this series.

Chased by corrupt politicians and reflections of past decisions, Catwoman begins her adventure in a new city as gritty as Gotham. The story is strong and mysterious, with beautiful art that accentuates every detail. Thanks to NetGalley and DC Comics for the eARC.

An outstanding derivative story that delves into the persona of a new and conflicted Catwoman. Affected by her recent decisions, Selena struggles with both her new and old life as she tries to set things straight.

I'll definitely recommend this one to our library patrons. It's always cool to start a new volume and series of a beloved character.

As a quick disclaimer, I’m not reviewing this based on story continuity as I’m new to the realm of comic books and can’t talk accurately about that. I’m purely assessing the story and the art style.

Catwoman Volume 1: Copycats is a no-holds-barred, action-packed story featuring a grotesque villain and a fight to overcome her grip on the city. Between the epic fight scenes, we see a more vulnerable side of Catwoman than you’d expect.

In general, I found the story to be extremely compelling. The author alternate between the current predicaments and Selena’s past. The panels shed light on how she came to be Catwoman, and the trauma that led her sister to a breakdown. There’s a lot to unpack as we watch her struggling to deal with the issues of past volumes. She isn’t herself at the beginning, hiding away in a storage unit, unable to sleep or fully live her life. We see a deeper side and it fuels her actions as she tries to recover.

The villain was especially terrifying to me. There’s an unexpected reveal that’s a bit jarring, and that’s exactly what you want in a comic book villain. She has a dark past filled with betrayals and power grabs, making her the perfect monster for Selena to overcome.

I loved the art style and the wide variety of panels. Kyle’s movements and fighting style are drawn with precision, creating impressive fight scenes. I was most impressed with the full-size and multi-page panels with their intricate details and action-advancing techniques.

Overall, Copycats was an interesting place for me to begin within the Catwoman storylines. It’s a new start for Selena and I look forward to following her through the remaining volumes.

Review will be published on 4/16/19: https://reviewsandrobots.com/2019/04/16/catwoman-volume-1-copycats-book-review