Customer Reviews

Catwoman: When in Rome (Batman)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love the projects Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale team-up together on (Superman for All Seasons being my absolute favorite) and Catwoman is my all-time favorite comic book character, so when I heard about this project in the summer of 2005 it sounded like heaven. Sadly I missed collecting the original miniseries so I snapped up this hardcover the minute I could get my claws on it.

This follows Selina Kyle after the events of The Long Halloween (probably Loeb & Sale's most popular book together.) It's very early in her Catwoman career, and she's still dealing with her attraction to Batman and even her own identity. After the grisley events of Halloween, she decides to hoof it to Rome to find out the truth of her past and maybe pick up a priceless gem and a hot local guy or two. She takes the Riddler with her, which is pretty unusual, but after explaining why he's there he becomes a nice piece of comic relief for most of the book. I loved watching Selina beating him up. A lot.

You could pick this book up and enjoy it if you haven't read Long Halloween, but Selina's contacts in Rome are all related to the Falcone family, whose exploits and various murders happen in that book. All in all this was a fun read, and while I love the current Catwoman series (don't get me started on issue #50 though, oy!) it was nice seeing Selina as a self-absorbed socialite-type for a bit. There IS a major revelation in this book about Selina's real parentage, which tweaks her entire backstory. I can only assume the abusive/suicidal parents we've been shown for so long as her backstory happened after the events shown in this book.

This is a valentine to Selina Kyle and her prior jet-setting lifestyle, and also to the stylish Rome- and they fit together like a glove. The art is, as usual, unique and gorgeous. Here Ms. Kyle is drawn as a curvy, buxom strong sex kitten with long curly hair. I always thought she looked a bit odd in Long Halloween, but I'm happy to say she looks great in here. This colorful hardcover has a great story inside with a French and Italian couture/film noir look and feel to it, and it'll look great on your shelf. 'When In Rome' is a vacation from current comics that take themselves too seriously while wrapped in ridiculous looking spandex. It's sexy, fun, engaging and highly recommended.

Selina "Catwoman" Kyle is seeking for her roots -- and how better to do so than to fly to Rome in the company of a diminutive Edward "The Riddler" Nigma? Convinced that a deceased Gotham City mob boss is her real father, Selina -- still at an early stage of her career -- recruits Nigma to help her solve her personal riddle. (In the meantime, he might also help her figure out where her missing luggage went.)

Let's forget for the moment that this would mean Selina isn't really related to her sister, with whom she shares a remarkable resemblance, and focus on this story alone.

Let's ponder instead why Selina is haunted by visions of Batman. Why members of the Mafia in Italy are so eager to take Selina's life, and why one of their pre-eminent hitmen is willing to put his on the line to save her. And why the Riddler is suddenly a criminal of dwarfish stature.

"When in Rome" is a sleek and sexy Catwoman as envisioned by the hit team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, the writer and artist responsible for several bestselling titles for both DC ("The Long Halloween," "Dark Victory," "Superman for All Seasons") and Marvel ("Daredevil: Yellow," "Hulk: Gray," "Spider-Man: Blue") in recent years. Loeb's writing is more noirish and character-driven than the average superhero comic; he doesn't shy away from a little mayhem here and there, but it's not the central motivation of his work. He quite obviously finds layers of personality much more interesting, and often a meaty source of conflict. Nigma is a perfect example, providing both the comic relief and genuine menace. Sale's art, on the other hand, is not my favorite style: the faces of his characters are often uniformly sallow and drawn, and there's a certain awkwardness in their movements. Still, it works well with this story, perhaps because he excels at drawing Catwoman just as sleek and sexy as you'd imagine her to be, and his detailed backgrounds are well-suited to the Italian cityscape.

"When in Rome" tweaks Selina's personal history quite a bit, and by the end it's not at all clear how new revelations fit into the accepted storyline. It's a little disappointing, actually, that her rather unique origins have been muddied with a new thread too similar by far to that of another Bat-satellite character, the Huntress.

But that's for the continuity experts, if they exist, to debate. As a stand-alone story, "When in Rome" is another winner from team Loeb and Sale.

By Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor

So being the Batman fan that I am as well as a Loeb/Sale fan, I devoured everything I could of theirs. Knowing that this story of Catwoman, trying to discover her roots in Italy, took place in between The Long Halloween and Dark Victory just made it that much more enticing. Unfortunately I can't say that the magic they were able to pull off with Batman and other heroes was put to good use with Catwoman's solo story.

Not to say that their talents were put to complete waste. The artwork was terrific as always. I just couldn't get into it the same way I got into their work previously. Maybe it's because I'm not as big a fan of Catwoman as I should be to enjoy this. There are plenty of characters from the Bat universe thrown in there for good measure (Batman never makes an official appearance, just in Selina's dreamlike hallucinations), but still that wasn't enough to satisfy.

The Riddler plays a big supporting role in this and while he is one of my favorite Bat villains, the fact that he was there couldn't elevate it for me. I actually much prefer the way other writers handle Riddler better. I would love it if these guys would collaborate on another Batman project at some point in the future because Catwoman just wasn't a good enough substitute. No offense to Catwoman or her fans intended! I still love these guys' work and if they were to write another Catwoman tale set in Gotham I would be all over it.

Catwoman: When In Rome is a graphic novel containing six issues of the comic book series published in 2005. Re-published in graphic novel hardcover format, this is a must-have for fans of the Bat and the Cat.

Writer Jeph Loeb has spun an almost magical tale about Selina Kyle going to Rome to find out about her past and to steal a mafia ring from the Vatican. Catwoman has brought along Edward Nigma to help her. The Riddler is in over his head, as he and Selina tangle with Sicily's finest. They meet a man known as "the Blonde." The Blonde is a great character, all man as Selina is all woman. There is sizzling romance and mystery as traces of Gotham's supervillians keep turning up in the Mediterranean. Selina must uncover the truth before it is too late.

Artist Tim Sale is staggeringly talented. He draws Selina lushly. She is Sophia Loren with claws. I was entranced by his drawings, and by colorist Tim Stewart's gorgeous palette of colors. Gotham is usually portrayed in cool shades of blue and green. In this graphic novel, Stewart uses all warm shades. The whole book is as warm as an evening in the Sicilian countryside.

The story and art combine to create something that is very much like a classic movie from the '60's. The story is old-fashioned and classic. Pour a glass of vino and settle down with When In Rome. I wish I could give this book ten stars. One of the best ever, period.

To my mind, this is the best illustrated Catwoman book. The storylines leave something to be desired, but this is a pleasure to look at throughout as almost every page captures the colors and vibrancy of the protagonist.

When in Rome is a series that fills the gaps in Batman's Dark Victory arc by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. It follows Catwoman as she travels to Rome with hopes of uncovering the truth of her relationship with the Falcone family. To assist her she has invited the riddler to tag along and offer his quick wit for piecing her puzzle together. It is a decent book. If you loved Dark Victory or The Long Halloween then this book is an added treat. The story is great, the dialogue is fantastic, and the art is as beautiful (as ever thanks to the great Tim Sale and Dave Stewart). I also enjoy being able to read a Batman related piece from the perspective of Catwoman. If you even need a reason to go over Dark Victory again then do it after having picked up this book. The only think that slightly caught me off guard was the way that Catwoman was constantly being put on display. She was constantly being caught without cloths on. It seemed as though one of the reoccurring conflicts in this story was the constant struggle to find cloths for herself. Now i'm going to stop, before this starts to sound like a huge complaint. But, for better or worse I feel like this topic is worth noting for those who are interested buyers. Even if you don't want to read it, its worth buying. haha.

Although the origins of DC Comics characters were rewritten after the Crisis of Infinite Earths, this graphic novel gives Catwoman fans at some possible storylines for her origin. I like how this book gives clues how Selina Kyle is Carmine Falcone's daughter.

After reading the reviews I decided to order this book. I was pleasantly surprised. It is a good follow up to The Long Halloween. I enjoyed the artwork and found the story to be, at times, funny. it does fill in some gaps in Catwoman's background. I wish I could find more books of this caliber.

Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale have had considerable success in chronicling Batman's early adventures through their earlier stories "Haunted Knight", The Long Halloween", and "Dark Victory". Their sylistic, noir take has given a classic, timeless feel to the Batman mythos. Thus, it is only fair, however, that Batman's femme fatale receive her share of the spotlight.

However, "When in Rome" is not a stand-alone story. It serves as a companion piece to "Dark Victory" and is the final installment of the Loeb/Sale trilogy. In the midst of the Hangman murders, Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman decides to leave Gotham -- with Edward Nygma AKA the Riddler in tow -- and journey to Italy, to investigate clues as to her possible parentage. However, it is not a simple vacation as Selina is quickly framed for the murder of a Mafia boss and is forced to deal with the Casa Nostra and a few surprise appearances.

It doesn't perfectly synch up with "Dark Victory", but it still works. There's even a subtle link to Loeb's later story "Batman: Hush", but I won't spoil things. The strength of the story lies in Loeb's characterization of Selina Kyle at this stage of her career and what has made her such an endearing character. Like Batman, he has Catwoman down to a 'T' with her sass, grace, and intelligence. As for the art, Tim Sale is still one of the definitive Batman artists of the modern era. Yet, the art is stronger than his previous outings, thanks to the ink-wash and colors of Dave Stewart.

"Catwoman: When in Rome" is ultimately a fun outing for Catwoman fans and a must-read for fans of the Loeb/Sale collaborations.

Loeb & sale excelled with this catwoman book. When in Rome gives a new dimension to catwoman, gone to Rome to search for something very personal. The story is interesting & the art is magnificent. This book deserves a 5 star undoubtedly & a must buy for catwoman & batman fans alike, they will not be disappointed.