Review: Catwoman Vol. 4- Come Home, Alley Cat

Quick Summary

Pros: There are a few fun moments within the first half of the book. The book’s closing half is compelling and builds some excitement for the future.

Cons: The book’s first half is pretty lackluster and forgettable. The book’s second half builds promise but still ends up feeling just average. The book’s artwork ranges from just average to slightly below average.

Overall: This is a volume that struggles most of the way through. The majority of the book collects mediocre stories and mediocre artwork. It isn’t until the book’s second half that things start to really take a turn for the better. Overall, this makes it feel like the book is an uncomfortable point of transition for the series as a whole. In this way, readers interested in the next story arc may want to consider checking this book out but readers simply looking to continue the previous one may want to pass.

Story

Catwoman Vol. 4: Come Home, Alley Cat starts out pretty rough but manages to improve as it progresses. The stories in the first half of the volume range from average to slightly below average. There are a few standout moments within this portion but most aren’t very memorable. The stories in the second half fare better. They still aren’t fantastic but they form the start of an interesting, new narrative that is set to continue in the next volume. Ultimately, this volume is a bit disappointing but does manage to show some hope for the future.

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As mentioned above, Come Home, Alley Cat starts out rough. It collects a handful of mostly independent stories that each last an issue or two. Some of these stories have their moments and the story about Selina and her sister traveling to Gotham is solid. However, most of the stories here are lackluster. The opening stories are strange encounters that have Catwoman quickly dispatching a few generic threats. Then, the story moves to a mysterious island of criminals where an intriguing premise ultimately boils down to a forgettable final battle.

The rest of the collection shows more promise. The closing story arc finally moves Selina to Gotham and has her begin to establish herself. This is interesting to see, as it echoes her past career as a mob boss in a fun way. It also adds some satisfying and well-executed drama to the collection. This upswing in quality is nice to see and gives hope that the next volume will keep it going. However, it isn’t quite enough to turn this volume completely around. 

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Art

The artwork in Come Home, Alley Cat ranges a bit but never manages to seriously impress. The story arcs in the first half, penciled by Mirka Andolfo and Cian Tormey, are both energetic and expressive. However, they also contain visuals that are a little over-the-top and exaggerated. In addition, the variety of artists in the book’s first half leads to art style shifts that can be a bit jarring, especially when it comes to depicting Catwoman.

Like the story though, things do manage to improve toward the end of the book. Fernando Blanco’s work on the final few chapters ends up looking very nice. The pages are structured well, the depictions look nice, and the style suites the story being told. Unfortunately, this upswing in quality is too little, too late and leaves the quality of the collection as a whole feeling lacking.

Continuity

Catwoman Vol. 4: Come Home, Alley Cat continues the story from Catwoman Vol. 3: Friend or Foe? (Review).

The story here continues in Catwoman Vol. 5: Valley of the Shadow of Death.

This volume also references and continues the stories from other comic books, detailed below:

• Throughout the volume, there are a few vague references to the outcome of Catwoman (Reading Order) and Batman’s Wedding. This took place in Batman: The Wedding (Review) (Reading Order).
• The dialogue stating “You have eaten well” is a reference to similar dialogue from Batman: The Dark Knight Rises.
• Catwoman #25 is a tie-in to the Joker War (Review) (Reading Order) event. See our “Joker War Reading Order” to see exactly where this issue fits into the event.
• Penguin was scarred in Batman #88, collected in Batman Vol. 1: Their Dark Designs (Review).