Exclusive Preview: CATWOMAN #17

Things haven't been going too well for Catwoman lately. Because of her loose association with Batman, she got pulled into Joker's crazy shenanigans. Immediately after that, she found herself possessed by the power of Eclipso. The lady needs a break. Looks like she might get one, but knowing Selina, that doesn't mean she's just going to lounge around and do nothing. Even when relaxing, you know she'll manage to get into some sort of trouble.

Check out the exclusive preview provided by DC Comics.

CATWOMAN #17

• After facing down The Joker and the power of Eclipso, Catwoman needs some downtime—which for her means a crime spree!
• Detective Alvarev is back on her tail—this kitty needs to watch her step!

Written by: Ann Nocenti

Art by: Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona

Cover by: Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona

Color/B&W: Color

Page Count: 32

U.S. Price: 2.99

On Sale Date: Feb 20 2013

As always, you can click on each page to enlarge (especially page 4 & 5).

NICE

Has Nocenti's run improved any since she started? I remembered hearing that it was awful when she started and haven't really heard anything since.

@kennyshat: no. It's really bad. She has no grasp on how the character should act or sound in terms of dialogue and voice. It's really become pretty nonsensical to, past it being laughable. Let's just point out that outfit Selina's in on the first page... because it makes TOTAL sense she'd be wearing that, while perched up on some roof, spying over a playground, only to be in her Catwoman suit in the very next panel she appears in.

It's still terribad.

what is wrong with her leg?!

They need to get rid of Ann, and reboot Catwoman in the New 52. Please DC turn her back into the strong character she became after Heart of Hush and for the love of GOD get rid of the magical cats.

Art looks good

As others have said, Ann is terrible. I believe I'm one of the few who was actually enjoying Catwoman during Judd Winick's run, and looking back now it was a million times better than the crap Ann's putting out. I've tried to fight through it but I think issue #16 is my last until Ann gets removed. It's pretty sad to be a comic writer and to be absolutely terrible at dialogue. And as Fhiz stated, she has no idea how Selina should act. Someone should tell her she needs to take a page from Scott Snyder and learn her characters inside and out BEFORE trying to write about them.

You'd think after The Dark Knight Rises DC would want to go back to Brubaker's take on Catwoman.

Im excited about this! Wish me luck exeryone! I just got a subscription to this and I think I am going to like it!

the dialogue is atrocious

@lifeboy: You clearly just ignored everyone's comments. I liked Catwoman up until Ann took over as the writer. Would I say Winick's run was the best thing to happen to Catwoman...absolument pas, but it was getting better. Ann has just taken a complete 360 with the character and made me cringe with every issue she's written. She writes Selina as some campy sexed-up doll, who doesn't have a clear thought to as what she's doing. Poor Selina, and Catwoman has been my absolute favorite female character since I was little...but this, this is just awful.

I still read Catwoman for the art and because its still a unique book in DCU. Sandoval draws a super sexy Selina! I hope DC Comics keeps this title going for awhile and would give another team a chance if they were thinking about cancelling it, which they shouldn't be because its good.

@Mannequin: ...so Ann Nocenti is in the exact same place that Judd Winick was?

At least Geoff Johns will be using her in JLA. It'll be interesting to see what a really high-quality writer can bring to this character in a team setting.

Is that seriously her motorbike!? That has to be near the top of the list for worst rides in comics. New forum topic?

@usabfb: Not necessarily. Winick was tolerable in the beginning...Ann not so much.

Change the creative team again please, if anybody's reading. there was nothing wrong with Winick/March, it was my personal second favorite book after Snyder/Capullo's Batman, Now it just frustrates me because I want to buy Catwoman books, just not Ann Nocenti's, the art is fine but it's not enough,

Catwoman has some seriously epic mild-mannered apparel.

Ann Nocenti still on this huh? ::yawns:: Pass...

that motorcycle is ridiculous

I would commit petty crimes all day If I was in Gotham.

@ShadowMonkey said:

Is that seriously her motorbike!? That has to be near the top of the list for worst rides in comics. New forum topic?

I didn't even notice it was a motorbike, it looks like a portable gargoyle.

Well the answer to getting rid of Ann now is simple, don't buy the book.

Wow... what in the world are some of you even saying. That art is bleeping fantastic.  
 
His use of perspectives might be seem odd but that's not a big deal when you look at the overall artwork...  
God knows how much I would LOVE to draw half as good as this, I mean really. I wonder how many comic book arts you've come across if you genuinely think that art is bad... 
 
If anything I haven't picked up this book because of reviews about the bad writing quality.

@RedQueen said:

@ShadowMonkey said:

Is that seriously her motorbike!? That has to be near the top of the list for worst rides in comics. New forum topic?

I didn't even notice it was a motorbike, it looks like a portable gargoyle.

YES!

@Skewer said:

Well the answer to getting rid of Ann now is simple, don't buy the book.

<- For some reason all i could think of when I read this was this.

@Hancock89: Look at the left leg on the second page and tell me again the art is fine...

Anyway, pretty sad how this trash is still getting made, while stellar titles like I, Vampire get cancelled. Of course, it's all our fault for supporting terrible books like this and not having better taste...

@Hancock89: Look at the left leg on the second page and tell me again the art is fine...

lameee

@Trevel8182: Magical cats. I haven't read it, and from the sound of that, I never will

@TeamUnitedNerds said:

@Trevel8182: Magical cats. I haven't read it, and from the sound of that, I never will

There are no magical cats. I don't understand why people think they're magic.

i actually quite enjoy sandovals art but after everything ive heard bout this title, its not worth buying from art alone.

I've found that Nocenti's run is readily improving, though I agree, it was a rough start. I liked how Catwoman put the Joker in in his place in Catwoman #14 by calling him out on his obsession with Batman. Selina's again shown she's a master of disguise in #15, something that was missing in the New 52. With this preview we see that Nocenti's Catwoman has some redeemable features, another thing mostly absent from Judd Winick's run. I suspect Nocenti was told to write the stories for issue #0, #15-16 to lead Selina into the JLA, and that issues #13 & #14 would be directly tied into the Batman franchise. Now that all that's out of the way, I'm interested to see how the writer will further develop Catwoman's corner of Gotham City. I'm also LOVING Rafa Sandoval's work and his design of the new cat-cycle rocks!

~ Hype

@ShadowMonkey: Seriously? I love it! It's no more ostentatious than the Batmobile. ~ Hype

I like the art? Even if Selina's outfit is really ridiculous in that first page. I feel like Catwoman is among the titles that just needs to be scrapped and rebuilt from the bottom up. She can get in line behind the Teen Titans for desperate need for the next reboot.

Yeah.. I don't want her in the JLA.

What the hell is that pose she's doing in the cover? I've never seen anyone ride a motorcycle like that

#

@mannequin: we need to talk about #18. i did you like it? it was my first catwoman and at first i thought it was not good but then i thought about it and i loved it. i want to know your thoughts because i am considering picking up ann nocenti's work on katana. what is your opinion?

@lifeboy: Ann Nocenti seems to be a better Katana writer than a Catwoman. She doesn't quite have a handle on who Selina is, but she's doing a good job in my opinion on Katana.