Catwoman - Before 2011 Renumbering #72

Okay, I won’t beat around the bush. This issue reveals the fate of Selina’ daughter Helena, the fate that Rich Johnston alluded to in his ‘Lying in the Gutters’ column. I won’t get into details, but it certainly does beg the question: Why? Why have Selina have a baby in the first place? If you’re not going to follow through on the whole single-mom quasi-criminal (anti-hero?) why even begin the journey? Who’s driving this bus?

I’m having serious problems with these abrupt changes in direction, apparently through editorial fiat, that DC is undergoing these days. The whole One Year Later business was obviously designed to provide a “soft” reboot for various titles, and Catwoman seems to have gotten the short end of the stick. Her big change (motherhood) is rapidly being undone. She’s gone from crook to reluctant hero to mommy and now we’re getting a reversion to ‘crook’? But there are other problems -- she knows Batman’s secret identity. So how can this ‘crook’ business play out?

If there’s a plan here, I’m not seeing it, and that’s unfortunate. Rapid shifts in characterization usually mean poor writing or lack of competent editorial direction. Pfeiffer’s a decent writer, so I’m voting for poor editorial decisions, and we all pretty much know how that ends up. Good luck, Selina. I think you’re going to need it.