ACW #614 – Catwoman

Action Comics Weekly #614 (Catwoman)
“The Tin Roof Club, Part Four”
Writer – Mindy Newell
Pencils – Barry Kitson
Inks – Bruce Patterson
Letters – Carrie Spiegle
Colors – Adrienne Roy
Assistant Editor – Dan Raspler
Editor – Denny O’Neil

Can ya believe it?  We’re already done with Catwoman!  I mean, done-done, she ain’t comin’ back!


These Showcase Presents features are short one-arc-and-done affairs.  This will be the only one for a bit… the next will be Shazam!… which begins, in ten weeks!  Save the date!


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Remember last week?  We ended with Catwoman being tossed out a window and plummeting to her most definite doom.  Only, well.. of course she doesn’t land with a splat.  After a little aerial voodoo, Selina manages to land on a flagpole sticking out from the building.  Back inside, Arthur and his Lady Friend are approached by Hotel Security.  They demand to look around, unless Artie can cough up some, uh, “charity”.

And so, one of the Guards proceeds to snoop around the room (while the other keeps Arthur and Whatsherface out).  The snooping guard takes a look out the room’s open window, and… well… Catwoman grabs him by the shirt, and… get this, pulls him out, dropping him to his death!  Wait, what?  She… killed him?!

Next, tired of waiting, the other Security Guard peeps out the room, leaving Arthur and his Mistress to argue, giving us the confirmation (as if there were ever any doubt) that Arthur did kill Holly… annnnd, the same thing happens!  Catwoman yanks this poor sap out the window, too!  So, in the course of two pages, Selina has killed two (relatively) innocent men!

She climbs back into the room, and… puts the Brooch back in its box… and places that box back into Arthur’s nightstand.  Hmm…

Arthur and Whatsherface re-enter their Hotel Room… and just then, they find themselves swarmed by Police Officers.  Ya see, a couple of poor goons were just tossed out their window… stands to reason, Artie might know a thing or two about it!  Far as the Cops know, Arthur’s the one who tossed ’em!  That’s not going to be his only charge, however… they also locate the purloined Brooch in his nightstand!

So, after killing two dudes and planting some evidence, Selina Kyle wins the day!  Yay?  We wrap up back at the Tin Roof Club, where she and Detective Flannery share a drink… and a smile.

—

Well…


This certainly… uh, turned… didn’t it?


Not digging the idea that Selina would kill a pair of dudes as nothing more than a means to an end.  I mean, I can’t root for that!  Up to this point, Selina has been a mostly sympathetic character… I’ve been rooting for her throughout.  But this… this is a step too far for me.


I mean, Arthur needed to pay for what he did to Holly… but, other people didn’t need to die for that to happen.  Selina should have been smarter than this.  She didn’t kill those Security Guards because she “had no choice”… she chose to do it!  It was a decision she made!  I don’t like that… don’t like it one bit.


Really not much more to say about it.  After three very strong installments, this final chapter really… uh, pooped the bed.  I’m very disappointed.


Tomorrow: Speaking of disappointment… Black Canary!