‘Catwoman: Lonely City’ HC (review)

Written and Illustrated by Cliff Chiang
Published by DC Black Label
Release Date: 12/20/22

All fiction springs from the imagination.

But so-called Imaginary Stories hold a particular meaning for readers of superhero comics.

Imaginary Stories explore the possibilities of characters outside of their regular, serialized continuities.

Comic creators first began dipping into the well of Imaginary Stories to propel a myriad of Superman plots in the 1950s in which the Man of Steel would marry Lois Lane and raise a family or come of age on a Krypton that was never destroyed.

As the popularity of the gimmick grew, publishers developed entire franchises around Imaginary Stories such as Marvel’s What If…? series and DC’s line of Elseworlds comics.

Among the most popular Imaginary Stories over the years have been those that explore characters’ latter days. From The Dark Knight Returns to Old Man Logan, stories about how things might turn out for a beloved character continue to resonate with creators and readers.

Artist Cliff Chiang imagines how Catwoman’s career plays out in a world without a Batman in Catwoman: Lonely City. A hardcover collection of the four-issue limited series is available from DC Black Label on December 20.

Chiang is best known for his work with writer Brian Azzarello on DC’s New 52 relaunch of Wonder Woman and for his collaboration with Brian K. Vaughan on Paper Girls from Image.

Catwoman: Lonely City unfolds a decade after Fools’ Night, an event which claimed the lives of Batman, The Joker, Nightwing, and Commissioner Gordon.

Gotham City has outgrown and outlawed costumed heroes and criminals. Mayor Harvey Dent, the reformed former villain Two-Face, maintains order with the help of a police force augmented by Batman’s legacy technology.

Against this backdrop, Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, is released from prison after ten years.

Past her prime and alone in a city she no longer recognizes, Selina sets out to pull off one last score: breaking into the Batcave to uncover the meaning of Batman’s mysterious final words to her.

Working from his own script, Chiang delivers a solid caper filled with action, drama, and humor. The story follows Selina’s attempts to build a team consisting of Killer Croc, the Riddler and his daughter, and others to help her pull off the greatest break-in of her storied career while evading the clutches of Mayor Dent as he tries to leverage her recapture for political gain.

Chiang offsets the grim, noirish setup and the tendency of these hypothetical future stories to lean toward dystopia and darkness by deftly switching between action, humor, and drama both in his storytelling and his artwork. His clean lines and even pacing are a good fit for Catwoman, begging comparisons to Darwyn Cooke and Tim Sale’s depictions of the character.

Moreover, Chiang’s style and storytelling lend the book a feel that’s more Ocean’s 11 than The Dark Knight Falls. It is a tale which, despite the tragedy and drama baked into its premise, feels fresh and fun while offering a window on redemption, romance, and possibilities.

Cliff Chiang’s tale of Old Lady Catwoman’s last big score is an Imaginary Story worth remembering.