Catwoman: When in Rome

Really distinctive, unique art--beautiful, stylized, really gets the emotions, mood, and action across. The dialog is great too: snappy and clever, but not ridiculously so, and does not adhere to the usual noir cliches. And best of all, Catwoman shines. This is a book to remind one of everything there is to love about her. Self-sufficient, canny, but with a heart that sometimes comes into play.

After being linked to a mob boss's death, Selena flees to Rome. But despite the city's reputation as a no-cape zone, she keeps running into evidence of the presence of an ever-widening circle of the Bat's enemies. Meanwhile, she's concerned with her own search for the truth about her parentage, and her troubled relationship with Batman. This is a show more fantastic story, full of double-crosses, narrow escapes, and murky motives. The Big Bad leaves a little to be desired, but I was so entranced by Selena that I didn't care. I'd recommend it to anyone feeling a bit jaded and tired of the usual Bat-stories. show less

This writer-art pair is the dream team. Everything I've read from them have been perfect. "Catwoman: When in Rome" is no exception. Loeb's characterizations are pitch perfect, and his mystery is as engaging here as it is for his "Long Halloween" and "Dark Victory" stories. The only difference here is that "When in Rome" is a bit smaller in scope, and simpler. Nevertheless, every page is worth it. Sale's art makes sure it stays that way.

08/13/2009: 4 stars.

11/03/2018: 3 stars. It's still pretty good for Catwoman, and the art is good, but this time around I felt like there was less to it. Like, I love Catwoman at her best, but most of the time she's just a sexy lamp, even in her own stories. There's less of that here -- it turns out her fixation on Batman isn't entirely natural -- and she's after something of personal significance, not just sexy clothes or whatever. I just felt like it didn't add a whole lot to Dark Victory. (Which I hadn't read when I read When in Rome nine years ago.) But if you like Catwoman this is one of the less-exploitative works. And it also works as a standalone story, they include the beginning and ending from Dark Victory, so you're not show more confused reading it, which is awesome and should be done all the time with tie-in books. So... three stars. show less

I don't think I really cared what Catwoman was doing when she disappeared from the narrative of Dark Victory, but who cares when the answer is so entertaining. I don't really understand what was going on in this story-- who knew what about whom didn't always seem to hang together-- but everything was always fun; Loeb writes enjoyable dialogue, and no one draws quite like Tim Sale, who employs a somewhat different style here than on The Long Halloween and Dark Victory. As a week in the life of Catwoman, this is pretty enjoyable stuff, and I look forward to reading more Catwoman comics.

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The art is breathtaking at times. It has a very different feel from regular comics. It's lush and seems to jump out from the pages. The story was quite good, too, especially in the way it showed Catwoman's vulnerability and cunning at the same time.

In Catwoman: When in Rome, Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale return to the events surrounding Catwoman and her disappearance to Italy (pg. 347) from Batman: Dark Victory. Along with Edward Nigma (the Riddler), Selina Kyle travels to Italy looking for proof that Carmine “The Roman” Falcone is her father, explaining the connection between them that Frank Miller hinted at in Batman: Year One and that Loeb and Sale continued in Batman: The Long Halloween. Like Loeb and Sales’s other work, Catwoman: When in Rome draw upon film tropes – in this case The Godfather – in telling their story. The wash of colors helps create the feel of a crime story while Loeb’s pacing drives the action and mystery in a way that draws the reader in and envelops show more them in their world. Sale also finds a way to reference Darwyn Cooke’s redesigned Catwoman costume that redefined the character in the mid-2000s. A must-read for fans of Loeb and Sales’s work and their portrayal of the Riddler later inspired his role in Loeb’s Batman: Hush. show less

Kudos to Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale for turning their amazing gifts to a female lead and giving Catwoman her own series! One of the best Catwoman stories I've ever read!