Catwoman: Soulstealer: The Graphic Novel

by Sarah J. Maas, Samantha Dodge (Illustrator), Louise Simonson (Adapted by)

Overview

It's been two years since Selina Kyle last set eyes on Gotham City...and now that Batman is gone...Selina is back! Or at least, Holly Vanderhees is. As Gotham's newest socialite, she'll put her old talent for picking pockets to new use while rubbing shoulders with the city's finest citizens. But her past is catching up to her, and she is running out of time...

Luke Fox has been looking for just the right opportunity to show Batman he can protect the city from Gotham's worst as Batwing. When several high-profile fundraisers are disturbed, Luke's clandestine activities clash with his parents' expectations. As the scion of one of Gotham's finest families, he's expected to attend these events with pride. As Batwing, he's trying to stop a new team of villains from ruining his mother's plans. Now he feels permanently one step behind...

Will Selina have what it takes to outsmart Batwing before it's too late? Or will she be the final victim of her greatest heist yet?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781401296414
Publisher:	DC Comics
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	118,233
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in 35 languages. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog.

Samantha Dodge is an artist who trained at SCAD and started out designing interactive animations for 2-D games. Catwoman: Soulstealer is her first DC Comics project. She loves drawing superheroes reacting to humorous or awkward real-life situations. Although her childhood "ultimate superhero pick" is a tie between Wonder Woman and Xena, the Warrior Princess, Catwoman and the Gotham City Sirens will always be a close second. Her other favorite fandoms include: Avatar and The Legend of Korra, Harry Potter, Killing Eve, Star Trek, and Doctor Who.

Editorial Reviews

07/16/2021

Gr 8 Up—In this graphic novel retelling of Maas's popular DC Icons book, Selina Kyle, part of the Leopard gang in Gotham, fights in underground rings to raise money for her sister Maggie's illness, before being busted by the police. In exchange for Maggie's safety and care, Selina agrees to join Talia al Ghul in the League of Assassins. Years later, Selina escapes from the League with a small fortune, a thumb drive holding the secret to reusable Lazarus Pits (which heal the sick), and a high-tech cat battle suit. She arrives in Gotham under the alias Holly Vanderhees and soon finds her alter ego Catwoman entangled with Batwing (aka Luke Fox), a superhero still struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder from his time as a U.S. Marine. Catwoman must join forces with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn in order to survive Gotham criminals and the League of Assassins, as well as complete her plan to save Maggie. By replacing Selina's traditional love interest of Bruce Wayne with Luke and by incorporating the League into Catwoman's origin, Maas breathes new life into the oft-told Catwoman story. The art primarily relies on blacks and grays, a fitting color scheme for gloomy Gotham. Catwoman's purple suit is both a nod to retro Batman costuming and an effective way to make her stand out among the dark artwork. However, the lack of color makes it difficult to identify most characters as any other ethnicity than white, with the exception of Lucius and Luke Fox, who are Black. VERDICT This is a well-written and deftly illustrated, enjoyable story about trust and teamwork. Fans of other DC teen publications such as Michael Moreci's The Lost Carnival and Danielle Paige's Mera: Tidebreaker will be pleased.—Tammy Ivins, LIRN

School Library Journal

2021-06-02
An iconic character morphs from panels to prose and back to panels.

Based on the 2018 Maas novel of the same name, Simonson’s graphic adaptation faithfully follows its predecessor, introducing readers to Selina Kyle, a gifted student and gymnast who has an abusive mother and a younger sister, Maggie, who has cystic fibrosis. Selina turns to a life of crime with the League of Assassins in order to pay the astronomical bills for Maggie’s medical treatments. When Selina arrives in Gotham City (disguised as socialite Holly Vanderhees) she meets wealthy and enigmatic neighbor Luke Fox. Both Luke and Selina harbor secret alter egos, but their chemistry—both with masks and without—is palpable. When Maggie’s condition takes a turn, Selina launches her own dangerous scheme to save her, bumping elbows with recognizable characters such as Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and the Joker. Dodge’s shadowy black-and-white art, accentuated with well-placed bursts of color, perfectly captures the tenor of crime-laden Gotham. Simonson’s reimagining switches points of view from Selina to Luke, clueing its audience in by speech bubble colors. With the popularity of high-octane franchises like the DC Extended Universe and Marvel Cinematic Universe, this should have wide appeal based on name recognition alone, even if this offering feels somewhat diluted. Most characters, including Selina, appear White; Luke reads as Black, and Harley and Poison Ivy have a romantic relationship.

Total catnip for this feline’s fans. (Graphic adventure. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews