This article contains spoilers for Catwoman #26
Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, spent the majority of the Joker War hiding in the shadows. She seemed to have set her focus on rest and recovery over her usual thievery. In recent issues, however, it looks like the femme fatale has come back to play. She has begun referring to herself as the new Queen of Alleytown, though there’s a few people standing in her way of gaining the crown.
Catwoman #26, the latest Selina-centric issue in the Joker War: Collateral Damage arc, opens inside the Iceberg Lounge. Amidst a club full of partygoers exists a side room containing the infamous Gotham mobster Penguin, who is discussing the recent return of Catwoman with a bounty hunter named Father Valley. In a previous issue, Catwoman stole a large sum of money belonging to several different villains, including Penguin himself. Now, he is out for vengeance.
Father Valley, who identifies himself as a “traveling salesman of God,” seems to operate based on his faith in a twisted way and his methods are entirely independent, giving little thought to his client’s preferred method of executions. His mysteriously unrestrained nature makes him an unpredictable addition to the roster of villains plaguing Gotham City. Informed of Catwoman’s weakness – the fact that she cares deeply for her friends and family – Father Valley already has a leg up on her. Still, fans of the Cat know she won’t be defeated that easily.
To hunt her down, Father Valley must head to Alleytown, a subsection of Gotham Selina calls home. She escaped to the borough in search of a new mission. Her hope to become the Queen of Alleytown has her bringing in kids from the streets and recruiting them for her own mission. To do so, she must first rid Alleytown of drugs, as she knows the kids will not be reliable if they are too busy getting high. This requires her to take down the operations of those responsible for the circulation of drugs in Alleytown. However, as she already knows, this will start a whole new war.
While this won’t be an easy task, it’s refreshing to see Catwoman at the center of conflict once again after her retreat during the majority of the Joker War arc. She has emerged from her rest and is ready to claim Alleytown as her own. It seems she has good intentions, even if her actions may lead to even more chaos. Her trickery and manipulation will most definitely come in handy as she recruits the kids of Alleytown to work for her. As long as Father Valley stays out of the way, Catwoman should be fine… but those chances are slim, as it seems he’s pretty set on taking her down.
