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This isn't Jean Paul Valley Azrael
Father Valley is a mystery. His unusual style as a hit man, his habit of keeping a bible designated for each of his targets, his macabre and particular method of elegant savagery, his insistence on waiting until his target has reached their highest point before he strikes them down-these are all strange and enigmatic traits that have remained unexplained…until now. Bear witness to Father Valley’s past with the Order of St. Dumas, and his unexpected connection with Azrael, to learn the method to of his madness. And see, once and for all, why Catwoman should be deathly afraid of being on his hit list.
This is a beautiful issue with art styles and coloration that change with the time period and perspective. The drawings are extremely detailed. And there is a focus on character expression and form that is very engaging. The action scenes are also very well done and interesting. Read Full Review
Father Valley has been the surprise of the past few years. Sure, the early incarnations of The Batman Who Laughs, Robin King and The Grim Knight were great. But this guy"he's on another level. Ram V obviously is a Stephen King fan as Father Valley is straight inspired from some of King's works. This story line is "crescendoing" up! Read Full Review
Catwoman is truly one of the best books being published right now and the series doesn't miss a single beat as it delves into the origins of a new character in an annual that builds upon what the regular issues have already laid down. Three complimentary art styles perfectly combine to bring various eras of the story to life while being tied together by wonderful shifting coloring and lettering. This issue and the entire series should be on the must-read list for any DC Comics or just comic book fan. Read Full Review
Despite the relative short camera time for Catwoman in her own annual this was a very strong read. Providing context for villains and their actions is always a sound strangely and Ram V, Hotz, Blanco and Ferreyra make this a terrific and must-read origin. Read Full Review
Father Valley takes center stage in this annual, and Ram V delivers one of the most complex, and storied background in recent memory. This story takes you from the streets of Alleytown, and throws you back in time to Tangier, Morocco, and we see the steps that Valley had to take to make it where he is as one of Gothams newest assassins. Devotion, friendship, heartbreak, Ram and the team here give you such a wealth of material to read, youll be gasping for more. Read Full Review
The three artists, while all very different, fit perfectly in the tone of the story. I do think this maybe would have been a bit stronger if it didn't try to be both an extended flashback and a regular issue, with the main timeline segments feeling a bit out of place amid the very involved origin story. But this continues to be one of the most underrated runs at DC at the moment and a great step up for Catwoman and her rogues' gallery. Read Full Review
Father Valley's history with Azrael and the Order of St. Dumas comes into focus. Read Full Review
While this might not be exactly what fans were expecting from a Catwoman annual, it has enough there to be a meaningful and entertaining interlude. Read Full Review
Ram V's Catwoman crime story progresses in a beautiful chapter focusing on the dark and rich history of the Batman Universe in the Order of St. Dumas, which forged the weapon of Father Valley, now pointed at Catwoman and Alleytown's heart! Read Full Review
Overall, this isn't a bad annual at all, even though the story feels stretched out. Read Full Review
Catwoman Annual 2021 #1 delivers a satisfying origin story to one of the core series' ongoing threats. Read Full Review
Catwoman Annual 2021 delights readers with the majesty of its presentation. It presnts us with two, very different, comic book art styles and tells us a compelling and dark revenge story from a fascinating character's past. With all this context, we can go back to the regular run with a lot more emotion invested into Catwoman" and the strange figure following her. Read Full Review
Catwoman 2021 Annual #1 is a solid tale of conflicted allegiances within a fanatic religious organization. Father Valley and Ludovic dominate the narrative, but longtime readers will likely enjoy understanding Valley's background. The three artists work well together, with Juan Ferreyra's pages a particular standout, but there's no aesthetic missteps as a whole. While the political tension in Alleytown does feel a little abrupt to what came before, V's Catwoman run so far has been stellar and future issues have a great foundation to leap forward from. Read Full Review
Stepping away from Catwoman herself allows for a very intriguing origin story for one of her villains as an element of the Batman mythos is allowed room to expand without Batman himself. Read Full Review
Christian maniacs are always fun to explore in justice-based adventure fiction. The deeper concerns of biblical fanaticism aren't really explored in any great depth. Still, it's fun to see one of the great villainous power structures from antiquity shown for the corrupting power they have always had. It may be pretty well-trodden territory that Ram V is exploring here, but it's a fun issue. It's just...mistitled. Read Full Review
This is an Annual and second straight issue of Catwoman that readers can skip. I am still excited about this book and its ties into the bigger DCU, but things have to get back on track soon! The art in this issue is excellent, but the story felt like an overlong and convoluted way for Ram V to explain why a religious villain in Gotham goes by the name Valley. Read Full Review
perfect!
Just a little side story about the villain of a trade. It is nice to see Catwoman get her own equivalent to Azrael and maybe even Joker. Only problem is, while this is a compelling look at a character, he doesn't have much to offer in contrast to Selina.
This issue was more of a backstory to FR.Valley and how he developed as a character and villain. IT was well-written and showed Azarael working with Valley for some time, however, it just didn't interest me. FR. Valley isn't the absolute best villain for Selina right now, but I'm still here for the story and artwork!
I had a feeling the name Valley was not just coincidential. It adds to the intrigue of this character though seeing how he is connected to the Order of St Dumas. It's been too long since they had a big role. I lost track of Azrael after the team breakup in Detective a while back, so I'm not sure what happened to him. I'm hoping he may have a confrontation with this new foe as well in the future, if not in the pages of this series soon. I hope the showdown with Father Valley is as interesting as this issue was.
Uhh, you know, I've been up on Ram V's Catwoman for a while now, but the least good thing about it has been Judas Priest (Okay, Father Valley is his real name, but I refuse). The trend continues here, unfortunately. I can't help but be bored by his backstory. I don't find the Order of St. Dumas captivating, to put it nicely. Azrael, any Azrael, is trash.
It was decent, it's interesting to see Azrael come back.
I didn't expect Valley and the Order of St. Dumas, completely forgot they were mentioned in the solicitation. Overall an enjoyable Annual that shows well how Father Valley turned into the religious fanatic he has become. I wonder if his involvement with the Order will be explored even further in a future arc if only because Selina does her own research.
It was great to have Blanco back for a few pages, and I am looking forward to seeing him return fully next Issue. While Hotz art heavily inky art and the more gnarly appearance of characters fit with the vibe of the story, I prefer the more simplistic art of Blanco.
Because of Leo and now the ending Father Valley certainly has Selina's full attention now. Their showdown more
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