NGL, I had Sarah J. Maas' Catwoman: Soulstealer {DC Icons Series} on my Amazon wishlist for like four years before finally purchasing it, and within a few chapters, all I could ask myself was "What took me so long?" Y'all, this book is good, and brings a whole new origin story to Catwoman. Admittedly, I am more of a Marvel fan myself, but the representations of characters such as Poison Ivy, Luke Fox, and even Harley Quinn do a lot to capture your interest while reading, making you empathize with their vulnerabilities, and see them for more than the villains and/or heroes we know them as. I legit thought this would be a one and done type of deal for reading, but after finishing this one, I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to exploring the rest of the DC Icons Series.
Seventeen-year-old Selina Kyle would do anything to protect her younger sister, Maggie, whose lungs are failing due to cystic fibrosis. In fact, it's her sisters medical bills that inspired her to join Gotham City's legendary girl gang, the Leopards. Each night she takes to Gotham's slums to steal, street fight, and earn her spots {badges of honor, if you will}. It's not the ideal situation; but as long as Selina is able to keep a roof over her and Maggie's heads, and stop Social Services from discovering that their drug-addled mother has been missing for months, she considers her sitch a win. Until everything comes crashing down, and she's offered the opportunity of a lifetime: Maggie will be adopted by a well-to-do family and given the necessary medical treatment, as long as Selina ghosts Gotham, and joins the League of Assassins abroad. For Selina, it's a no-brainer.
Fast forward a few years, and Gotham is introduced to Selina Kyle's new persona: the blonde, European-bred, wealthy Holly Vanderhees. Now armed with years of training with the League of Assassins, not to mention a super suit that essentially transforms her into Catwoman; Holly is ready to take Gotham by storm - and with Batman away on business, the city is hers. What she wasn't expecting, however, is that Batman's protege-meets-partner, Batwing, is on the scene - and closer than she expected. While some would take such a presence as a sign to vacate the premises, Holly sees it as a challenge, teaming up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to take down Gotham's elite.
Though Holly returned to Gotham with a mission in mind, for the first time in her life, she finds herself forming connections with people who push her to let her walls down. Like the handsome Luke Fox, who happens to live in the penthouse next-door; to the sweet Poison Ivy who was used and left to deal with unwanted abilities after an experiment gone wrong; even to the broken Harley Quinn, who has allowed a lifetime of familial abuse to make her chase after the cold-hearted and incredibly violent {not to mention psychopathic} Joker. With so many managing to enter her heart, Holly starts to see that she is a good person {who does bad things sometimes}, and begins to question her past decisions.
This is not your typical Catwoman origin story. It is very different from anything that I have seen before, and that's, perhaps, what makes it so incredible. This is Catwoman with heart. Within these pages you see Selina/Holly/Catwoman grow exponentially from street rat to, for lack of better comparison, Robin Hood. She has a conscience; she does not really want to hurt anyone; and she's someone that you can't help but to root for. That said, her light is almost stolen by Poison Ivy who is just a fire character. While I've always loved Catwoman, Poison Ivy has never been on my radar, but she was incredible within this book, and I seriously need an origin story about her like yesterday. Bottom Line: Whether you're a superhero/Marvel/DC fan or not, this one will put you in your feels.
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