TBU Review: Catwoman #85

In this comic book review of Catwoman #85, Selina Kyle makes her return to Gotham. Will she be welcomed back with open arms?

CATWOMAN #85
Written by TORUNN GRONBEKK
Art by DAVIDE GIANFELICE
Main Cover: SEBA FIUMARA
Variant Covers: FRANK CHO, MAHMUD ASRAR, W. SCOTT FORBES, JORGE JIMENEZ, LEIRIX
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: 3/18/26

This review contains spoilers

Catwoman #85 opens with Black Mask torturing and killing a man who sold him out. Black Mask isn’t the powerful crime boss we all know and love. He has hit rock bottom as his men are leaving him and he is just left with one poor soldier. Until a woman comes to see him who has a grudge against Selina Kyle and offers a teamup.

Selina is sneaking into a function at police headquarters but not through an air vent. She is going through the front door disguised as a pregnant, blond woman. She gets patted down at the front by a female officer and she asks if she has any names planned. Helena if it’s a girl and Alfred if its a boy. (Love). The officer says she dated an Alfred once and he was a real gentleman. (Go Al). 

Using her purple scarf as a hood she knocks out one of the guards. With the purple hood and blonde wig, she looks like Stephanie Brown. I know my cohost on the TBU Podcast will be happy to see that.

Flashback to a week ago and Selina returns home to her apartment in Gotham She is being evicted, there’s no power, the cats are hungry. Selina then calls Holly to say she is home.

Selina is making her way and getting her ducks in a row to rob the police station. She sets a fire, jams the radios, and takes out a couple useless security guards.

Selina reunites with Holly and Holly says she needs her help. Her girlfriend is in trouble. While they are talking, she is being watched by a woman who is reporting back to Black Mask. Selina is happy that Holly came to her because it gives a reason to be needed. She was searching for a reason to take that job Carmine offered her and this is her opportunity. 

Catwoman is done at the police station and Carmine’s men come to pick up. However they are not there for the money but they are stealing drugs. Catwoman confronts Carmine about how he lied. Catwoman demands honesty from Carmine and takes off.

Selina returns home and sees someone tied up on the floor. Its her friend George who lives outside her apartment on the street. He has a black mask on his head and when Selina takes it off, she sees a bomb attached to his head. Catwoman #85 ends with her friend’s head exploding right in front of her.

Analysis

So the big mystery of Catwoman #85 is who is the woman teaming up with Black Mask to target Selina. Selina has a lot going on in her return to Gotham. She has to work for Carmine Falcone, Holly needs her help, and now she has Black Mask and a mystery woman coming after her. I look forward towards the end of this arc when all those things are colliding all at once. And you just know a certain Dark Knight will show up.

This is the most I’ve ever read of a Catwoman run. I always thought it was tough for her to have a consistently great run. If she’s a thief just running around Gotham then she’s going to go toe to toe with Batman. Is she a hero? Is she going to fight other Gotham Rogues? But this run has been pretty good by Grønbekk. He took her from Gotham and brought her back because of her past, because of Holly. And Holly is a character that dates back to Year One and Frank Miller. 

Grønbekk’s little bit about what Selina would name her child was terrific and a nice little touch that still tangentially connects her to the Bat world. 

Catwoman #85 sets up a lot. Black Mask making a comeback in Gotham’s underworld. When will Selina be done with Carmine or will she need his help to fight Black Mask? And what’s up with Holly? Is there betrayal in the future?

BJ Shea

BJ has had two passions in his life: sports and comic books. Specifically Batman and Robin. Not a day has gone by where BJ hasn’t watched or read something Batman-related. Currently, his goal is to collect as many Dick Grayson (his favorite character) issues as he can. Doesn’t matter if he’s Robin or Nightwing or Agent 37, he wants them. Another goal he has is to collect the complete Robin run of Tim Drake’s classic series. Raised on reruns of Adam West and was there for the animated series, BJ is down for any version of Batman. The Dark Knight is his favorite movie ever. On any day, BJ is most likely watching sports, watching anything Batman, or The Office.