Catwoman: When in Rome (Comics) | Review

Sometimes the best stories happen in the margins. While Batman dealt with the Hangman murders in Dark Victory, Selina Kyle was having her own adventure across the ocean, one that would fundamentally change everything she thought she knew about herself.

Catwoman: When in Rome takes what could have been a throwaway subplot and transforms it into something that feels both intimate and epic, creating a compelling story that works on multiple emotional levels simultaneously.

What makes this work isn't just the change of scenery from Gotham's perpetual darkness to Rome's sun-drenched streets. It's how the story uses that geographical shift to explore themes that wouldn't fit in the main Batman narrative.

When in Rome picks up during the events of Dark Victory, following Selina Kyle as she travels to Italy to investigate her possible connection to Falcone crime family. The premise builds on revelations from The Long Halloween about her potential parentage, turning what seemed like background detail into an entire story adventure.

The investigation takes Selina deep into organized crime's old-world traditions, where family bloodlines carry weight beyond simple genetics. She finds herself navigating a dangerous world where respect is earned through violence and loyalty is measured in blood.

The Rome she encounters isn't the tourist destination of postcards– it's a dangerous city where ancient power structures and old family rivalries still determine who lives and dies on these historic streets every single day of the year.

What elevates the story beyond a simple origin tale is how it refuses to provide easy answers about Selina's heritage. The mystery of whether she's actually a Falcone becomes less important than what she discovers about herself while searching for the truth.

Each new revelation forces her to confront fundamental questions about identity and belonging: does family history determine destiny or can someone transcend their bloodline through personal choice and deliberate action in defiance of expectations?

The supporting cast includes both familiar faces from Gotham stories and new characters who feel authentically Roman rather than just relocated Americans. The Falcone family members she encounters have their own agendas and complicated relationships with both their criminal legacy and their legitimate business interests.

None of them are simple antagonists or allies, which creates genuine tension about who Selina can trust. The story also functions as a character study of what happens when someone used to operating in Gotham's shadows finds themselves in unfamiliar territory.

Selina's skills translate differently in Rome's ancient winding streets and the significant cultural differences create obstacles she can't simply cat-burglar her way around. The language barriers, social customs and different approaches to crime all force her to adapt in ways that reveal new compelling aspects of her complex personality.

One of the most compelling elements is how the story handles the question of belonging. Selina has never quite fit anywhere– not with Gotham's legitimate society, not fully with its criminal underworld and certainly not in Batman's world of absolute moral certainties.

Rome represents a potential third option for Selina, a unique place where her particular combination of specialized skills and moral flexibility might finally make complete sense and where she could truly belong for the first time in her life.

The connection to the larger trilogy remains strong throughout, with references to events from Haunted Knight, The Long Halloween and Dark Victory that add depth to it without requiring extensive knowledge of those Batman noir stories.

The strategic timeline placement during Dark Victory creates interesting dramatic irony for readers as they know exactly what's happening in Gotham while Selina remains completely focused on her Italian investigation and family mystery.

This is truly Selina's own story in ways that The Long Halloween and Dark Victory never quite managed, despite her important role in both stories. Here, she's not just Batman's complicated love interest or another player in Gotham's criminal ecosystem– she's the sole determined protagonist of her own journey of self-discovery.

Writing by Jeph Loeb (Avengers: X-Sanction, Fallen Son: Death of Captain America) takes on a distinctly different tone here, one that feels more introspective and deeply personal than his previous work on the Batman-focused stories in this trilogy.

His dialogue captures Selina's authentic voice effectively, showing her intelligence and wit while never making her feel like a male writer's fantasy of what a strong female character should be. The careful pacing allows for quiet character moments between the action sequences, creating a story that feels genuinely emotionally complete.

Artwork of penciller Tim Sale (Hulk: Gray, Spider-Man: Blue) adapts brilliantly to the Roman setting, using the city's architecture and natural lighting to create visuals that feel distinctly different from his Gotham work while maintaining his signature style.

This visual change reinforces the story's themes about possibility and transformation while never abandoning the sophisticated visual storytelling that defines the trilogy. Sale's panel layouts show increased confidence with sequential storytelling, particularly during action sequences that take advantage of Rome's unique geography.

His dramatic splash pages capture the city's architectural grandeur while his more intimate panels convey character psychology through subtle facial expressions and body language that feel genuinely expressive and emotionally authentic throughout.

The color palette represents a dramatic shift from the perpetual twilight of the Gotham stories. Rome's golden sunlight and warm Mediterranean tones create an atmosphere that feels almost dreamlike compared to the noir shadows of the previous entries.

Catwoman: When in Rome succeeds as both a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy that began with Haunted Knight and a standalone story that works on its own merits, proving Selina Kyle can carry her own character-driven, compelling narratives.

The story provides emotional closure to questions raised in The Long Halloween and Dark Victory while opening up new possibilities for the character. It treats the mystery of Selina's parentage with appropriate complexity, avoiding both the easy answer and the frustrating non-answer that would have satisfied no one.

As the final piece of what becomes a cohesive trilogy, When in Rome demonstrates that great comic book storytelling can explore themes of identity, family and belonging without sacrificing the adventure elements that make superhero comics entertaining.

It's essential reading for anyone who appreciates the other entries in this compelling saga and it stands as definitive proof that supporting characters can successfully carry their own stories when handled with intelligence and genuine respect.

The real achievement here is how Loeb and Sale skillfully created a compelling story that feels intimate and significant, personal and mythic. Twenty years later, it still remains the gold standard for how to handle a character's origin story when the character is complex enough to deserve more than simple answers about their past.

Catwoman: When in Rome is a 6-issue limited series, collected in trade paperback and deluxe hardcover editions and also appears in Loeb & Sale Omnibus collections. Digital readers can access it through Comixology and DC Universe Infinite.