Inside an Enigma Concludes in Part 7: Tarot

Now that the Whiskers & Nutmeg fanbase have been appeased, we can return at last to the humans who consider themselves the main characters in Cat-Tales:

Selina was a Rogue.  She knew the rules.  And the rules say the Riddle-Clue has to lead somewhere.

They also say be careful what you wish for.

Guess which one Eddie forgot in the final chapter of INSIDE AN ENIGMA:

Inside an Enigma: Tarot

Tarot!  Now available on the Cat-Tales Website and mobile-friendly mirror Cat-Tales mobi.

 

Catwoman v. Riddler – Inside an Enigma 6

Quite early in Cat-Tales: Book 1 something happened which was long overdue in Wayne Manor, a house with 80+ rooms and therefore 80+ doors which was also the home of a man with a secret identity and therefore telling a lot of lies.  Farce!  I know superhero comics and Batman in particular has been asphyxiating on the dark & gritty for 30 years, but even so, superhero comics were around for decades before that.  It’s hard to believe we stumbled into such camp before uncovering a comedy staple like farce.

Which actually has nothing to do with Inside an Enigma 6, but that farcical episode did include the following line:

“Bruce has had this coming for a long, long time.”

And that’s what’s been echoing my head in releasing this chapter, because something else has been coming for a long time.  Catwoman v. Riddler.  Selina v. Eddie.  He’s had his moments of being a stand-up guy since learning Bruce’s secret (and hence Selina’s secret that Catwoman was romantically involved with Batman after all) way back in Cat-Tales: Strange Bedfellows.  He’s had more moments of being petty, manipulative, and an insufferable dick.  The tensions have built, shifted, friendships were tested,  mended and tested again.  Now, Selina’s had enough.

Hello, Eddie.  I won’t insult your intelligence by explaining the obvious… Riddle me this, riddle me that.  Expect to get scratched if you screw with a cat.
-S. Kyle, Inside an Enigma 6: Sawdust

 

Zogger, Zoophilly and Zeitgeist

We all love Selina, but she does have a nasty streak that we haven’t seen in a while, and it’s stretching like a cat after a long nap.

“I said I was a patient cat, I am.  I said I would wait, I did.  He betrayed my friendship, betrayed my trust.  And now… he is going… to pay.”
-Selina Kyle in the last chapter of Inside an Enigma.

Now the new installment is here…

Cat-Tales: Inside an Enigma 5: Zogger, Zoophilly and Zeitgeist

…And if I were Edward Nigma, I’d be very worried right now.

Inside an Enigma: Zogger, Zoophilly and Zeitgeist on the Cat-Tales website and mobile-friendly Cat-Tales.mobi.

Frenemies

It’s been a week since the a certain kiss up at Arkham that tasted of a Hail Mary Pass and the goings on outside Arkham are about to collide with the happenings inside its walls.  But first, we did leave off with Selina back from a few weeks abroad and thanks to some kryptonite-infused kelp, she and Bruce haven’t had their reunion yet.  Dare we hope that for once there will be more apricot silk than claws & batarangs?

Maybe?

Maybe?  “Just this once,” as they both like to say?

And who remembers when we last saw these guys?

Cat-Tales: Inside an Enigma 4: Frenemies

 

It’s Chapter 4 of Inside an Enigma: Frenemies on the Cat-Tales website and mobile-friendly mirror Cat-Tales.mobi.

New High Def Wallpaper in Cat-Tales Gallery

A few months ago, I introduced Bat-Family Sunrise, the first of a new series of Batman, Gotham and Cat-Tales-themed HD wallpapers for all screen dimensions and devices.  “First in a series” implies, um, more.  And I know you’ve all been waiting, most of you waiting patiently.

This new one was suggested and voted on by readers, inspired by Chapter 9 of The Gotham Post.

Selina, Eddie and a healed Harvey Dent dressed as Nightwing retreat to the real Gotham After Dark when Mrs. Ashton-Larraby’s GAD-themed costume party predictably goes to hell.

 

Inside an Enigma: The Hail Mary Pass

Meanwhile at Arkham… Inside an Enigma Part 3: The Hail Mary Pass

With a title like Inside an Enigma, with a cover image juxtaposing Chinese finger puzzles with the Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, everyone knew the latest Cat-Tale simply must involve Edward Nigma, aka The Riddler.  But throughout chapter 1 and 2, there was no sign of him.  There’s been no sign of him since he was last seen casting off the role of Fate’s Bitch and stepping up to lead the Rogues in a dangerous war against Carmine Falcone.  That ends now in Inside an Enigma Part 3:  The Hail Mary Pass.

 

Spotlight: Riddle Me-Tropolis

 

So… This happened.   Comic Book Geeks of the Internet – and particularly She-Geeks Lacking Complexity – galvanized yesterday to demonstrate how fast we can stage a Social Media Happening / Spontaneous Demonstration / Party.   Now it’s 24 hours later, and as much fun as “Cosplay Appreciation Day” was, and as many uber-cool comic book people we all may have waved at or connected with, the last thing I want to do today is dive back into the gallery and spotlight another picture.  I think we can all do with a palate cleanser, and since it is Cat-Tales and not Catwoman-Pictures-R-Us, I thought I’d focus on the actual stories for a while.

First in the spotlight, because it’s one of my personal favorites and top of the Best Comedies list picked by readers, is Cat-Tale #51 Riddle Me-Tropolis.

Cat-Tales Riddle Me-Tropolis by Chris Dee

What’s it about?  After working out Batman’s identity in Strange Bedfellows, Edward Nigma became what we in CT circles call “Fate’s Bitch.”  He couldn’t seem to catch a break, and after Batman broke his legs in the previous tale, he decided he’d had enough.  Enough Batman, enough Gotham, enough disappointment, enough bullshit, enough all of it.  He was getting his act together and taking it on the road–to Metropolis!

In the Cat-Tales universe, Metropolis is Chicago, the largest and richest city close to farm country, with a history embodying the kind of can-do optimism of early industrial America that is a perfect fit for Superman and Clark alike.  I had a ball making Metropolis a character in this story as much as Gotham is in regular tales, and playing with the wonderful dynamic of Gothamites like Eddie, Bruce and Selina in another city not their own.

You can read Cat-Tales: Riddle Me-Tropolis online on the Cat-Tales website or download it to go as an ebook or in high-quality pdf for printing.

Before the Legend Ends, read back to how it began

Carmine Falcone liked to think of himself as The Godfather, and nothing said Godfather like a big mob wedding. Bane liked to think of himself as ‘The Man Who Broke Batman,’ entitled to all the respect and homage of that achievement. You don’t trash their dreams without consequences, even if you’re The Gotham Rogues.

Cat-Tales 65: The Gotham Rogues will conclude, fittingly, July 20 2012  Before the Legend ends, remember how it began at catwoman-cattales.com

The Bigger Man

It’s classic Brains v Brawn – Riddler versus Bane – in the latest installment of The Gotham Rogues: The Bigger Man

The Gotham Rogues Chapter 8
on the Cat-Tales website

And the mobile-friendly mirror Cat-Tales.mobi

The Hour of the Wolf

A few of the last chapters have been proceeded by a video trailer, or a teaser of some kind.  In this case, I don’t think anything more is necessary than reminding everyone of where we left off…

The Riddler’s head tilted at a too-casual angle as his lip curled into an offhanded smile, giving the impression that his next words were a complete afterthought:

“Oh, by the way, are you at all aware that Bane is back in town, working with Falcone?”

A silent beat while the name sunk in, and then with the specter of the hulking steroid case still hanging in the air…

“Selina ever tell you about their history?  Ta!”

It wouldn’t be nice to keep you waiting too long after that, so let’s get right to it:

Cat-Tales: The Gotham Rogues – Part 7: The Hour of the Wolf on the Cat-Tales website, and mobile-friendly mirror Cat-Tales.mobi