Catwoman: Copycats follows hard on the heels of Batman: The Wedding. Selina Kyle has fled Gotham City after ditching Bruce Wayne at the altar. She has even left the state, relocating to Villa Hermosa, California, where she hopes to sort out her shattered feelings, reconnect with her mentally scarred sister and regain the ability to sleep. Oh, and do some crimes because, you know, Catwoman.

Shortly after arriving in town, she learns that someone pretending to be her has killed two police officers, making her No. 1 Most Wanted in the corrupt little town, which is also where the governor and his evil wife -- the latter of whom has no hair, no teeth, no nose and no morals -- live). Her efforts to uncover the poser lead not to one but to many faux Catwomen, at least some of whom are actresses hired to play the role.

I guess it's good that Alfred Pennyworth, unflappable butler to Selina's ex-fiance, sent her the costume she left behind at Wayne Manor.

Given the emotional rollercoaster of the last Batman/Catwoman arc in his book series, Copycats is a bit of a letdown. Selina can't sleep, but otherwise she seems pretty good after leaving the man of her dreams and breaking both of their hearts on a pretty flimsy excuse. (You know, the old "Batman isn't allowed to be happy" chestnut.)

The duplicate Catwomen are underutilized and the evil Mrs. Creel is poorly developed. Sure, those plot points will no doubt be explored as the series continues, but the hook just isn't there to make me want to continue.

I've been absent from the comic-book world for a while. The last two collections of the Tom King run on Batman had me considering reentering the genre, but Copycat left me feeling ambivalent again.