Catwoman (fictional character)
Catwoman is a prominent fictional character in the DC Comics universe, first introduced in 1940 by creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Initially portrayed as a villain known simply as "the Cat," she has evolved into a complex figure with both heroic and antagonistic traits. Her alter ego, Selina Kyle, is depicted as a skilled martial artist and master thief, often seen wielding a whip and wearing a distinctive skintight catsuit equipped with retractable claws. Throughout her extensive publication history, Catwoman's backstory has been reinterpreted multiple times, revealing her troubled past and her fluctuating relationship with Batman, ranging from adversary to romantic interest.
Over the decades, she has appeared in numerous film and television adaptations, contributing to her status as one of the most enduring characters in the Batman franchise. Notable transformations in her character include a reimagining as a vigilante inspired by Batman, introduced in the acclaimed graphic novel *Batman: Year One*. In recent years, Catwoman's narrative has expanded to highlight themes of social justice and personal identity, including her bisexuality, making her a multifaceted character appealing to diverse audiences. Overall, Catwoman's evolution reflects broader cultural shifts and continues to captivate fans across various media.
Catwoman (fictional character)
Catwoman is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Catwoman made her debut in the first issue of Batman in 1940. Originally depicted as a villain, Catwoman took on heroic qualities in later issues. Selina Kyle was the original alter ego of Catwoman, although other female DC characters have donned the catsuit since. Catwoman's primary abilities include expert martial arts training and thievery skills. She normally carries a whip with her and wears a skintight suit complete with retractable metal claws and boots with metal spikes within the heel that allow her to scale buildings. Kyle's backstory has been reimagined several times throughout Catwoman's publication history, giving her reason to be both an enemy and an ally to Batman at various times. Batman and Catwoman have also been romantically linked at points throughout the franchise history. Catwoman has remained one of the most popular characters in the Batman universe and has appeared in multiple film and television adaptations.
Character History
Catwoman was simply called "the Cat" in her debut in the spring of 1940. Writers Kane and Finger modeled the physically attractive villain's look on actresses Hedy Lamarr and Jean Harlow. Like many comic book villains at the time, the Cat had no backstory or apparent motivation for committing her crimes. The villain also did not don cat-related apparel until the third issue of Batman, adopting a furry cat mask and catlike mannerisms. This early manifestation exhibited one particular character trait that Catwoman would continue to display for the remainder of her career: flirtation. Since her introduction, the villain was always portrayed as a conflicted temptress who thieved for the money and the thrill of the steal.
Catwoman was one of Batman's foremost enemies throughout the first decade of the comics. During this time, readers learned her alter ego as Selina Kyle and discovered some key details about her troubled past. Her character experienced a change in attitude in the early 1950s, however, and soon reformed to join the good guys. For several years, the character regularly helped Batman and his sidekick, Robin, during their crime fighting. Writers returned Catwoman to villain status in 1954, after which she was not seen in the Batman comics for more than a decade.
Return of Catwoman
Catwoman reappeared in 1966, primarily due to the hugely successful television adaptation of the Batman comics starring Adam West. The character's storyline underwent several tweaks throughout the late 1960s and 1970s to explain her absence. Writers described the new Catwoman as having reformed entirely in the 1950s, marrying Bruce Wayne (Batman's alter ego) and having a daughter with him. More details about her backstory were also brought to light during the golden age of the Batman comics, such as her abusive past and the origins of her life of crime. This backstory was one of many backstories assigned to Selina Kyle throughout the franchise. DC rewrote the character's background multiple times to serve different narrative purposes. In 1977, Catwoman died after being blackmailed into resuming her bad girl ways. Although she had a larger role in the golden age of the Batman comics, the character of Catwoman/Selina Kyle did not get serious treatment from writers until the late 1980s.
Modern Era
Writers Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli rewrote Catwoman's background story once more for their highly acclaimed 1987 graphic novel Batman: Year One. In this universe, Catwoman is reimagined as a prostitute working in the underbelly of Gotham City. She is a skilled martial artist, however, and becomes inspired by Batman to become a vigilante cat burglar who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. This version of Selina Kyle earned her own spin-off series in 1989's Catwoman: Her Sister’s Keeper by writer Mindy Newell and artist J.J. Birch. This storyline elaborated on Kyle's childhood as a street-smart orphan and introduced readers to her religious sister, Maggie.
The1992 film Batman Returns prominently featured the character of Catwoman, with actress Michelle Pfeiffer portraying a timid Selina Kyle who is reanimated by stray cats after being thrown from a window. DC made the most of the film's visibility by granting Catwoman her own series in 1993 that cast Kyle as an international thief. The series proved a commercial success for several years before its popularity began to fade. The Catwoman series was cancelled in 2001 after ninety-four issues. By this time, Catwoman had earned a number of credits in other Batman-related series.
Writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale further expanded Catwoman's history in the hugely popular limited comic book series Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory. These two series detailed the problematic romance between Batman and Catwoman. This led to another spin-off with 2004's Catwoman: When in Rome. Prior to the spin-off, Catwoman was featured in a serial called Trail of the Catwoman, by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Darwyn Cooke, which appeared in several Detective Comics throughout 2001. This backup serial acted as the prequel to Brubaker and Cooke's new Catwoman series released in late 2001. The new series portrayed Catwoman as a protector of the defenseless in Gotham's impoverished East End neighborhood. Brubaker's take on Selina Kyle became one of the most influential Catwoman incarnations in the character's history, which at that point had spanned six decades. Brubaker's Catwoman inspired the character's depiction in the hugely successful The Dark Knight Rises, the final installment of director Christopher Nolan's Batman film trilogy.
The character of Catwoman continued to make appearances in various DC series throughout the 2010s while also starring in the standalone series, which was relaunched as part of DC's The New 52 revamp in 2011. The catsuit transferred ownership in the relaunched series, with heiress Eiko Hasigawa taking over in 2015. This series also revealed Catwoman's bisexuality to readers when Kyle kisses Hasigawa in issue thirty-nine of Catwoman, released February 25, 2015.
Bibliography
Beatty, Scott, Daniel Wallace, Robert Greenberger, and Phil Jimenez. "Catwoman." The DC Comics Encyclopedia. New York: DK Publishing, 2008. 74–75. Print.
Booker, M. Keith. "Catwoman." Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2014. 63–65. Print.
"Catwoman." Comic Vine. CBS Interactive Inc. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. http://comicvine.gamespot.com/catwoman/4005-1698/forums/
"Catwoman." DC Comics. DC Comics. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. http://www.dccomics.com/characters/catwoman
Opam, Kwame. "Catwoman Is Officially Bisexual." The Verge. Vox Media, Inc. 27 Feb. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. http://www.theverge.com/2015/2/27/8123489/catwoman-bisexual-dc-comics-lgbtq
Peaty, James. "Batman: The History of Catwoman." Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing Limited. 26 June 2012. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. http://www.denofgeek.com/books-comics/batman/21778/batman-the-history-of-catwoman