With my new book The Many Lives of Catwoman: The Felonious History of a Feline Fatale available now in bookstores and online in a variety of formats, I’ve been showcasing key moments from Catwoman’s history on Tumblr. They’re a random, fun assortment of comic book panels and film stills drawn from her nearly eight decades of unique incarnations. Some are lighthearted, some are heavier, and they all offer a peek inside the book and highlight Catwoman’s fascinating history.
Last week, the ten moments that we looked at included:
- Julie Newmar showing up with very little notice to play Catwoman and doing an amazing job of it.
- A violent scene from All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder in 2008, in which Frank Miller wrote a savage beating of Catwoman.
- Catwoman’s new, all black look from the redesigned New Adventures of Batman cartoon in the mid-90s.
- The official debut of Catwoman’s iconic purple gown costume from 1947.
- Anne Hathaway in her full Catwoman regalia from The Dark Knight Rises in 2012.
- Catwoman’s long overdue return to comics in 1966, alongside Lois Lane, after a 12 year absence.
- Camren Bicondova and her always charming and endearing take on Selina in the second season of Gotham.
- A violent scene from The Dark Knight Returns in 1986, in which Frank Miller wrote a savage beating of Selina Kyle.
- Holly Robinson taking over as Catwoman during DC’s linewide “One Year Later” jump in 2006.
And finally, my favourite Catwoman moment of the week is courtesy of Catwoman #54 from February 1998, written by Devin Grayson with art by Jim Balent and John Stanisci. This era of Catwoman is best remembered for Balent’s art; he drew an exaggeratedly curvaceous Catwoman in a skin tight costume, and did his damnedest to showcase her figure in every issue. However, his hyper-sexualization of Catwoman was often at odds with the book’s strong, clever writing, and this issue was case in point. It was a one-shot story in which Catwoman stole a diamond from a museum and, displeased with the museum’s security system, returned it. After they upgraded their security, Catwoman stole it again with ease and returned it once more, beginning a cycle of thefts, returns, and upgrades. The exasperated museum curator eventually decided to pull one over on Catwoman and purchased a ludicrously expensive insurance policy for when Catwoman finally kept the diamond for good, but Catwoman found him out. She then decided to leave the diamond in his care, where he’d be forced to pay for both the policy and the latest in his lengthy series of new security systems. It’s a funny, enjoyable issue that perfectly captures the chaotic fun of Catwoman and is a real standout from this divisive era.
You can catch up on all of the previous Catwoman moments here, and follow along for more fun! With the book out now, we’re shifting down to once a day as we run out the remaining moments over the next few weeks. The Many Lives of Catwoman is available for purchase in a variety of formats, so pick it up and dig into her captivating history!
TIM HANLEY 