Catwoman (comic book)

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Catwoman
Cover of Catwoman #1
Art by Joe Brozowski and Michael Bair
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
FormatOngoing series
GenreSuperhero
Publication date
List
  • (vol. 1)
    February–May 1989
    (vol. 2)
    August 1993 – July 2001
    (vol. 3)
    January 2002 – March 2010
    (vol. 4)
    November 2011 – July 2016
    (vol 5)
    September 2018 – present
No. of issues
List
  • (vol. 1): 4
    (vol. 2): 94
    (vol. 3): 83
    (vol. 4): 52
Creative team
Written by
List
Penciller(s)
List
Inker(s)
List
Colorist(s)
List

Catwoman is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the DC Comics character Catwoman as its protagonist. The title was first released in 1989 as a limited series written by Mindy Newell, and was since published as an ongoing series starting in 1993 with its second volume.

Publication history[edit]

Volume 1 (1989)[edit]

Because of satisfactory reception to Mindy Newell's 1988 Action Comics arc featuring Catwoman, "The Tin Roof Club", in February 1989, DC Comics released a four-issue Catwoman limited series penned by Newell, with art by Joe Brozowski and Michael Bair.[1][2] A spin-off of Frank Miller's Batman: Year One,[3] the miniseries expanded on Year One's scenes through Catwoman's perspective and explored Catwoman's established origin as well as her established past as a prostitute in Year One.[3][1][2] The series also introduced Catwoman's nun sister, Magdalene.[1] While the series' editor teased to a fan of Newell's Action Comics arc the possibility of Newell writing a Catwoman monthly series given adequate sales, the audience for the comic was lacking and its last issue was Catwoman's last major appearance for years.[1]

Volume 2 (1993–2001)[edit]

DC launched Catwoman's first ongoing series in 1993, originally written by Jo Duffy, pencilled by Jim Balent, and inked by Dick Giordano.[4][5][6] Balent drew for the series for six years straight, with Bob Smith providing most of the series's inks, until its 77th issue, after which they were replaced by penciller Staz Johnson and inker Wayne Faucher.[7][6] Other writers who took on the series include Doug Moench, Deborah Pomerantz, Chuck Dixon, Devin Grayson, John Ostrander, Bronwyn Carlton, and John Francis Moore.[8][9] The series put the character on a new direction, moving away from grittiness towards flamboyance: her design was changed to consist of lengthy hair and a vibrant purple costume from her previous buzz cut and gray color palette established in Year One, and her stories consisted of action and extravagant heists in place of "grim realism".[5] The series focused on Catwoman's adventures and heists, often international, with a revolving cast of characters, and also tied in to various comic crossover events, such as 1994's "Knightfall".[5] In the series, Catwoman's Year One origin was minimized, with her time as a dominatrix only appearing on a short portion of a single page in the origin retelling Catwoman #0, and was altered in one of its annuals, showing Catwoman's former prostitution as a way for her to deceive and rob clients, and integrating a subplot involving martial arts with Catwoman tangling with a group of ninjas.[5] The series also told her tragic backstory, with Catwoman's parents having died when she was a child, with her mother dying by suicide and her father from alcohol poisoning; Carlton in the series's 81st issue added to it, depicting her mother as a dark-skinned Latina, making Catwoman a half-Latina.[8] In July 2001, the series ended in its 94th issue because the editorial team decided to cancel and relaunch the series for writer Ed Brubaker and artist Darwyn Cooke's different take on the character.[10][11]

Volume 3 (2002–2010)[edit]

Brubaker was offered to write Catwoman by editor Matt Idelson after Idelson asked him for his opinion on the series at the time, which Brubaker thought was "kind of insulting to women readers" after having read advance copies of the comic which featured Catwoman in "naked shower fights", mentioning that he preferred Catwoman in the 1960s and 1970s comics as well as in Batman: Year One, and suggested to Idelson to take the character back to her "East End roots" while incorporating the "classiness of the high-society thief".[11] Brubaker later accepted Idelson's offer to write the series, under the condition that they change Catwoman's design and artist, describing the previous artist as a "cheesecake artist".[11] After searching for artists to draw the series, Brubaker sought Cooke after seeing advance copies of Cooke's art on Batman: Ego. Cooke agreed to draw the series, but mentioned that he would only draw for the first storyline given the short space in his schedule from a delay in Cooke's then-current project, DC: The New Frontier.[11] Cooke's pencils on the start of their tenure on the series, initially Catwoman #95, impressed DC; DC decided to postpone its release for six months then relaunch it with Brubaker and Cooke's Catwoman, making the series' writer at the time rewrite their final issue with Catwoman's seeming death and having Brubaker and Cooke write a backup story for Detective Comics that would lead into the relaunched Catwoman comic.[11][10] The backup centered on Slam Bradley, a private detective hired to investigate her death.[11][10]

In writing Catwoman, Brubaker considered the character's background and motivations of having been an orphaned child "raised in the system in the worst conditions" and "ended up on the streets", and thought of her compassion for "other people like her", "people who the system doesn't care about, the cops don't care about and who, really, Batman doesn't care about", establishing it as the foundation for the character's stories.[12] In the book's first issue, Catwoman, having seen the police's disregard for the series of murders of prostitutes, declares, "I will speak for them. Because no one else will."[13]

Cooke's Catwoman redesign featured a black, practical catsuit with a cowl with tiny cat ears and goggles resembling the eyes of a cat. Cooke also gave her a short haircut.[13]

Brubaker's Catwoman debuted in January 2002.[10] It differed from the previous series, being a "character-driven crime noir comic"[14] with interconnected story arcs, a permanent supporting cast, and a fixed setting,[13] as well as Catwoman being an antihero,[3] becoming the resident protector of the East End borough.[13][15][16] Catwoman's supporting cast consisted of Holly Robinson (Catwoman's teenage friend from Batman: Year One[11] that Brubaker reintroduced as Catwoman's street informant),[13] Slam Bradley, and Leslie Thompkins (a volunteer doctor and ally of Batman who works in low-income neighborhoods), with Batman being a regular guest character.[14] After Cooke, other artists pencilled the series such as Brad Rader, Cameron Stewart, and Javier Pulido.[14] Matt Hollingsworth colored the series.[14] In 2002, the series won its creators the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book for its depiction of a lesbian couple, Holly and her girlfriend, Karon.[11] In 2003, Brubaker and Hollingsworth were nominated for the Eisner Awards for Best Writer and Best Coloring, respectively, for their work on the series.[17] Brubaker's Catwoman ended in January 2005 on its 37th issue.[13] Brubaker planned for Catwoman to die pregnant with a child whose father is unknown as a culmination of a storyline of her taking over the East End, with Holly taking over the Catwoman role; however, DC disapproved of Catwoman's pregnancy being with an unknown father, and with Brubaker having set up the storyline throughout the series and not wanting to "just go back to the drawing board", Brubaker decided to quit writing the series.[11]

Volume 4 (2011–2016)[edit]

Volume 5 (2018–present)[edit]

Annuals[edit]

Collected editions[edit]

Title Material collected Pages Publication date ISBN Notes
Volume 1 (1989)
Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper Catwoman vol. 1 #1-4 108 July 1991 978-0930289973
Volume 2 (1993-2001)
Catwoman: The Catfile Catwoman vol. 2 #15-19 132 March 1996 978-1563892622
Catwoman by Jim Balent Book One Catwoman vol. 2 #1-13 328 2017 978-1-4012-7363-7 [18]
Catwoman by Jim Balent Book Two Catwoman vol. 2 #0, #14-24, Annual #2, and Showcase '95 #4 360 March 2019 978-1-4012-8820-4 [19]
Volume 3 (2002-2010)
Catwoman: The Dark End of the Street Detective Comics vol. 1 #759-762 and Catwoman vol. 3 #1-4 134 2002 9781563899089 [20]
Catwoman: Crooked Little Town Catwoman vol. 3 #5-10 and "The Many Lives of Selina Kyle", "The McSweeney Case" and "Why Holly Isn't Dead" from Catwoman Secret Files and Origins #1 167 2003 9781401200084 [21]
Catwoman: Relentless Catwoman vol. 3 #12-19 and "Proper Planning" from Catwoman Secret Files and Origins #1 188 2004 9781401202187 [22]
Catwoman: Wild Ride Catwoman vol. 3 #20-24 128 2005 9781845761905 [23]
Catwoman: The Replacements Catwoman vol. 3 #53-58 135 2007 9781401212131 [24]
Catwoman: It's Only A Movie Catwoman vol. 3 #59-65 158 2007 9781401213374 [25]
Catwoman: Catwoman Dies Catwoman vol. 3 #66-72 156 2008 9781401216436 [26]
Catwoman: Crime Pays Catwoman vol. 3 #73-77 123 2008 9780329683184 [27]
Catwoman: The Long Road Home Catwoman vol. 3 #78-82 123 2009 9780329647124 [28]
Catwoman Vol. 1: Trail of the Catwoman Catwoman: Selina's Big Score, Detective Comics #759-762, and Catwoman vol. 3 #1-9 336 2011 9781401233846 [29]
Catwoman Vol. 2: No Easy Way Down Catwoman vol. 3 #10-24 and Catwoman Secret Files #1 2013 [30]
Catwoman Vol. 3: Under Pressure Catwoman vol. 3 #25-37 312 2014 9781401245924 [31]
Catwoman Vol. 4: The One You Love Catwoman vol. 3 #38-49 240 2015 9781401258320 [32]
Catwoman Vol. 5: Backward Masking Catwoman vol. 3 #50-65 232 2016 9781401260736 [33]
Catwoman Vol. 6: Final Jeopardy Catwoman vol. 3 #66-83 424 2017 9781401265588 [34]
Catwoman of East End Omnibus Detective Comics #759-762, Catwoman vol. 3 #1-37, Catwoman Secret Files #1, and Catwoman: Selina's Big Score #1 1064 June 21, 2022 9781779515032 [35]
Volume 4 (2011-2016)
Catwoman Vol. 1: The Game Catwoman vol. 4 #1-6 138 2012 9781401234645 [36]
Catwoman Vol. 2: Dollhouse Catwoman Vol. 4 #7-12 144 2013 9781401238391 [37]
Catwoman Vol. 3: Death of the Family Catwoman Vol. 4 #13-18, story from Young Romance #1 176 2013 9781401242725 [38]
Catwoman Vol. 4: Gotham Underground Catwoman Vol. 4 #19-24, 26, Annual #1 and Batman: The Dark Knight #23.4: Joker's Daughter 208 2014 9781401246273 [39]
Catwoman Vol. 5: Race of Thieves Catwoman Vol. 4 #25, 27-34 232 2014 9781401250638 [40]
Catwoman Vol. 6: Keeper of the Castle Catwoman Vol. 4 #35-40 and Annual #2 192 2015 9781401254698 [41]
Catwoman Vol. 7: Inheritance Catwoman Vol. 4 #41-46 and DC Sneak Peek: Catwoman #1 152 2016 9781401261184 [42]
Catwoman Vol. 8: Run Like Hell Catwoman Vol. 4 #47-52 144 2016 9781401264864 [43]
Volume 5 (2018-)
Catwoman Vol. 1: Copycats Catwoman vol. 5 #1-6 160 2019 9781401288891 [44]
Catwoman Vol. 2: Far from Gotham Catwoman vol. 5 #7-13 and Annual #1 216 2019 9781401294779 [45]
Catwoman Vol. 3: Friend or Foe? Catwoman vol. 5 #16-21 152 2020 9781401299767 [46]
Catwoman Vol. 4: Come Home, Alley Cat Catwoman vol. 5 #14-15, 22-28 248 2021 9781779504517 [47]
Catwoman Vol. 5: Valley of the Shadow of Death Catwoman vol. 5 #29-32 and Catwoman 2021 Annual 136 2021 9781779512635 [48]
Catwoman Vol. 6: Fear State Catwoman vol. 5 #34-38 128 2022 9781779515292 [49]
Catwoman Vol. 1: Dangerous Liaisons Catwoman vol. 5 #39-44 158 2022 9781779517289 [50]
Catwoman Vol. 2: Cat International Catwoman vol. 5 #45-50 176 2023 9781779520326 [51]
Catwoman Vol. 3: Duchess of Gotham Catwoman vol. 5 #51-56 168 2023 9781779523327 [52]
Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Battle Lines, Batman #137-138, Catwoman vol. 5 #57-58 and Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Scorched Earth 272 2024 9781779525987 [53]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Hanley (2017), "Frank Miller"
  2. ^ a b Wilber (2019), p. 59
  3. ^ a b c Calamia, Kat (September 25, 2020). "The best Catwoman stories of all time". Games Radar. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Adler, Matt (July 18, 2012). "Catwoman 101: Stealing A Closer Look At The 'Dark Knight Rises' Feline Fatale". MTV. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Hanley (2017), "Glaring Fixations"
  6. ^ a b Hanley (2017), "Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose"
  7. ^ Hanley (2017), "The Art of Jim Balent"
  8. ^ a b Hanley (2017), "The Women Behind Catwoman"
  9. ^ Previews World. "MAR010397 - CATWOMAN #94 - Previews World". Previews World. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d Hanley (2017), "A Novel Perspective"
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i ComicsAlliance (December 11, 2014). "Ed Brubaker Looks Back on Batman, Part Three: Catwoman". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  12. ^ Giffen, Keith (December 17, 2001). "Ed Brubaker Interview". CBR. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Hanley (2017), "Brubaker's Three Dozen and One"
  14. ^ a b c d Singh, Arune (January 31, 2003). "Look what the cat dragged in: Ed Brubaker talks 'Catwoman'". CBR. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  15. ^ Greenberger & Manning (2009), p. 176, "Catwoman"
  16. ^ Sava, Oliver (February 28, 2011). "Batman: The Animated Series: "The Cat And The Claw, Parts 1 And 2"". AV Club. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  17. ^ CBR Staff (April 10, 2003). "2003 Eisner Comic Industry Awards Announced". CBR. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  18. ^ Catwoman by Jim Balent Book One. DC Comics. ISBN 9781401273637. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  19. ^ Catwoman by Jim Balent Book Two. DC Comics. ISBN 9781401288204. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  20. ^ Catwoman, the dark end of the street. DC Comics. ISBN 9781563899089. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  21. ^ Catwoman, Crooked Little Town. DC Comics. ISBN 9781401200084. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  22. ^ Catwoman: Relentless. DC Comics. ISBN 9781401202187. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  23. ^ Catwoman: Wild Ride. DC Comics. ISBN 9781845761905. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  24. ^ The Replacements. DC Comics. ISBN 9781401212131. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  25. ^ Catwoman. DC Comics. ISBN 9781401213374. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  26. ^ Catwoman Dies. DC Comics. ISBN 9781401216436. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  27. ^ Catwoman. DC Comics. ISBN 9780329683184. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  28. ^ "The Long Road Home". Google Books. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  29. ^ Catwoman. ISBN 9781401233846. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  30. ^ Catwoman. ISBN 9781401246532. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  31. ^ Catwoman. ISBN 9781401245924. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  32. ^ The One You Love. ISBN 9781401258320. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  33. ^ Catwoman Vol 5. ISBN 9781401260736. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  34. ^ Catwoman Vol 6 Final Jeopardy. ISBN 9781401265588. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  35. ^ Catwoman of East End Omnibus. ISBN 9781779515032. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  36. ^ Catwoman Vol. 1: The Game. ISBN 9781401234645. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  37. ^ Catwoman Vol. 2: Dollhouse. ISBN 9781401238391. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  38. ^ Catwoman Vol. 3: Death of the Family. ISBN 9781401242725. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  39. ^ Catwoman Vol. 4: Gotham Underground. ISBN 9781401246273. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  40. ^ Catwoman Vol. 5: Race of Thieves. ISBN 9781401250638. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  41. ^ Catwoman Vol. 6: Keeper of the Castle. ISBN 9781401254698. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  42. ^ Catwoman Vol. 7: Inheritance. ISBN 9781401261184. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  43. ^ Catwoman Vol. 8: Run Like Hell. ISBN 9781401264864. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  44. ^ Catwoman Vol. 1: Copycats. ISBN 9781401288891. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  45. ^ Catwoman Vol. 2: Far from Gotham. ISBN 9781401294779. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  46. ^ Catwoman Vol. 3: Friend or Foe?. ISBN 9781401299767. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  47. ^ Catwoman Vol. 4: Come Home, Alley Cat. ISBN 9781779504517. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  48. ^ Catwoman Vol. 5: Valley of the Shadow of Death. ISBN 9781779512635. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  49. ^ Catwoman Vol. 6: Fear State. ISBN 9781779515292. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  50. ^ Catwoman Vol. 1: Dangerous Liaisons. ISBN 9781779517289. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  51. ^ Catwoman Vol. 2: Cat International. ISBN 9781779520326. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  52. ^ Catwoman Vol. 3: Duchess of Gotham. ISBN 9781779523327. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  53. ^ Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War. ISBN 9781779525987. Retrieved March 3, 2024.

Sources[edit]

  • Hanley, Tim (July 1, 2017). Many Lives of Catwoman: The Felonious History of a Feline Fatale. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-61373-845-0.
  • Wilber, Steven (July 2019). "Catwoman and Religion Through the Eyes of Mindy Newell". Back Issue!. TwoMorrows Publishing.
  • Greenberger, Robert; Manning, Matthew K. (2009). The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave. United States: Running Press Book Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7624-3663-7.
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