Catwoman
I'm adaptable.
Abilities
- •World-class burglar — the greatest thief in the DC Universe
- •Olympic-level gymnast and acrobat — moves across Gotham rooftops with unmatched grace
- •Expert hand-to-hand combatant trained in boxing, capoeira, and martial arts
- •Wields a bullwhip and retractable claws with lethal precision
- •Master of stealth and infiltration — can bypass any security system
- •Skilled with locks, safes, and electronic security — no vault is beyond her
- •Expert manipulator and seductress — uses charm as effectively as combat
- •Deep knowledge of Gotham's criminal underworld and its power structures
- •The love of Batman's life — their relationship defines both characters
Powers & Abilities
Biography
Selina Kyle is the greatest thief in the DC Universe and the love of Batman's life. She grew up on the streets of Gotham — orphaned, exploited, and hardened by a city that chews up the vulnerable. She survived by learning to take what she needed, and she became the best at it. Catwoman doesn't steal because she's evil — she steals because she refuses to be powerless ever again.
Created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane in Batman #1 (1940), Catwoman debuted as “The Cat” — a jewel thief on a yacht whom Batman deliberately let escape. From their very first meeting, the attraction was undeniable. She is the one person in Gotham who sees Bruce Wayne and Batman as the same man, who loves him not despite his darkness but because she understands it. Their relationship — part romance, part rivalry, part mutual addiction — is the greatest love story in comics.
Frank Miller's Year One (1987) reimagined Selina as a street survivor who saw Batman and was inspired to create her own identity. Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke's 2002 relaunch transformed her from thief to East End protector, defending the forgotten people of Gotham in a noir crime series that is the definitive Catwoman run. Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Hush made their romance explicit when Batman revealed his identity to her. Tom King built his entire 85-issue Batman run around their relationship, culminating in a proposal, a wedding, and the Batman/Catwoman maxi-series.
Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, and Zoë Kravitz have all worn the suit on screen, but in the comics, Selina Kyle is irreplaceable. She is not a villain — she is a woman who operates outside the law because the law never protected her. She is not a hero — she is someone who protects the people heroes forget. She is the gray area that Batman pretends doesn't exist — and the proof that the man who trusts no one trusts her with everything.
First Appearances
Batman #1
1940First appearance of Catwoman — Selina Kyle debuts as "The Cat," a jewel thief on a yacht. Bill Finger and Bob Kane introduce Batman's most complicated relationship. She appears alongside the first Joker. One of the most valuable Golden Age comics in existence.
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Batman #2
1940Second Catwoman appearance — she returns as "The Cat" and the cat-and-mouse dynamic with Batman is established. He lets her escape.
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Batman #3
1940Early Catwoman — her criminal career expands. The attraction between her and Batman is evident from these earliest stories.
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Batman #35
1946First Catwoman costume — Selina wears the iconic cat-eared cowl and purple dress for the first time. The visual identity that defines her for decades.
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Batman #62
1950Catwoman origin — her backstory as Selina Kyle is first told. A flight attendant with amnesia who turned to crime. The Golden Age origin.
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Bronze Age Catwoman
Batman #197
1967Catwoman returns — after years of absence, Selina comes back during the Batman TV show era. Her Silver/Bronze Age revival begins.
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Batman #210
1969Catwoman in the Bronze Age — her stories grow more sophisticated. She is no longer just a villain but a complex antihero.
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The Brave and the Bold #131
1976Catwoman teams with Batman — their relationship becomes a true partnership. She walks the line between crime and heroism.
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Batman #332
1981Catwoman's modern evolution — her character deepens as writers explore her moral complexity. She is not evil — she is independent.
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Frank Miller's Year One
Batman #404
1987Batman: Year One begins — Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli redefine Batman's origin. Selina Kyle is reimagined as a sex worker and street survivor who becomes Catwoman. The most influential modern Catwoman origin.
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Batman #405
1987Year One continues — Selina watches Batman and is inspired to create her own costumed identity. She sees a bat and chooses a cat. Miller writes her as a survivor.
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Batman #407
1987Year One concludes — Selina Kyle is fully established as Catwoman in the post-Crisis continuity. Miller's version defines her for the next 30 years.
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Catwoman Solo Series — Ed Brubaker
Catwoman vol. 3 #1
2002Ed Brubaker relaunches Catwoman — Darwyn Cooke designs her modern look: short hair, goggles, zippered black suit. Brubaker writes noir crime fiction in Gotham's East End. The definitive Catwoman run.
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Catwoman vol. 3 #12
2003Brubaker's run deepens — Selina protects the East End from crime as a vigilante, not a thief. She becomes Gotham's protector of the forgotten and exploited.
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Catwoman vol. 3 #25
2004Milestone issue — Brubaker reaches 25 issues of the most acclaimed Catwoman run. Selina's dual identity as thief and protector is fully realized.
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Catwoman: When in Rome #1
2004Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale send Catwoman to Rome — a prestige miniseries exploring Selina's possible connection to the Falcone crime family. Sale's art is gorgeous.
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Catwoman Solo — Will Pfeifer & Beyond
Catwoman vol. 3 #38
2005Will Pfeifer takes over — he continues Brubaker's East End protector direction. Selina faces Black Mask's gang war across Gotham.
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Catwoman vol. 3 #53
2006Selina has a daughter — Helena Kyle is born. Catwoman becomes a mother while still protecting Gotham. The most personal Catwoman story.
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Catwoman vol. 1 #1
1993First Catwoman ongoing — Jo Duffy and Jim Balent launch Selina's first solo series. Balent draws a 77-issue run. The series that proved Catwoman could carry her own title.
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Catwoman vol. 4 #1
2011New 52 Catwoman — Judd Winick relaunches Selina for the New 52. The controversial first issue features Batman and Catwoman together. Guillem March art.
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Batman & Catwoman — The Romance
Batman #1
1940The attraction begins — Batman lets "The Cat" escape from their very first meeting. He is drawn to her from page one.
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Batman #355
1983Catwoman and Batman's relationship deepens — their romance evolves beyond cat-and-mouse into genuine emotional connection.
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Batman: Hush #1 (Batman #608)
2002Hush begins — Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee write the definitive Batman/Catwoman romance arc. Bruce reveals his identity to Selina. Lee draws their rooftop kiss. A landmark modern key.
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Batman vol. 3 #24
2017Batman proposes to Catwoman — Tom King writes Bruce Wayne asking Selina Kyle to marry him. On a Gotham rooftop. She says yes. The biggest Batman moment of the decade.
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Batman vol. 3 #50
2018The wedding issue — Batman and Catwoman's wedding. King writes the most anticipated Batman issue in years. The answer changes everything.
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Gotham City Sirens
Gotham City Sirens #1
2009Gotham City Sirens launches — Paul Dini writes Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and Poison Ivy as roommates and allies. Guillem March draws. Three of Gotham's most dangerous women under one roof.
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Gotham City Sirens #7
2010The Sirens bond — Dini writes the unlikely friendship between the three women. Their chemistry makes the series a fan favorite.
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Gotham City Sirens #26
2011Final Sirens issue — the series concludes as the New 52 approaches. The Sirens' friendship remains one of the most popular dynamics in DC.
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Tom King's Batman/Catwoman
Batman vol. 3 #1
2016Tom King's Batman — Selina is central to King's entire 85-issue run. Their relationship is the emotional core of the most ambitious Batman story in modern history.
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Batman vol. 3 #24
2017The proposal — Bruce asks Selina on a rooftop. King writes the scene with simplicity and emotion. The defining moment of his run.
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Batman vol. 3 #44
2018Bruce and Selina on the beach — King writes their most intimate and honest conversation. A quiet issue that reveals their souls.
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Batman/Catwoman #1
2020Batman/Catwoman launches — King writes the finale of his Bat/Cat saga across three timelines: past, present, and future. Clay Mann art. The definitive Batman/Catwoman love story.
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Batman/Catwoman #12
2022King's saga concludes — the three timelines converge. Bruce and Selina's story reaches its ending. King delivers the love story he promised across 100+ issues.
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Modern Catwoman
Catwoman vol. 5 #1
2018Joëlle Jones' Catwoman — Selina leaves Gotham after the wedding. Jones writes and draws a stunning run about Selina finding herself beyond Batman.
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Catwoman vol. 5 #25
2020Ram V takes over — the acclaimed writer brings a literary noir sensibility. Selina returns to Gotham's criminal underworld. One of the most praised modern Catwoman runs.
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Catwoman vol. 5 #39
2022Tini Howard takes over — Selina navigates Gotham's power structures. Her intelligence and adaptability are foregrounded.
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Catwoman vol. 5 #50
2022Milestone issue — 50 issues of the modern Catwoman series. Selina remains one of DC's most popular and complex characters.
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Catwoman's Defining Moments
Batman #1
1940The debut — "The Cat" steals jewels on a yacht and Batman lets her escape. Their story begins with a choice not to catch her.
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Batman #404
1987Year One — Miller reimagines Selina as a street survivor who becomes Catwoman. The origin that defines her modern identity.
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Catwoman #1 (2002)
2002East End protector — Brubaker and Cooke transform Selina from thief to vigilante. The definitive Catwoman run.
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Batman #608
2002Hush — Batman reveals his identity to Catwoman. Their rooftop kiss. The moment their romance becomes real.
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Batman #24 (2017)
2017The proposal — Bruce asks Selina to marry him. The most talked-about Batman moment of the decade.
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Collector Highlights
Batman #1
1940The holy grail — first appearance of Catwoman and the Joker. One of the most valuable comics in existence. The foundation of Batman's world.
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Batman #404
1987Year One — Miller and Mazzucchelli redefine Catwoman's origin. Essential post-Crisis collecting.
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Catwoman #1 (1993)
1993First Catwoman ongoing — Selina proves she can carry her own title. A 90s DC key.
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Catwoman #1 (2002)
2002Brubaker/Cooke relaunch — the definitive modern Catwoman. Darwyn Cooke's iconic redesign. Essential modern DC.
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Batman #608
2002Hush begins — Loeb and Jim Lee. Batman and Catwoman's romance. One of the best-selling Batman arcs ever.
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Gotham City Sirens #1
2009Catwoman, Harley, and Ivy — the Sirens trio. A popular modern DC key elevated by film rumors.
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