Catwoman (comic book)

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Catwoman is a DC Comics series starring Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman. It began in 1989 as a four‑issue limited series by Mindy Newell, which expanded on Selina’s past in Gotham’s East End, introduced her sister Maggie, and showed her training with the superhero Wildcat.

In 1993, Catwoman became an ongoing series (Vol. 2). The look and tone shifted toward stylish heists and international adventures, with a new practical black costume designed by Darwyn Cooke and a shorter haircut that became her classic look. The book followed Selina as an antihero who protects the East End and crossed over with other DC stories, while a rotating cast supported her adventures.

In 2002, Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke relaunched Catwoman (Vol. 3) as a character‑driven crime noir. Selina was redefined as the resident protector of the East End, with a stable supporting cast that included Holly Robinson, Slam Bradley, and Leslie Thompkins, and regular appearances by Batman. Cooke redesigned her costume again, giving her a darker, more practical outfit. Brubaker’s run, praised for its focus on character and mood, won a GLAAD Media Award in 2002 for its depiction of a lesbian couple, Holly and Karon. The run helped cement Catwoman as a serious, flaws‑and‑strength antihero. Brubaker left in 2005, and the book cycled through several writers until its cancellation in 2008 after 82 issues.

DC briefly revived Catwoman in 2010 with a tie‑in to Blackest Night. In 2011, DC restarted its line with The New 52, launching a new Catwoman (Vol. 4) by Judd Winick and Guillem March. This run was controversial for its heavy sexualized portrayal of Catwoman, drawing sharp criticism and losing readers, and it faced declining sales. A controversial Catwoman #0 cover prompted widespread parodies before a toned‑down version was released.

After Winick, writers Ann Nocenti and Genevieve Valentine, among others, took on the series. Valentine’s run (2014–2015) pushed Catwoman into Mafia‑story territory, focusing on powerful women in Gotham’s criminal world. In 2015, Selina’s bisexuality was explored, adding depth to her relationships.

In 2018, Catwoman was relaunched again, this time by Joëlle Jones, who both wrote and drew the series. Selina left Batman at the altar in Batman and introduced a Los Angeles–inspired setting to redefine her life. Jones redesigned her costume again for a modern look and reintroduced Catwoman’s family history after the DC Rebirth initiative (which began in 2016 and restored some parts of pre‑New 52 continuity). The 2018 run ran for 21 issues, ending in 2020, with later writers continuing the character in various mini‑series and ongoing titles.

Across these decades, Catwoman has received awards, nominations, and ongoing popularity, remaining a central figure in DC’s lineup and a frequent focus of crossovers, reimaginings, and new interpretations of Selina Kyle.