Batman Trailer

Catwoman is set to make her mark in upcoming Batman media, from her appearance in the game Batman: Arkham City to the announcement that Anne Hathaway (yes, of the Princess Diaries fame) will be playing her (or at least her alter-ego, Selina Kyle) in The Dark Knight Rises. But just what is Catwoman’s story, and what is her relationship with the Caped Crusader?Selina Kyle first appeared in Batman 1 (Spring 1940) as a jewel thief named The Cat. Batman creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger were looking for someone who would not only bring their comics sex appeal for male readers, but also a female Batman for women. Based on these origins, Catwoman stood out from villains like the Joker based on the fact that she never killed, and was a femme fatale rather than purely evil.In 1950, it was revealed that Catwoman was actually a flight attendant who turned to a life of crime after losing her memory in a plane crash. A later issue of The Brave and the Bold revealed that she had made this story up as an excuse for going straight. Whatever the case, she became an ally of Batman in the early 1950s before taking up crime again in Detective Comics 203 (1954). She appeared in two more issues that year, and then seemed to disappear.The Comics Code was likely responsible for the character’s hiatus, as it placed restrictions on the portrayal of female characters. By the time Catwoman returned in 1966, the comics world was in a much different place. New stories in the 1970s focused on an alternate universe where Selina had permanently reformed, married Burce Wayne, and given birth to a daughter named Helena Wayne, who becomes the first costumed crusader to use the name The Huntress. While these stories portrayed Catwoman as a happily-married woman, they also revealed that the character had often killed for her own endslater explained away by the alternate universe mechanics. The original Selina Kyle was killed in 1977 after being blackmailed into revisiting her costumed identity.Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, who revitalized Batman in their Year One story, also updated Selina Kyle for a new age, turning her into a street-wise woman who studied martial arts to break away from an abusive relationship. This new character was popular enough to get her own limited series in 1989, and her first ongoing series in 1993. In this series, she was portrayed as a globe-trotting thief who also served as a bounty hunter when it suited her. This series ended when Kyle was presumed dead at the hands of Deathstroke the Terminatorshe later returned in an on-going series in 2001.Through the years, Catwoman’s relationship with Batman has been complicated, to say the least. In the storyline Hush, Batman reveals his identity to her and the two embark on a romantic relationship. However, various writers have dealt with this in many wayssometimes by simply ignoring it. Grant Morrison is currently adding more depth to their relationship, starting with the two working together to kick off Batman’s new “Batman Incorporated” initiative.