From: tara@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Lady Johanna Constantine)
Subject: Re: Catwoman: feminist or femme fatale?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 18:54:18 GMT

visser@convex.com (Lance Visser) writes:

>In <mwojcik-161192144231@college23.sas.upenn.edu> mwojcik@mail.sas.upenn.edu (Michael Wojcik) writes:

>+>Melissa Wiley wrote:
>+>> Can anyone give me some info about catwoman's
>+>> comic book history?  Thanks!!! ---Melissa Wiley

>+>In the comic book series "Batman: Year One", Catwoman was a prostitute. She
>+>liked cats and had a regular john who liked her to dress up in a kinky cat
>+>outfit. She got into "cat-burglarly" semi-Robin Hood style, and was angered
>+>by the Press attributing her capers to the batman. She therefore began to
>+>attack the batman in revenge.

>	It should be pointed out that this is the "reworked" Frank Miller
>version of Catwoman.  The character has had serveral different histories 
>going all the way back to stories in the 1940's. 

>	I'm cross-posting this to rec.arts.comics.misc in the hopes that
>someone there can fill in the various details/history.



>+>Catwoman is not a feminist. The character is fascinating until you see the
>+>movie or the old TV series (although I had a crush on Ertha Kitt's
>+>portrayal as a kid). If you can, read Batman: Year One. 

>	Your not talking about the "character", your talking about Frank
>Millers "version" of the character and those who have latched on to
>it as official.


I believe she first showed up in Batman #1 as the Cat, a pet store owner turned
cat burgeler.  The Golden Age Selina used to flirt with Bats, and in the
alternate reality of Earth 2, married him ad they had a daughter, Helena
Wayne, The Huntress.  Then Crisi happened, and the Frank Miller Catwoman 
was expounded on in a mini series colected in a TPB called "Her Sister's
Keeper".  After the miniseries, but before the recent stuff, Catwoman
had her own running stories in Action Comics Weekley, the ill fated weekly
anthology book, with art by barry kitson I think.  It's been a LONG time
since I rewad what sections I do have of that.

A short novel came out by the Asprins I think, and it takes from the mini-
series, and it quite good, although they forgoit that aside from Stan, Selina
does not kill, ad will never kill.  They haven't reached that interesting
"Let's kiss ad then I'll beat the tar out of you you damned rodent..."
stage of their relationship taht I love so much, adn that was handled so very
well in the film.

Theere was a one shot prestige format book that is VERY nicely done
called Catwoman Defiant that came out this summer.  Catwoman's
appearences in the monthlies have been somewhat lack luster over the
past two years.

I'm waiting for a collection of Short Batman/Catwoman stories like they've
done for the Joket and the PEnguin.  I've my own fanfic that I've been 
entertaining myself with for the past year or so, so I can wait.

Anyione who tells you that Vicki Vale or Talia is the love of Bat's
life, they obviously have missed something BIG along the way....



bye

LJC
-- 
Lady Johanna Constantine | "When you remove the pin, Mr Hand
tara@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu    |  Grenade is no longer your friend"
Founder of the Church of Our Lady of the Perpetually Clueless
Disclaimer: The U of I doesn't give a damn or blast WHAT I do