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DC Anniversary Celebrations
Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years
First appearing on newsstands in 1940’s BATMAN #1, only a few months after the Bat-Man himself debuted, Catwoman has been essential to the Dark Knight’s world from almost the very beginning. Menacing (and sometimes romancing) the Caped Crusader for more than seven decades, Catwoman has become one of Batman’s greatest villains, but also one of his greatest allies.
Friend or foe, Gotham’s feline femme fatale continually skirts the line between right and wrong. She’s a dangerous criminal whose claws aren’t to be crossed, but she’s also the city’s Robin Hood, using her unlawful talents to help those in need. This rich contradiction has made her one of the most complex and compelling characters in all of comics.
CATWOMAN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS is a stunning retrospective of Catwoman’s history, featuring stories from comic book legends Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Dennis O’Neil, Dick Giordano, Len Wein, Kurt Schaffenberger, Chuck Dixon, Ed Brubaker, Cameron Stewart, Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale, Paul Dini, Guillem March and more.
Friend or foe, Gotham’s feline femme fatale continually skirts the line between right and wrong. She’s a dangerous criminal whose claws aren’t to be crossed, but she’s also the city’s Robin Hood, using her unlawful talents to help those in need. This rich contradiction has made her one of the most complex and compelling characters in all of comics.
CATWOMAN: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS is a stunning retrospective of Catwoman’s history, featuring stories from comic book legends Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Dennis O’Neil, Dick Giordano, Len Wein, Kurt Schaffenberger, Chuck Dixon, Ed Brubaker, Cameron Stewart, Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale, Paul Dini, Guillem March and more.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published November 24, 2015
12 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Bill Finger
645 books105 followersWilliam "Bill" Finger was an American comic strip and comic book writer best known as the uncredited co-creator, with Bob Kane, of the DC Comics character Batman, as well as the co-architect of the series' development. In later years, Kane acknowledged Finger as "a contributing force" in the character's creation. Comics historian Ron Goulart, in Comic Book Encyclopedia, refers to Batman as the "creation of artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger", and a DC Comics press release in 2007 about colleague Jerry Robinson states that in 1939, "Kane, along with writer Bill Finger, had just created Batman for [DC predecessor] National Comics".
Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.
-Wikipedia
Film and television credits include scripting The Green Slime (1969), Track of the Moon Beast (1976), and three episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 31, 2019
Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years is a compilation of Catwoman stories over several decades to commemorate her seventy-fifth anniversary debut in 2015. You already know, whether you have read the comics or not, that Wonder Woman is the best known and most influential comics woman in history, but I think Catwoman would be second, so at the very least, as a study of a cultural phenomenon, it isn’t a bad idea to take a look this book. As with any comics collection of comics over time it is a kind of study of American culture, feminism, and comics. Part of the process of reading it is like looking at old school photographs of yourself, painfully out of date, odd, somewhat annoying, but if you are patient and forgiving, and you just go with the pulp and kitsch, it can be sorta fun.
The first part focuses on the forties and fifties Golden Age and the beginning of Catwoman with stories from the Golden Age of Comics; the second part is focused on the Silver and Bronze Age; the third and most massive section is dedicated to the Modern Era and the final section deals with some more contemporary retro stories. Selina Kyle (or Catowman) was present from the very beginnings of Batman (or, Bruce Wayne), and it is interesting to see the evolution of their relationship over time.
Catwoman was right there from the first in Batman (Vol. 1), where she was an arch-enemy, a cat-burglar, but almost from the first there is a persistent sexual tension between the two of them; they bring out the complicated nature of each other: Batman, over time, is a brooding crime-fighter who is sometimes depicted as crossing the line in his efforts; Catwoman, initially a villain, in part because of her attraction to Batman, emerges in tension between her “bad” self and her efforts to join Batman in fighting evil. In Ed Brubaker’s work, my favorite Catwoman study, Selina is thoughtful, doing feminist work to protect sex workers in Gotham City with whom she has become friends.
Of course there are great film depictions of Catwoman, including Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises, Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, Halle Berry in Catwoman, and so on, but in recent years the heat between the two. . . rose, and well, I am reading this as part of my inquiry into what DC creates for these characters in Tom King’s run. This big book, with short essays, is mainly for comics fans, obviously. But it's good background for getting back up to speed on the history of Catwoman.
The first part focuses on the forties and fifties Golden Age and the beginning of Catwoman with stories from the Golden Age of Comics; the second part is focused on the Silver and Bronze Age; the third and most massive section is dedicated to the Modern Era and the final section deals with some more contemporary retro stories. Selina Kyle (or Catowman) was present from the very beginnings of Batman (or, Bruce Wayne), and it is interesting to see the evolution of their relationship over time.
Catwoman was right there from the first in Batman (Vol. 1), where she was an arch-enemy, a cat-burglar, but almost from the first there is a persistent sexual tension between the two of them; they bring out the complicated nature of each other: Batman, over time, is a brooding crime-fighter who is sometimes depicted as crossing the line in his efforts; Catwoman, initially a villain, in part because of her attraction to Batman, emerges in tension between her “bad” self and her efforts to join Batman in fighting evil. In Ed Brubaker’s work, my favorite Catwoman study, Selina is thoughtful, doing feminist work to protect sex workers in Gotham City with whom she has become friends.
Of course there are great film depictions of Catwoman, including Anne Hathaway in The Dark Knight Rises, Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns, Halle Berry in Catwoman, and so on, but in recent years the heat between the two. . . rose, and well, I am reading this as part of my inquiry into what DC creates for these characters in Tom King’s run. This big book, with short essays, is mainly for comics fans, obviously. But it's good background for getting back up to speed on the history of Catwoman.
June 6, 2017
I'm not really sure how to rate this, so I'm giving it a solid three stars.
The Good
This is a very thorough collection for Catwoman fans; pretty much every incarnation of the character is represented. My favorites were the Earth 2 story, "From Each Ending... A Beginning," about the origins of the Huntress; the first issue of Gotham City Sirens (it seems a little heavy on the T&A, but the artwork was cool and the story entertaining - I want to check out the rest of this series!); and finally, "Claws," from Gotham Adventures, starring the Animated Series version of Catwoman, my 2nd* favorite portrayal of the character.
The physical book itself is also really, really nice.
The Not-So-Good
As neat as it was to watch the character's evolution over 75 years' worth of comics... the earlier stuff is BORING. There were quite a few that I just couldn't finish because they were so dull.
Also, it appears that every appearance of Catwoman for the first 20 years or so all went like this:
Robin: "Batman, every piece of evidence points directly to the Catwoman!"
Batman: "Don't be silly! She's so beautiful!"
Robin: "No, seriously, Batman. It's really obvious that she did it."
Batman: "But she's so lovely to look at! Surely a woman so beautiful would never turn to a life of crime!"
Robin: "We are literally watching her commit the crime. Right now. In front of our faces."
Batman: "No, Robin! My Bat-Boner is never wrong!"
The later comics are much more compelling, but I don't like the particular issues that were chosen for inclusion. Because there are only single issues from multiple series here, we get a lot of introductory stories without follow up, too many plots picked up mid-storyline without knowing the background information, and several cliffhangers that are followed by... a completely new and unrelated story.
I was also hoping for a little more insight into the character and her creators, but there's no real analysis, just a few 1-page intros - one of which contains a typo, and another of which dares to mention that Halle Berry movie that should never be acknowledged.
Bottom line, though: it's 400+ pages of Catwoman comics. You're guaranteed to like something here.
*Michelle Pfeiffer is and will always be My Catwoman
The Good
This is a very thorough collection for Catwoman fans; pretty much every incarnation of the character is represented. My favorites were the Earth 2 story, "From Each Ending... A Beginning," about the origins of the Huntress; the first issue of Gotham City Sirens (it seems a little heavy on the T&A, but the artwork was cool and the story entertaining - I want to check out the rest of this series!); and finally, "Claws," from Gotham Adventures, starring the Animated Series version of Catwoman, my 2nd* favorite portrayal of the character.
The physical book itself is also really, really nice.
The Not-So-Good
As neat as it was to watch the character's evolution over 75 years' worth of comics... the earlier stuff is BORING. There were quite a few that I just couldn't finish because they were so dull.
Also, it appears that every appearance of Catwoman for the first 20 years or so all went like this:
Robin: "Batman, every piece of evidence points directly to the Catwoman!"
Batman: "Don't be silly! She's so beautiful!"
Robin: "No, seriously, Batman. It's really obvious that she did it."
Batman: "But she's so lovely to look at! Surely a woman so beautiful would never turn to a life of crime!"
Robin: "We are literally watching her commit the crime. Right now. In front of our faces."
Batman: "No, Robin! My Bat-Boner is never wrong!"
The later comics are much more compelling, but I don't like the particular issues that were chosen for inclusion. Because there are only single issues from multiple series here, we get a lot of introductory stories without follow up, too many plots picked up mid-storyline without knowing the background information, and several cliffhangers that are followed by... a completely new and unrelated story.
I was also hoping for a little more insight into the character and her creators, but there's no real analysis, just a few 1-page intros - one of which contains a typo, and another of which dares to mention that Halle Berry movie that should never be acknowledged.
Bottom line, though: it's 400+ pages of Catwoman comics. You're guaranteed to like something here.
*Michelle Pfeiffer is and will always be My Catwoman
April 3, 2022
Alle Leben einer Katze
Fazit: Ein Must-have für alle Comicleser. Wer noch kein Katzenfreund war, wird es nach der Lektüre sein. Gesamt: 5/5
Inhalt: In "Catwoman Anthologie" von 2021 erhält der Leser einen Überblick über das Leben von Catwoman. Auf 396 Seiten zeichnet das Buch die wichtigsten Momente von den 1940ern bis zur heutigen Zeit nach. Ergänzt werden die Comics stets um einleitende Texte, die nicht nur den Leser mit dem Setting des bevorstehenden Abschnittes vertraut machen, sondern auch wichtige Infos zum Kontext geben (z.B. Entwicklungen im DC Universum der entsprechenden Zeit, Darstellung Catwomans in anderen Medien etc.). Die Anthologie ist in mehrere Kapitel unterteilt, die chronologisch und teilweise thematisch angeordnet sind (z.B. Beschäftigung mit der Beziehung zu Batman).
Bewertung: "Catwoman Anthologie" ist für mich ein herausragendes Werk. Bisher hatte ich zu Catwoman eine eher distanzierte Beziehung. Wirkliches Interesse konnte ich nicht aufbringen. Nach der Lektüre des Buches änderte sich dies drastisch, sodass Catwoman nun einer meiner Lieblingscharaktere ist. Bildlich gesprochen gibt die Anthologie einen Einblick in alle neun Leben der Katze. Von den Anfängen in den 40ern des letzten Jahrhunderts ("Cat") bis zur heutigen Zeit mit den Comics von Joelle Jones. Die Wandlung Catwomans von der Schurkin zur Antiheldin und ihre Beziehung zu Batman bilden den Fokuspunkt der Untersuchung. Mithilfe der erklärenden Texte, die den Neueinsteiger massiv unterstützen, zeichnet sich so ein deutliches Bild von Selina Kyle ab. Der ganze Facettenreichtum dieses Charakters wird dem Leser mit der Lektüre deutlich. Von List und Heimlichkeit über Verschwiegenheit bis Zuneigung und Witz ist alles dabei. Man versteht nun die Faszination, die die Meisterdiebin seit Jahrzehnten auf die Comicleser ausübt. Bei
all den neuen Eindrücken, fühlt man sich jedoch nie überfordert. Im Gegenteil: Man will mehr über die Frau im Katzenkostüm erfahren. Die hochwertige Aufmachung im Hardcover träge ihr Übriges zum hübschen Gesamtbild bei.
Fazit: Ein Must-have für alle Comicleser. Wer noch kein Katzenfreund war, wird es nach der Lektüre sein. Gesamt: 5/5
April 30, 2016
These 75 year collections are fantastic. They give you a glimpse into the origins and early issues of the characters and then progress as the hero progresses through time. I was excited to read Catwoman's because she is a complicated character. Unlike the Joker who always stands on the side of crazy and evil, Catwoman walks in moral ambiguity. This is a great book to see more of her.
November 11, 2019
I recently read The Many Lives of Catwoman: The Felonious History of a Feline Fatale by Tim Hanley, so when I saw this on promo for Batman Day 2019 it seemed like a good idea to actually read some of the stories that had been referenced. That and I really like Catwoman, although I'm really only familiar with her Batman the Animated Series and Gotham City Sirens incarnations.
Overall this was a pretty good collection of Catwoman stories throughout the comics. There's stories here from the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Modern ages of comics, and there are short intros to each section that give a very abbreviated overview of the character during that time period.
The Golden Age comics were okay. This collection wouldn't be complete without Catwoman's introduction, but Golden Age isn't really my thing and I'll be honest about that.
The Silver/Bronze Age comics were section was a bit subpar and kind of a mixed bag. Of the first part of that section, all the comics had the same problem: they're not really comics about Catwoman or stories where she plays a large role. "The Catwoman's Black Magic!"/"Bad Luck for a Black Super-Cat!" (a two-parter) is a Superman story and "The Fist of Flame?"/"Fangs of Fire!" (another two-parter) is a Wonder Woman story. The only decent one from this part, "From Each Ending...A Beginning!", earns that distinction because even though it's also not really about Catwoman (it's a Huntress origin story) it's more about Catwoman than either of their others. "From Each Ending...A Beginning!" is the story where Selina gives up crime to marry Bruce Wayne, they have a daughter named Helena, and she is eventually blackmailed into doing one last job by a former associate. Unfortunately, she is killed during that job - fleeing from Batman, who showed up at the request of the Commissioner - which causes Bruce to hang up the cape and cowl permanently. This prompts Helena to create her own vigilante persona - Huntress - to bring to justice the man to used (as we find out, faked) blackmail to re-involve her mother in crime, which ultimately led to her death. The story leaves off with the implied ending that Huntress takes over what had been Batman's duty to Gotham City. Probably half of "From Each Ending...A Beginning!" focuses on Bruce or Helena rather than Selina, but Selina plays a large role in the story that it can be reasonably considered her story as well, as opposed to the ones pulled from Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane and Diana Prince as Wonder Woman where she isn't really part of the story beyond being the impetus for it or where she just sort of hangs around in the background. The last two comics in this section were the only really good ones. "Shadow of the Cat!"/"The Cat Who Would be King!" (a two-parter) was good and "Night of Passion...Night of Fear!" was excellent.
The Modern Age was good overall, including selected issues from Mindy's Newell's reboot, Chuck Dixon/Jim Balent's run, Brubaker's run, Gotham City Sirens, the New 52 reboot, and a short called "Date Night." This the Catwoman that I think most people will recognize when they think of Catwoman, at least in her silver screen adaptations.
The final section, which is also modern comics, is stories centered around TV incarnations of Catwoman. This one is the shortest of all sections at only two stories, which is kind of disappointing. DC really couldn't have dropped the Superman and Wonder Woman stories from the Silver/Bronze section to put more here? One of the stories features Eartha Kitt's incarnation of Catwoman in what I think is children's comic, and the other is a story from Batman: Gotham Adventures. Both are good to excellent - I'm partial to Gotham Adventures; it was an excellent series and "Claws" is an excellent story - and I'm of the opinion that this section should have been expanded. Anyone whose mental image of Catwoman isn't from the silver screen probably gets their mental image of Catwoman from the TV series - either the old 1960s show or BTAS - and I would have loved to see more of that kind of story in this collection.
Regardless, this is a good collection overall. This is a good place for readers interested in Catwoman as a character and her history to start, so I would recommend it others for that purpose. For it's waste of pages and my time with off topic, somewhat boring Superman and Wonder Woman stories, however, I dock the rating one star for a total of four stars.
Overall this was a pretty good collection of Catwoman stories throughout the comics. There's stories here from the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Modern ages of comics, and there are short intros to each section that give a very abbreviated overview of the character during that time period.
The Golden Age comics were okay. This collection wouldn't be complete without Catwoman's introduction, but Golden Age isn't really my thing and I'll be honest about that.
The Silver/Bronze Age comics were section was a bit subpar and kind of a mixed bag. Of the first part of that section, all the comics had the same problem: they're not really comics about Catwoman or stories where she plays a large role. "The Catwoman's Black Magic!"/"Bad Luck for a Black Super-Cat!" (a two-parter) is a Superman story and "The Fist of Flame?"/"Fangs of Fire!" (another two-parter) is a Wonder Woman story. The only decent one from this part, "From Each Ending...A Beginning!", earns that distinction because even though it's also not really about Catwoman (it's a Huntress origin story) it's more about Catwoman than either of their others. "From Each Ending...A Beginning!" is the story where Selina gives up crime to marry Bruce Wayne, they have a daughter named Helena, and she is eventually blackmailed into doing one last job by a former associate. Unfortunately, she is killed during that job - fleeing from Batman, who showed up at the request of the Commissioner - which causes Bruce to hang up the cape and cowl permanently. This prompts Helena to create her own vigilante persona - Huntress - to bring to justice the man to used (as we find out, faked) blackmail to re-involve her mother in crime, which ultimately led to her death. The story leaves off with the implied ending that Huntress takes over what had been Batman's duty to Gotham City. Probably half of "From Each Ending...A Beginning!" focuses on Bruce or Helena rather than Selina, but Selina plays a large role in the story that it can be reasonably considered her story as well, as opposed to the ones pulled from Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane and Diana Prince as Wonder Woman where she isn't really part of the story beyond being the impetus for it or where she just sort of hangs around in the background. The last two comics in this section were the only really good ones. "Shadow of the Cat!"/"The Cat Who Would be King!" (a two-parter) was good and "Night of Passion...Night of Fear!" was excellent.
The Modern Age was good overall, including selected issues from Mindy's Newell's reboot, Chuck Dixon/Jim Balent's run, Brubaker's run, Gotham City Sirens, the New 52 reboot, and a short called "Date Night." This the Catwoman that I think most people will recognize when they think of Catwoman, at least in her silver screen adaptations.
The final section, which is also modern comics, is stories centered around TV incarnations of Catwoman. This one is the shortest of all sections at only two stories, which is kind of disappointing. DC really couldn't have dropped the Superman and Wonder Woman stories from the Silver/Bronze section to put more here? One of the stories features Eartha Kitt's incarnation of Catwoman in what I think is children's comic, and the other is a story from Batman: Gotham Adventures. Both are good to excellent - I'm partial to Gotham Adventures; it was an excellent series and "Claws" is an excellent story - and I'm of the opinion that this section should have been expanded. Anyone whose mental image of Catwoman isn't from the silver screen probably gets their mental image of Catwoman from the TV series - either the old 1960s show or BTAS - and I would have loved to see more of that kind of story in this collection.
Regardless, this is a good collection overall. This is a good place for readers interested in Catwoman as a character and her history to start, so I would recommend it others for that purpose. For it's waste of pages and my time with off topic, somewhat boring Superman and Wonder Woman stories, however, I dock the rating one star for a total of four stars.
March 31, 2018
Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years is a compilation of some of the most notable Catwoman stories over the years to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary debut of Batman's on and off love interest (2015).
This anthology is divided into four sections, separate roughly by Comic Era and Continuity. The first part is dedicated to the beginnings of Catwoman with stories from the Golden Age of Comics; the second part is dedicated to stories roughly in the Silver and Bronze Age stories; the third and most massive section is dedicated to the Modern and Rebooted Era and the final section deals with out of continuity stories. For the most part, the issues selected for each character was well chosen giving a rounded impression and appreciation for Catwoman.
It is very interesting to see how Catwoman evolved through the years from her humble beginnings in Batman (Vol. 1) #1 to her status in the Rebooted New 52. I liked seeing her evolution from outright enemy to a more neutral character of today.
The compilation seems really unbalanced of the eighteen stories featured nearly half was dedicated to the Modern Era with seven issues, the Golden to Bronze Eras seemly equally divided with a total of nine issues shared among them and the last two with one issue each is dedicated to the Batman '66 and Batman: The Animated Series Universes. Granted it made sense that this anthology would be divided this way, because Catwoman had her greatest growth during the Modern Age of Comics, but it would have been nice to have a balanced anthology.
With anthologies like these, story selection would be the most difficult task – Catwoman has been around for a long time and there are many stories with many having different favorites – in short it is impossible to please everyone. However, I think the editors picked a somewhat nice selection that shows the characteristic that is Catwoman. So on the whole, I was really happy of which stories were presented.
All in all, despite of the imbalanced of the anthology, it was in the end, a wonderful collection of most things Catwoman.
This anthology is divided into four sections, separate roughly by Comic Era and Continuity. The first part is dedicated to the beginnings of Catwoman with stories from the Golden Age of Comics; the second part is dedicated to stories roughly in the Silver and Bronze Age stories; the third and most massive section is dedicated to the Modern and Rebooted Era and the final section deals with out of continuity stories. For the most part, the issues selected for each character was well chosen giving a rounded impression and appreciation for Catwoman.
It is very interesting to see how Catwoman evolved through the years from her humble beginnings in Batman (Vol. 1) #1 to her status in the Rebooted New 52. I liked seeing her evolution from outright enemy to a more neutral character of today.
The compilation seems really unbalanced of the eighteen stories featured nearly half was dedicated to the Modern Era with seven issues, the Golden to Bronze Eras seemly equally divided with a total of nine issues shared among them and the last two with one issue each is dedicated to the Batman '66 and Batman: The Animated Series Universes. Granted it made sense that this anthology would be divided this way, because Catwoman had her greatest growth during the Modern Age of Comics, but it would have been nice to have a balanced anthology.
With anthologies like these, story selection would be the most difficult task – Catwoman has been around for a long time and there are many stories with many having different favorites – in short it is impossible to please everyone. However, I think the editors picked a somewhat nice selection that shows the characteristic that is Catwoman. So on the whole, I was really happy of which stories were presented.
All in all, despite of the imbalanced of the anthology, it was in the end, a wonderful collection of most things Catwoman.
October 25, 2020
I enjoy these 'Celebration' collections as they give me a chance to see over the years how not only the character changes (not to mention the fashions!) but also how the audience changes. Why am I giving this book a rather low score? Because for a book about Catwoman I didn't think this book was much about Catwoman.
In the early years, Catwoman was created to be a supporting character, so there really wasn't much for the editor to gather together. A large chunk of this collection is other characters' stories. From Lois Lane to Diana Prince (I absolutely refuse to call this incarnation Wonder Woman), these were their stories and Catwoman simply made a guest appearance. Dare I say it, she kind of overstayed her welcome in one story.
Then somewhere in the Eighties DC Comics decided to bring Catwoman into her own. The problem I saw here in these selections is DC had no clue as to what they wanted to do with her. She's an abused prostitute who stands up for the destitute. Scratch that. She's a straight up thief. Scratch that. She's an anti-heroine battling supervillains like Red Skull/Black Mask/Same Thing. Scratch that. She's in a sitcom as she's sharing an apartment with two other Gotham City Sirens. Scratch that. She's head of a mafia family. She's all over the place.
Much like a cat.
In the early years, Catwoman was created to be a supporting character, so there really wasn't much for the editor to gather together. A large chunk of this collection is other characters' stories. From Lois Lane to Diana Prince (I absolutely refuse to call this incarnation Wonder Woman), these were their stories and Catwoman simply made a guest appearance. Dare I say it, she kind of overstayed her welcome in one story.
Then somewhere in the Eighties DC Comics decided to bring Catwoman into her own. The problem I saw here in these selections is DC had no clue as to what they wanted to do with her. She's an abused prostitute who stands up for the destitute. Scratch that. She's a straight up thief. Scratch that. She's an anti-heroine battling supervillains like Red Skull/Black Mask/Same Thing. Scratch that. She's in a sitcom as she's sharing an apartment with two other Gotham City Sirens. Scratch that. She's head of a mafia family. She's all over the place.
Much like a cat.
November 17, 2017
Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, as always been there to torment, tempt and tantalize the Batman. I enjoyed this look at her various iterations over the past 75 years.
The "Earth-2" version had her criminal career, reformed and married Bruce Wayne in 1955. It was interesting to see her first appearance, subsequent appearances (one of which was the story where he finally admitted he loved her) and her farewell appearance, in a story that introduced her daughter, Helena Wayne, aka the Huntress.
The "Earth-1" version had her own flirtations with both crime and the law, and her own feelings for her own Batman. As with his older counterpart, this Bruce Wayne also had to come to grips with his feelings for his longtime foe. The stories chosen did a perfect job of portraying this struggle.
Post-Crisis Catwoman has a harder edge and a rougher origin, but at heart, she's the same: an agile, athletic thief for whom no lock is a deterrent.
This was a great read about a classic supervillain
The "Earth-2" version had her criminal career, reformed and married Bruce Wayne in 1955. It was interesting to see her first appearance, subsequent appearances (one of which was the story where he finally admitted he loved her) and her farewell appearance, in a story that introduced her daughter, Helena Wayne, aka the Huntress.
The "Earth-1" version had her own flirtations with both crime and the law, and her own feelings for her own Batman. As with his older counterpart, this Bruce Wayne also had to come to grips with his feelings for his longtime foe. The stories chosen did a perfect job of portraying this struggle.
Post-Crisis Catwoman has a harder edge and a rougher origin, but at heart, she's the same: an agile, athletic thief for whom no lock is a deterrent.
This was a great read about a classic supervillain
September 25, 2023
"Catwoman: A Celebration of 75 Years" (2014) rappresenta un ottimo modo per godere l'evoluzione di Selina Kyle e del fumetto in generale.
Nata nel 1940 come uno dei tanti avversari di Batman, Catwoman si evolve nel corso del tempo (lo so che voi pensate soprattutto alla versione di Jim Balent) ed emerge come personaggio pieno, acquisendo a ogni "reboot" del multiverso DC una personalità sempre pù spiccata.
Il volume in questione è diviso in quattro parti: "The Cat-Burlgar" (da 1940 al 1942), "The Cat Came Back" (dal 1966 al 1983 - nel periodo intermedio Catwoman cadde sotto la scure della "Comics Code Authority"), "Nine Lives" (dal 1989 al 2014 - qui trovate la Selina Kyle di Balent), "Small-screen Selina" (una storia del 2014 e una del 1998, riferite alla versione animata televisiva di Batman & soci).
Molti gli autori presenti: da Bill Finger & Bob Kane, a Len Wein, Chuck Dixon, Ed Brubaker, Paul Dini, Jeff Barker e molti altri. E molti anche i disegnatori oltre a Kane e al già citato Balent.
Nata nel 1940 come uno dei tanti avversari di Batman, Catwoman si evolve nel corso del tempo (lo so che voi pensate soprattutto alla versione di Jim Balent) ed emerge come personaggio pieno, acquisendo a ogni "reboot" del multiverso DC una personalità sempre pù spiccata.
Il volume in questione è diviso in quattro parti: "The Cat-Burlgar" (da 1940 al 1942), "The Cat Came Back" (dal 1966 al 1983 - nel periodo intermedio Catwoman cadde sotto la scure della "Comics Code Authority"), "Nine Lives" (dal 1989 al 2014 - qui trovate la Selina Kyle di Balent), "Small-screen Selina" (una storia del 2014 e una del 1998, riferite alla versione animata televisiva di Batman & soci).
Molti gli autori presenti: da Bill Finger & Bob Kane, a Len Wein, Chuck Dixon, Ed Brubaker, Paul Dini, Jeff Barker e molti altri. E molti anche i disegnatori oltre a Kane e al già citato Balent.
July 7, 2018
A collection of comics centered around the sometimes villain and sometimes hero dating back to 1940, when she was simply a burglar known as "The Cat." Later, she received the alias Catwoman and a greater emphasis on cat themes rather than just her being a cat burglar. In a crossover story with Superman in the Silver Age, she even had weird magic powers, including hypnosis and a wand she uses to turn Superman into a cat. What is consistent from the character's beginnings is that the normally tough-on-crime Batman has a real soft spot for her, and that the attraction is mutual. I will say from having read a few of these collections that the more recent entries tend to be confusing. There's some good characterization, but it really doesn't seem like you can read newer DC stories without a lot of prior knowledge. Not that some Marvel titles aren't like that as well. The thing is, if I'd started reading comics earlier in life, I don't think that would bother me.
November 13, 2017
If you like or love Catwoman, then this is definitely a book worth reading at least for her history. The beginning comics are a little painful to read, prepare for a lot of sexism and sub-par writing with puns at every opportunity.
In the timeline of comics, I'm in the newer group of readers/fans. I've been reading comics for only a couple years at this point. Most of my love is from watching the Batman cartoons while growing up on Saturday mornings. Catwoman has always been a favorite. Though reading her origin comics is adding a new light to her character. Although heavily sexist, her character's survival overtime and eventual growth adds to my appreciation of her.
In a male dominated realm, Catwoman made a place for herself early and consistently as hero and villain.
In the timeline of comics, I'm in the newer group of readers/fans. I've been reading comics for only a couple years at this point. Most of my love is from watching the Batman cartoons while growing up on Saturday mornings. Catwoman has always been a favorite. Though reading her origin comics is adding a new light to her character. Although heavily sexist, her character's survival overtime and eventual growth adds to my appreciation of her.
In a male dominated realm, Catwoman made a place for herself early and consistently as hero and villain.
April 30, 2021
This is an omnibus selection of the felonious feline's career in the comics, so it may not be for the newer fans. As a sometime collector of those comics, however, I savored each page and indeed, most panels. This book took my mind off the horrid and horrific events in my life this past year, making me forget the pandemic we're all living through for a while.
Most of the later stories were abridged due to lack of space, and ended on many a cliffhanger. Ardent fans of those periods can, of course look to their own collections to fill the gaps. For the more casual readers, the collection will be a source of continuing frustration toward the end, due to those selfsame cliffhangers.
Nonetheless, I recommend this to everyone - at least for a bit, you'll forget your woes and smile.
Most of the later stories were abridged due to lack of space, and ended on many a cliffhanger. Ardent fans of those periods can, of course look to their own collections to fill the gaps. For the more casual readers, the collection will be a source of continuing frustration toward the end, due to those selfsame cliffhangers.
Nonetheless, I recommend this to everyone - at least for a bit, you'll forget your woes and smile.
January 30, 2021
Out of all of the comics collected in here, I only liked one or two. I’ve never read any individual comics with Catwoman, but the collection made me curious to see where her character comes from. It was disappointing because her breadth wasn’t really shown here. Maybe it’s more obvious when you read the solo series, but the 50s and 60s Batman and robin excerpts were unbearable. Also annoying how obviously girls were not expected or wanted as readers. Started to get better in the 80s but still just seemed to lack depth. Too bad because I like her character, at least what it has eventually become...something starting to get more complex.
August 25, 2022
This is not a "best of", let's be clear on that. There could be no reason for the inclusion of the old Superman gets turned into a cat story if it was.
No, I'm thinking it's a collection of what the editors considered "key" moments in Catwoman's comics history. That or these were the cheapest to reproduce or something bureaucratic like that.
There were definitely better choices from the amazing Jim Balent era than the ad hoc team up story here though.
Still, a Catwoman fan is a Catwoman fan and a fan I am so this had to go in my shelves, even though I pretty much either owned already or had previously read 90 % of the issues. Had to.
No, I'm thinking it's a collection of what the editors considered "key" moments in Catwoman's comics history. That or these were the cheapest to reproduce or something bureaucratic like that.
There were definitely better choices from the amazing Jim Balent era than the ad hoc team up story here though.
Still, a Catwoman fan is a Catwoman fan and a fan I am so this had to go in my shelves, even though I pretty much either owned already or had previously read 90 % of the issues. Had to.
November 22, 2018
Another afternoon read at the library. The original Catwoman from Batman and Superman tales was a far cry from the more familiar one. She had big cats that were very dangerous to one and all. As she changed over the years to a more common woman with larceny in her blood and a bit of vigilante vs those she perceived as threats to her neighborhood / friends she became an anti-hero rather than a pure villain. A it of a read but for an afternoon in a comfy chair worth the effort.
December 25, 2018
While I did not love all the comics chosen for this, it was more interesting than the Harley Quinn one just because of the sheer history involved with Catwoman. I loved Diana Prince's 70s outfit and two comments made (paraphrased):
Wonder Woman (reacting to "Wise old men say, beauty is like a flame, nice to look at but deadly to touch."): Wise old men never had any fun, did they?
Catwoman: "Am I the only who doesn't lecture? This is you other super-villians always get caught."
Wonder Woman (reacting to "Wise old men say, beauty is like a flame, nice to look at but deadly to touch."): Wise old men never had any fun, did they?
Catwoman: "Am I the only who doesn't lecture? This is you other super-villians always get caught."
June 16, 2020
Man, this book really hammers home how much comics have declined in the last 30 years or so. And not just from making everything grimdark - the last section of the book covering non-TV tie-ins makes an abrupt shift from self-contained stories to discrete slices of ongoing arcs. Honestly, this would probably be a three-star book if not for the Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser crossover and the 1970s Earth-2 stuff.
January 4, 2019
I shouldn't have been, but I was surprised at how many eras of Catwoman's history this book covers, including comics inspired by the '66 TV version and Batman: The Animated Series. It's a great overview and made me want to dig into particular eras more deeply: namely the Bronze Age and the stuff by Ed Brubaker and Cameron Stewart.
June 15, 2019
My favorite of Batman's villains,Catwoman:A Celebration of 75 Years covers the history of Catwoman from the 40s to the present. It is neat to see how Catwoman has changed over the years. I've had a crush on Catwoman ever since watching Julie Newmar as Catwoman on reruns of the old Batman series. If you like Batman or Catwoman I think you will enjoy this book. It's the cat's meow.
November 25, 2018
A good look at Batmans greatest femme fatale
This a good collection, among the best, of DCs 75th year collections. Selina Kyle has always had the line between the law and crime, and Batman had always had a soft spot for her. This shows why.
This a good collection, among the best, of DCs 75th year collections. Selina Kyle has always had the line between the law and crime, and Batman had always had a soft spot for her. This shows why.
December 9, 2018
A great selection of some of her best tales. I enjoyed reading some of her earliest tales, from the 1940's and onwards, for the first time.
I hope some of Tom King's wonderful work on the character will be included in subsequent celebrations dedicated to her.
I hope some of Tom King's wonderful work on the character will be included in subsequent celebrations dedicated to her.
December 30, 2019
Catwoman is one of my favourites and this collection is a good overview of her different forms and personas over the years. I've also read the Harley Quinn one and I'd love to see another collection focused on Poison Ivy to round out the collection on Gotham's femme fatales.
November 22, 2021
Really like seeing how the artwork has improved. It's not that the artists have gotten better, but the printing technology definitely has.
Problem - The Golden Age section had full story arcs. After that it only has single issues reproduced so you never get resolution.
Problem - The Golden Age section had full story arcs. After that it only has single issues reproduced so you never get resolution.
May 30, 2017
Decent collection celebrating Catwoman's illustrious history, however I would have appreciated more variety or perhaps a better selection of stories.
July 7, 2017
I didn't care about Catwoman before I read this and now I love her. She is so interesting.
March 21, 2023
Interesting
January 4, 2016
I think this entry into the series is more fascinating than the others because Catwoman has such a different character evolution than other DC staples. Because of this, the later issues are much more interesting, but it is nice to see where the character (and all of her costumes) originated.
December 6, 2015
A great representation of Selina's varied history, including a couple stories I'm reading for the first time! The best Catwoman story collection yet!
April 13, 2016
I mean, c'mon! How could this be bad? Trust me. It's amazing!
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