CATWOMAN ...rad goggles and criminal noir.

C is for...CATWOMAN!

Catwoman is much more than a feline-themed criminal in a cat-suit. Despite sexy portrayals by Julie Newmar, Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Anne Hathaway, Camren Bicondova, or Zoë Kravitz would have you believe, Selina Kyle, AKA Catwoman has the potential to be a much more nuanced character in modern comics.

Way back back in 2002, now acclaimed crime-fiction writer Ed Brubaker attempted to do just that - redefine a sexual icon into a feminist one - in his seminal run and reboot of Catwoman. Brubaker created a more low-key, street level portrayal of the character, returning to the East End of Gotham, a forgotten, working class part of the city. Paired with a # of artists - including the late Darwyn Cooke, Cameron Stewart, and Mike Allred - ironically also all dudes - who masterfully create a less sexualized version of Selina. She's joined by her best friend Holly, private eye Slam Bradley, and Dr. Leslie Thompkinz to confront the demons of her past and present.

But we ALSO decided to read 2022's Catwoman Lonely City - the acclaimed miniseries by Cliff Chiang - which ventures into the not-too-distant future to follow a middle-aged Selina Kyle, as she investigates a conspiracy related to the death of Batman some 10 years prior. Almost all of the Bat-family is gone, and she's left with her wits, and a handful of super-criminal friends and foes, some of whom have infiltrated city hall.

both series ask us to re-examine not just how our society defines crime, but who are the people who define what crime is, and what are the circumstances that drive those we deem criminals to choose the life they do. but also, just a romping good time with a lady in a cat suit.