Two years after Bob Kane and Bill Finger introduced the Batman to the 1940s comic book readership, a sensual feline femme fatale graced the pages of Detective Comics. Feisty, cunning, seductive, and deadly, Catwoman immediately proved every bit the equal of the instantly-smitten Dark Knight Detective. Initially “The Cat,” Selina Kyle’s look has undergone a gradual metamorphosis from the evening gown look with a full cat mask to (following Crisis on Infinite Earth) her now infamous jumpsuit design. Further, the evolution of her appearance for the last 77 years has always complimented where she was in terms of her personality, from straightforward villain to morally ambiguous antihero.
From Bob Kane to David Mazzucelli to Jim Balent to Darwyn Cooke, Selina’s comic book costume has progressed in regards to both practicality and sensuality. In the media, from the beautiful line of incarnations of the character on television, animation, and film, every generation has seen successful and not-so-successful translations from the source material. From Julie Newmar’s sparkly black to Michelle Pfieffer’s stitches to Anne Hathaway’s brushed leather, every Catwoman reflected the times and multiple interpretations of Batman’s paramour. Click on the image below and marvel at the many whip-wielding, sultry looks of Selina Kyle in every media.
Meow.
