Catwoman #1: So Now Felicia Hardy And Selina Kyle Have Something In Common

[aaron_bourque]

Two pages from Catwoman #1 under the cut.





No really, they do. With their costumes on.

So. Selina doesn't know Bruce is Batman. That doesn't stop her from having a sexual relationship with him where they keep their masks (and most of their costumes) on. Bruce "protests" initially, but that doesn't stop her, no way! And this is stupid, but I hardly needed to say that.

Between this and Red Hood and the Outlaws #1, this has not been a terrific week for women in comics. I might have felt Catwoman was mediocre before the ending, thinking there might have been a few decent ideas rushed to fruition, but then this? I've got no problem with the Bruce/Selina ship (I prefer Bronze Age or DCAU Talia, but hey, that's me). But this . . . is not a good idea. It's just a poorly thought out plot regression that makes no damn sense.

And no, as far as I could tell, there was no "5 years ago" tag on this like Action Comics or Justice League of America, so this isn't a flashback.

This was painful.

Aaron "The Mad Whitaker" Bourque; also, Birds of Prey was okay except for Starling. How much of a Mary Sue are you, girl?

Comments

[darkknightjrk]

Honestly, I don't think that was a bad scene, and fitted perfectly with the two.

Also, I don't think comparing this to the Peter/Felicia stuff in BND is valid, since, as I recall, people here were complaining about that because Peter isn't a character like that, whereas characters like Iron Man and Batman are.

[aaron_bourque]

Batman is what, exactly?

[jcbaggee]

Welcome to your new DC Universe, everybody.

[filkertom]

I'll be in the car.

[jaybee3]

According to Dan Didio, Batman: Hush is still in continuity. The same storyline drawn by the now co-publisher of the company. Selina finding out Bruce Wayne was Batman was HUGE part of that storyline and effected basically every interaction the two of them had after that - and Selina's reactions post Morrison's RIP & Final Crisis (also still in continuity) when Bruce was presumed dead. It was a huge step in character growth for both Selina & Bruce (her knowing Batman's real identity and Bruce being the one to tell her also affected Damien's outlook on Selina as well as Dick & Tim's view of her and how much she could be trusted).

And now that's gone so Winick can give us this?

[aaron_bourque]

On the one hand, much of Hush is out of continuity.

On the other hand, WINICK!!!

[lencannon]

I don't like what they are doing with the concept of the "Bat family." Selina used to be an important, if ambivilent, part of their group dynamic. She was someone that was there for them and was there for Bruce without any of the authority he commands over everyone else. Her knowing his identity was good.

I won't go into how divorced Barbara seems from the Batclan. But I am not really thrilled about it.

[darkknightjrk]

Well, Selina only really had interactions with Bruce, so she's about the same.

And Barbara--she's been in two books, one of which is supposed to be her adventure, and the other one that's connecting her to Dinah. Snyder's said she's going to appear in issues of Batman. Nightwing's going to be in her book and vice versa. Bruce is going to be in an upcoming issue of Batman, she's going to guest star in Birds of Prey. She's the exact opposite of divorced.

[mullon]

So that's: Powergirl, Catwoman, and Starfire.

[jaybee3]

And Amanda Waller - albeit in a different way.

It's really interesting to see that most of the characters they've "changed" have been the women (including now walking now early 20s Babs Gordon when it comes to that) and yet from Batman to Green Lantern to even Damien, many of the males are basically the same.

[kenwyn89]

I see this as a way of getting past the usual routine - with Felicia Hardy she was not Peter Parker's love of his life - whereas Catwoman is the most enduring and independent woman in the Bat-titles. Doesn't make it great storytelling though. But hell, I'd rather this than Talia al Ghul any day.

[lencannon]

let's not forget a certain belligerent superthief.

[lencannon]

ALSO YOU KNOW WHAT

I remember a time

a beautiful time

where Catwoman remembered her zipper went all the way up.

[auggie18]

Zatanna mindwiped her.


Is it too early for that to start?

[crabby_lioness]

I can believe it, I just don't want it.

[aaron_bourque]

That's essentially my reaction, but I was much louder.

[freezer]

So they've just brought All-Star Batman into the main continuity?

[an_idol_mind]

Uuughh...

I really preferred Selina as a part of the Bat-family. She added a nice dynamic to the group. Now she's just the chick who screws Batman.

To be fair, though, I don't think it compares with Spider-Man. The problem with Spider-Man and the Black Cat was that they broke into a hotel, ruining somebody's wedding night in the process. Then we had Peter insisting that Felicia not look at his face during sex. At least with Bruce and Selina it's just kinky sex and not something that violates other people's property.

I gotta wonder, though...how long has Selina been doing this? I wonder if she wound up having these encounters with Dick when he was Batman.

[darkknightjrk]

"Now she's just the chick who screws Batman."

Reading through this issue, I don't see how one can get that conclusion unless there's a fair share of slut-shame involved. She's literally the same exact character that she's been for the past 70 years.

"I wonder if she wound up having these encounters with Dick when he was Batman."

During that time she told Dick to not expect her to be as helpful as she was with Bruce just because he's wearing the cowl. I don't see how it would be different with sex.

[silverzeo]

Nice little hawk add on there. I'll be sure to use it when needed. :D

[shadowpsykie]

..... im conflicted... its not really the sex i have an issue with... Something is troubling Selina and apparently she is seeking comfort and in this case, it means sex...(though i am told the last panel is foreplay not actual sex, though admitedly thats hard to tell either way...)

what i have a problem with is the fact that apparently she no longer knows he is Bruce Wayne... and honestly those were huge character moments for both of them, if heart of hush happened, they would have to know. thats what bothers me, like other posters have said, even though she was on the out side she was still a huge part of the bat family... now... what? its just... if she had so, "Oh Bruce, we know so little about each other" that would make sense, especially if that incident with the mob boss was an indication of a part of her past he doesnt know... but in this case, its leading me to believe they haven't shared that information with each other...

i dislike this more than RHATO, i don't hate it... but i really don't like this... im still going to read, giving him the benifite of the doubt until... issue three maybe...

[sallymustard]

Yeah, I think I share your attitude. I'm hoping there's more to learn in what's following this #1.

[aeka]

So let me get this straight...

1. Barbara was paralysed for three years, and was still Oracle. Check.
2. Damian Wayne is still Bruce and Talia's kid. Check.
3. Dick Grayson was still Batman for a time with Damian as his Robin. Check.
4. Hush is still in continuity, but Selina no longer remembers Bruce and Batman being one and the same?

I think my brain just fell out of its casing. I agree with whoever said most of the changes seem to have been made to the female characters in DCnU. At least Catwoman is still a jewel thief with the hots for Batman. This at least gives me *some* hope.

[misterk]

[i]2. Damian Wayne is still Bruce and Talia's kid. Check.[/i]

Unfortunately...

*sigh* #@$ damn it!

[stolisomancer]

I'm not sure what Starling did to deserve being called a "Mary Sue," unless it was the crime of being a new character.

[arbre_rieur]

Isn't that the case for 90% of accusations of Mary Suedom?

[big_daddy_d]

So Selina no longer remembers that Bruce is Batman?...*sigh*...

[leikomgwtfbbq]

What is WRONG with her arm in that first page?

It looks like Batman is snapping it out of its socket O__o

[darkknightjrk]

Hey, sometimes they get a little rough.

[aeolos_sakya]

"We leave our masks on. It's better that way."

[lorriek]

Well, that's disheartening.

[ghosty732]

So Heart of Hush is out of continuity, then?

Damn, that was a really good story.

This reboot was not good for Pauli Dini (or fans)...

[omgwtflolbbqbye]

It could still be in continuity if Selina is mostly oblivious as to why Hush would be interested in attacking her, and if you remove the scene at the end with her and Bruce in the hospital which was pretty much the best moment of the whole story.

Hurray...

I'm actually surprised this happened cause it also invalidates her joining Bruce for the first leg of Morrison's "Batman Inc." and I thought his stories would have been given retcon immunity by the PTB.

[thehefner]

"Every time... he protests. Then... gives in. And he seems... angry." And we actively see him struggling against her, and then acquiescing.

...

...

...

UM...

[darkknightjrk]

I didn't think of it like that. I read that as being more like, they both know that this is a bad idea, but they can't help themselves. The reason why Batman is angry because he values his dicipline, and having his sense of control slip bothers him.

I think part of what makes that coupling work so well is that it brings to mind a lot of the classic crime/noir romances like that.

[omgwtflolbbqbye]

I wonder if maybe they're setting back the relationship between Selina and Bruce so that they can have it at a status quo that might be close to what we'll see in The Dark Knight Rises, and then we'll get a second identity reveal between the two shortly thereafter.

[sallymustard]

Up until the end, I absolutely loved the tone. I've loved Guillem March's art for a while, and it was so great in this. Ugh but the end has so many problems. They didn't have to do it that way, is what I keep thinking. It could have gone a similar way without all the prominently problematic shit and been just fine.

[halloweenjack]

So, have we all concluded that DC has absolutely no real idea of what's in continuity any more and what's not, and they're just absolutely winging it?

[jaybee3]

Pretty much. It's for sure the writers don't seem to have a clue because however much Didio says Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, FInal Crisis, Batman: Hush, RIP, Batman Inc. (like issue #1 where Bruce/Selina in civilian garb were "together") are all still in continuity its hard to square any of that with what we've seen so far.

[nightauditguy]

Makes you wonder if Batman carries condoms in his utility belt.

[darkknightjrk]

What are you dense? He's the Goddamn Batman. Of COURSE he has condoms.

[detective_deathman08]

I hope he used a bat condom

[aaron_bourque]

Nah, Hal and Ollie told him he didn't need it.