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      ENTERTAINMENT
     
     
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      ired
      of
      testosterone?
      Looking
      for
      a
     
     
      y
      break
      from
      the
      seemingly
      endless
      horde
     
     
      of
      muscle-flexing,
      ultra-macho
      costumed
     
     
      heroes?
      If
      so,
      you
      may
      want
      to
      sink
      your
      claws
     
     
      into
      the
      new
      ongoing
      Catwoman
      series
      from
     
     
      DC.
      Readers
      of
      action
      books
      seeking
      credible
     
     
      female
      protagonists
      are
      usually
      met
      with
      such
     
     
      stereotypical
      staples
      as
      sex
      kittens
     
     
      (Starfire,
      Crimson
      Fox),
      sidekicks
      (Dag-
     
     
      ger,
      Hawkgirl),
      or
      imitators
      of
      male
     
     
      super
      heroes
      (Spider-Woman,
      She-
     
     
      Hulk,
      Batgirl,
      Supergirl).
      While
      there
     
     
      are
      many
      strong,
      interesting
      female
     
     
      characters
      ih
      comics
      they
      are,
      with
      the
     
     
      inexplicable
      exception
      that
      old
      (but
     
     
      recently
      revitalized)
      standby
      Wonder
      Z
     
     
      Woman,
      relegated
      to
      obscurity
      or
     
     
      supporting
      roles,
      and
      many
      attempts
     
     
      at
      ongoing
      super-heroine
      comics
      have
     
     
      failed
      (Supergirl,
      the
      Cat,
      Ms.
      Marvel,
     
     
      Dazzler,
      Amethyst,
      and
      the
      recently
     
     
      cancelled
      Black
      Canary
      to
      name
      but
      a
     
     
      few).
      Despite
      this
      trend,
      Catwoman
     
     
      stands
      a
      good
      chance
      of
      success.
     
    

    
     
      For
      one
      thing,
      the
      book
      is
      a
      unique
     
     
      adventure
      series
      not
      only
      in
      its
      use
      of
     
     
      a
      female
      protagonist,
      but
      also
      due
      to
     
     
      the
      fact
      that
      the
      book’s
      heroine
      is
      a
     
     
      criminal,
      an
      honourable
      but
      deadly
     
     
      woman
      who
      earns
      her
      living
      as
      a
      mas-
     
     
      ter
      thief.
      It’s
      a
      decidedly
      different
     
     
      perspective
      on
      the
      cops-and-robbers
     
     
      biz
      through
      the
      eyes
      of
      a
      female
      felon.
     
     
      Secondly,
      the
      book
      will
      benefit
      from
     
     
      Catwoman’s
      recognition
      factor.
      With
     
     
      millions
      of
      readers,
      TV
      viewers
      and
     
     
      movie
      goers
      being
      familiar
      with
      some
     
     
      version
      of
      the
      character
      because
      of
     
     
      her
      importance
      in
      the
      mythos
      of
      that
     
     
      multimedia
      property
      Batman.
     
     
      Catwoman
      is
      one
      of
      the
      best
      known
     
     
      and
      longest
      running
      female
      comics
     
     
      characters
      (it’s
      been
      over
      50
      years
      since
      she
     
     
      made
      her
      debut
      in
      Batman
      #1,
      and
      she
      still
      fills
     
     
      out
      a
      skintight
      costume
      rather
      nicely
      thanks
      to
     
     
      the
      comic
      book
      miracle
      of
      suspended
      time
     
     
      Passage).
     
    

    
     
      For
      those
      few
      who
      may
      be
      unfamiliar
      with
     
     
      Catwoman,
      she
      achieved
      fame
      as
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      earliest
      and
      best
      known
      members
      of
      Batman’s
     
     
      rogues
      gallery
      (surpassed
      only
      by
      the
      Joker,
      who
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      also
      made
      his
      debut
      in
      Batman
      #1).
      In
      particular
     
     
      Catwoman
      became
      a
      prototype
      for
      the
      good
     
     
      girl
      /
      bad
      girl
      character
      type,
      those
      alluring
      and
     
     
      often
      noble
      female
      criminals
      whom
      the
      heroes
     
     
      can’t
      seem
      to
      resist,
      torn
      between
      mutual
     
     
      attraction
      /
      admiration
      and
      upholding
      the
      letter
     
     
      of
      the
      law.
      There
      have
      been
      many
      versions
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ki
      .
     
     
      VIN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ave
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Catwoman’s
      origin
      and
      motivations
      over
      the
     
     
      years,
      the
      one
      common
      theme
      throughout
     
     
      them
      being
      that
      of
      an
      abused
      woman
      who
      finds
     
     
      liberation
      and
      her
      fortune
      as
      a
      master
      cat
     
     
      burglar.
      In
      the
      last
      official
      retelling
      some
      years
     
     
      ago
      she
      was
      an
      abused
      ex-prostitute
      named
     
     
      Selina
      Kyle
      who,
      inspired
      by
      Batman,
      takes
      ona
     
     
      costumedidentity
      to
      disguise
      herself
      (hers
      being
     
     
      inspired
      by
      her
      love
      of
      cats),
      thereafter
      making
     
    
   
   
    
     
      her
      living
      as
      a
      thief
      while
      occasionally
      thwarting
     
     
      other
      criminals
      herself
      or
      alongside
      Batman,
     
     
      with
      whom
      she
      has
      hada
      necessarily
      unconsum-
     
     
      mated
      romantic
      flirtation
      for
      years.
      As
      Robin
     
     
      once
      said,
      “Holy
      Heartbreak!”
     
    

    
     
      This
      is
      Catwoman’s
      first
      shot
      at
      an
     
     
      ongoing
      series,
      though
      she
      did
      star
      in
      a
      mini-
     
     
      series
      detailing
      her
      revised
      origin
     
     
      some
      years
      ago.
      She
      fits
      into
      a
      solo
     
     
      series
      surprisingly
      well.
      Though
      a
     
     
      criminal
      adventurer
      she
      adheres
      to
     
     
      a
      certain
      code
      of
      honour,
      and
      her
     
     
      tiny
      altruistic
      streak
      shows
      through
     
     
      in
      her
      adoption
      of
      a
      runaway
      teen-
     
     
      age
      girl
      who
      reminds
      her
      of
      her
      own
     
     
      beginnings
      (“It’s
      my
      nature
      to
      take
      in
     
     
      strays,”
      she
      says).
      These
      qualities,
     
     
      along
      with
      her
      confidence
      and
      intel-
     
     
      ligence,
      make
      her
      a
      surprisingly
      like-
     
     
      able
      and
      in
      some
      ways
      admirable
     
     
      character
      who
      just
      happens
      to
      make
     
     
      her
      living
      from
      thievery.
      Her
      inde-
     
     
      pendent
      spirit,
      ambition,
      and
      pride
     
     
      make
      her
      one
      of
      the
      stronger,
      more
     
     
      compelling
      comics
      heroines,
      and
      her
     
     
      aggressive
      (albeit
      illegal)
      attainment
     
     
      of
      self-empowerment
      makes
      her
      a
     
     
      peculiar
      sort
      of
      feminist
      role
      model.
     
    

    
     
      These
      qualities,
      along
      with
      .
     
     
      Catwoman’s
      violently
      capricious
      na-
     
     
      ture,
      are
      ably
      conveyed
      by
      series
     
     
      writer
      Jo
      Duffy.
      One
      of
      the
      comics’
     
     
      few
      female
      writers,
      Duffy
      manages
     
     
      to
      explore
      all
      the
      facets
      of
     
     
      Catwoman:
      ambition,
      greed,
      pride,
     
     
      playfulness,
      self-confidence,
      lack
      of
     
     
      inhibitions,
      violence,
      cunning,
      com-
     
     
      passion,
      maternal
      instincts,
      rebel-
     
     
      liousness,
      daring,
      and
      fierce
      inde-
     
     
      pendence.
      What
      emerges
      is
      a
     
     
      picture
      ofa
      strong,
      noble,
      but
      vio-
     
     
      lently
      volatile
      woman,
      as
      unpredict-
     
     
      able
      as
      her
      feline
      namesake.
      Characterization
      is
     
     
      the
      writing’s
      strong
      point,
      the
      key
      characters
     
     
      being
      Catwoman
      backed
      by
      a
      supporting
      cast
     
     
      including
      Arizona
      (her
      hero-worshipping
      adop-
     
     
      tive
      “daughter”)
      and
      Leopold
      (her
      chain-smok-
     
     
      ing
      criminal
      associate
      andassistant,
      described
      by
     
     
      her
      as
      “everything
      |
      like
      in
      a
      man...weak
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      venal,
      cowardly
      but
      brilliant..he
      agrees
      with
     
     
      ...continued
      next
      page
     
    
   
   
    
     
      September
      16,
      1993/X-Press/11