Catwoman

For all of the time that Catwoman has been around, there have been numerous and varied iterations, providing a wealth of options to cosplayers. It’s always a delight to see a Catwoman at a convention, whether she’s in the old-school cape and suit, the various versions from Batman '66, the patched latex donned by Michelle Pfeiffer in the Batman Returns film, the body suit and cowl of the ‘90s animated series, or even the sleek and sophisticated look of the newer outfits based on Darwyn Cooke's fan-favorite redesign. In all forms, these cosplayers embody DC’s finest thief and famous femme fatale.

There was a time not so long ago when one could count off all the LGBTQ superheroes at Marvel and DC on the fingers of one hand. We’ve seen an increasing number of queer heroes make their debuts in recent years, and a few established heroes have come out as LGBTQ, but the number of queer superheroes at the Big Two in any given month is still sometimes small enough to count on one hand. To celebrate Pride, and the many LGBTQ heroes that have appeared at Marvel and DC over the years, we’ve assembled a panel of ComicsAlliance contributors to hold a fantasy draft. Our writers will take turns building up seven-member dream teams of LGBTQ superheroes from the ranks of both publishers.

Nearly 25 years after Batman Returns release, we're finally getting a Michelle Pfieffer Catwoman action figure that actually does the character justice. There have been other figures based on this interpretation of the character --- particularly those released in conjunction with the film's original release --- but we've come a long way from 1992's action figure standards. Despite Catwoman having a number of action figures over the years from various makers however, the Batman Returns version has been neglected for decades. NECA's been on a personal crusade to bring fan-favorite versions of characters from the Tim Burton Batman films to life, and with Catwoman due to arrive this fall, the dream will soon be a reality. NECA's Burton Bat-verse line has been a tremendous hit thus far, and it's not hard to understand why. I mean, just look at this thing. It's wonderfully accurate, in both costume and likeness, and despite being a 1/4 scale figure, still has enough articulation for more than adequate poseability.

In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent.

In a blog post on Friday, Darwyn Cooke’s wife Marsha announced that her husband had been undergoing palliative care following treatment for an aggressive form of cancer. It was confirmed the next day that Darwyn Cooke passed away in the early hours of Saturday, May 14, surrounded by friends and family at his home in Florida. Cooke’s loss is felt throughout the comic book industry, not just as a creator and cartoonist, but as a friend, colleague and idol. Darwyn Cooke’s iconic and unmistakable style represented the very best the industry could offer, and the world is a much poorer place without him.

In honor of the caped crusaders of the convention scene, ComicsAlliance has created Best Cosplay Ever (This Week), an ongoing collection of some of the most impeccable, creative, and clever costumes that we’ve discovered and assembled into a super-showcase of pure fan-devoted talent.

Born on this day in 1967, Adam Hughes is one of the most sought after cover artists in the world, with a unique style filled with his signature brand of charm and warmth. Although often cited as a pin-up artist, Hughes’ work surpasses many of his contemporaries by offering more than just beautiful people posed alluringly.

So on the one hand, the "Premium Format" figures from Sideshow are sculpted with a realism that's almost frightening. If you're not expecting to see them lurking on a bookshelf, you can very easily glance at them and think that your home is currently being invaded by foot-tall versions of Batman and Catwoman who stepped right off the television screen. But on the other hand, having a home that's being attacked by tiny Batman characters is kind of everything that I've ever wanted in my life. It's a good thing, then, that Sideshow just released photos of their newest Premium Format figures: Batman, based on Adam West, and Catwoman, based on Julie Newmar, going up for pre-order this week.

On this day in 1940, DC Comics published Batman #1, which, as well as being the first appearance of The Joker, also featured the first appearance of the character we would come to know as Catwoman. Selina Kyle has been one of the most versatile characters in not only Batman’s canon, but the whole DC Universe. She’s been a hero, a villain, an ally, a lover, and for over twenty years she has been a leading lady in her own right.

When it comes to Catwoman, Michelle Pfeiffer is arguably the best on-screen portrayal of the character we've ever seen. Sure, Anne Hathaway was certainly "a" Catwoman. Eartha Kitt and Julie Newmar stand on their own in the funky world of Batman 1966, so you can't really compare them to any other era's Catwoman fairly. Even if you did, there's a fair chance Pfeiffer still comes out on top. Her performance was memorable for all the right reasons, and still stands up even all these years later. Isn't it about time someone paid proper tribute to her in collectible form? It's been nearly 25 years since Batman Returns hit theaters, and in all that time since the film's release, this particular version of Catwoman just hasn't gotten her fair shake of memorabilia. Only recently have companies like Tweeterhead and Sideshow even thought to look back a few decades for inspiration. An approaching milestone anniversary will do that for you. I suppose it's better this way, since 10 or 15 years ago, I probably wouldn't have been able to afford something as amazing as Sideshow's latest premium format figure, the Batman Returns Catwoman.