Parting Shot: New ‘Catwoman’ Writer Ann Nocenti Calls Selina Kyle An ‘Accidental Feminist’

Starting with this week's zero issue, Ann Nocenti is taking over as regular series writer for DC's Catwoman. So far the cover for Catwoman #0 has received the bulk of attention for the issue, but that may soon change. In a USA Today interview, Nocenti talks about Catwoman's background as an orphan and how it shapes who she is as a character, and describes Selina as an "accidental feminist."From USA Today:

"I know state-raised people who went from orphanage to foster home, and normally they end up in the prison system," says Nocenti, who also writes DC's Green Arrow series. "She has that kind of an upbringing but she's empowered. To me, she's kind of an empowerment character."

"I almost feel like she's an accidental feminist," says Nocenti, who thinks of Irma Vep, a character from the 1915 silent French film Les vampires, as "the original Catwoman." The next "real" Catwoman moment for her, though, is Michelle Pfeiffer's take in 1992's Batman Returns movie, which Nocenti nods to in her zero issue.

"When she turns into Catwoman, she takes her frumpy little apartment and she destroys it," the writer explains. "She realizes she was locked into a non-feminist life as a downtrodden secretary. And she just rips that to shreds. To me, that's a feminist moment.

Nocenti and DC will have to wait and see how readers react to this new direction, but with the controversy the title has previously received, many longtime fans of the character will likely welcome a new approach.

[Via USA Today]