If DC Decided To Relaunch "Catwoman"

[tbgo]

What would you do? I'd rename it "The Catwoman", a total throwback, something that would differentiate it from this current volume. DC has been using "The Batman" repeatedly for the last decade or so. We now have "New Suicide Squad". We're 34 issues into this current Catwoman volume and I think the damage is pretty much done. We're heading into a third writer to come up with something interesting. Even if the arc is good, they should just reboot the comic to set it apart from a long era of crap. The character also needs a makeover, a new costume. We don't need another origin story. That's already been done for the New 52. I think a relaunch would interest people again. It would look like DC knew that the current comic didn't work, that it was crap, and to give this new one a shot.

What are your ideas regarding a relaunched "Catwoman"? That includes writers. What about character design?

[MajorHoy]

Frequent relaunching a title with a shiny new #1 is something Marvel has used and abused over and over. DC has done a few of those recently when they really didn't need to, and I don't think they need to do it with Catwoman.

(And adding "The" in front of the title seems silly . . . if you put things in alphabetical order, "The" is usually ignored when it's the very first word. So what would be the point?)

[Lee Stone]

I would take it back to the Brubaker film noir style. Maybe bring in the New52 Slam Bradley and make her a reluctant femme fatale. She means well but her methods would be questionable. I'd give her a protege that would embody her lost innocence and through whom she would live vicariously.
Slam would be secretly in love with her as he would make sure he was there to intercept GCPD with an alibi for her.
Meanwhile, Catwoman would be oblivious to this because she's resigned herself to believe she's damaged goods and the desire to redeem herself is what drives her to take on Gotham's underworld.

[BatfanReborn]

I'd have to say that I'm not entirely convinced that Catwoman should have her own series unless a writer has a proper cohesive set of storylines. The constant relaunches and revamps of Catwoman that result from her having an ongoing, for me, only serve to make the character appear too flaky and the lack of 'very good' plots for her over all the years she has featured in a solo also do a disservice to the character.
Personally, I would restrict her to occasional mini-series or only appearances in Batman books if as a straight up villain or, if as an anti-hero, to team books like Justice League of America, Gotham City Sirens or, maybe, Birds of Prey.

[chipsnopotatoes]

I would take it back to the Brubaker film noir style. Maybe bring in the New52 Slam Bradley and make her a reluctant femme fatale. She means well but her methods would be questionable. I'd give her a protege that would embody her lost innocence and through whom she would live vicariously.
Slam would be secretly in love with her as he would make sure he was there to intercept GCPD with an alibi for her.
Meanwhile, Catwoman would be oblivious to this because she's resigned herself to believe she's damaged goods and the desire to redeem herself is what drives her to take on Gotham's underworld.

Ugh no. I don't to read about a Catwoman who thinks she's a loser. And bringing back Slam is just rehashing Brubaker.

I'd rather see her with King Faraday. International heists. Exciting locations. Get her out of dreary dank Gotham, especially since Snyder seems to be turning it into Gaza.

[phonogram12]

I would take it back to the Brubaker film noir style. Maybe bring in the New52 Slam Bradley and make her a reluctant femme fatale. She means well but her methods would be questionable. I'd give her a protege that would embody her lost innocence and through whom she would live vicariously.
Slam would be secretly in love with her as he would make sure he was there to intercept GCPD with an alibi for her.
Meanwhile, Catwoman would be oblivious to this because she's resigned herself to believe she's damaged goods and the desire to redeem herself is what drives her to take on Gotham's underworld.

I'm down with this. A Catwoman actually interested in helping people other than herself again. Maybe get Rucka to do it. His female characters are AMAZING!

[Stormcrow]

Well, they're actually kinda relaunching the book in October with a whole new direction and creative team that looks pretty interesting. Ditching the cat burlar approach in favor of establishing her as Gotham's most prominent crime figure is a great move for the time being.

The only change I'd like is for her to grow her hair back, as she doesn't need it to be short and practical anymore. And if she's going to wear a costume besides her business clothes, then something like the Batman '66 outfit needs to happen.

[MajorHoy]

Well, they're actually kinda relaunching the book in October with a whole new direction and creative team that looks pretty interesting. Ditching the cat burlar approach in favor of establishing her as Gotham's most prominent crime figure is a great move for the time being.

The only change I'd like is for her to grow her hair back, as she doesn't need it to be short and practical anymore. And if she's going to wear a costume besides her business clothes, then something like the Batman '66 outfit needs to happen.

But the OP seems more obsessed with the concept of putting Issue #1 on it so it can call out to readers like a cheap street corner hooker (who's probably under-age and has a few unwanted social diseases you can't see). To the OP, just having new talent on the same book won't be enough enticement.

[ed2962]

I don't think Catwoman needs a new #1. Like it's already been said Marvel's used the re-numbering to excess, even to the point of putting "#1" on comics that they haven't even changed the numbering on. So, hype the new creative team and the new direction, but a new fist issue isn't needed.

[Lee Stone]

I don't think Catwoman needs a new #1. Like it's already been said Marvel's used the re-numbering to excess, even to the point of putting "#1" on comics that they haven't even changed the numbering on. So, hype the new creative team and the new direction, but a new fist issue isn't needed.

Exactly.
I would wager that Batgirl #35 will be one of DC's biggest sellers come October. Perhaps even getting a second print.
And it didn't need a new #1 for that...

[teddyeatsyourface]

Marvel has fallen into a dangerous game of "chasing the dragon" when it comes to their #1's. They relaunch so much that when you actually pick up a book it's difficult to find the one you want. It's all vol 1, vol 2, vol 1 part 2, vol 3 part 2 of 4, etc. I'm glad DC is mostly staying away from that mess.

For Catwoman, I would prefer if they just fleshed out her new 52 origin. Nocenti's take was so nonsensical, unorganized, and inconsequential that it could be easily ignored or made into a footnote. I loved the noir anti-hero catwoman but only a few writers can pull that off and quite frankly it's only something that should happen every once in awhile. Catwoman works best when she's position highly on the morally grey side of things and when she's all about doing what she wishes regardless if it's helpful to others or not.

The Tim Sale/Jeff Loeb or even to a lesser extent the Jim Balant era Catwoman would work really well in the new 52

[Flash Gordon]

Strict noir style vibe to it. Something dark and sketchy. She's the femme fatale of Gotham!

[mr_crisp]

She needs a body armor style costume with lines all over it.

[WonderScott]

Enough with her origin story and the East End for me. I see Selina Kyle as the opposite of Bruce Wayne, excluding that she started from humble beginnings. She's an expert strategist, a thrill seeker, a chameleon in any situation, martial skills on par with the Batfamily, a security and espionage maven and has impressive improvisational kills.

The mask of Selina Kyle should mingle as easily among the Gotham elites as Bruce Wayne's does. In her own way, he should be operating internationally, as much as Batman does. She's out for herself - for better or worse. She's mercurial. Superheroes are not sure whether to fully trust her and supervillains aren't sure either - but both may need her skills from time to time.

She's one of very few people that can get under Batman's skin for enigmatic reasons. They find each irresistible because of the challenge it presents, but also from what they lack as an individual. They're so alike, but resistant to change for one another and what that might mean. Theirs is a relationship of attraction and tension. She needs to be as much a formidable shade of his opposite as the Joker or Ra's al Ghul.

[The Red Monk]

Enough with her origin story and the East End for me. I see Selina Kyle as the opposite of Bruce Wayne, excluding that she started from humble beginnings. She's an expert strategist, a thrill seeker, a chameleon in any situation, martial skills on par with the Batfamily, a security and espionage maven and has impressive improvisational kills.

The mask of Selina Kyle should mingle as easily among the Gotham elites as Bruce Wayne's does. In her own way, he should be operating internationally, as much as Batman does. She's out for herself - for better or worse. She's mercurial. Superheroes are not sure whether to fully trust her and supervillains aren't sure either - but both may need her skills from time to time.

She's one of very few people that can get under Batman's skin for enigmatic reasons. They find each irresistible because of the challenge it presents, but also from what they lack as an individual. They're so alike, but resistant to change for one another and what that might mean. Theirs is a relationship of attraction and tension. She needs to be as much a formidable shade of his opposite as the Joker or Ra's al Ghul.

Oh, God no. I don't need anymore of Batman-knock-off Catwoman. Just keep her as a the world's best thief. Expert martial artist, strategist, genius spy, whatever, no, just no.

Catwoman should not be an anti-hero. It has done nothing but damage her character in the long-term, and the sooner DC realizes this, the better off her character will be. She's a master thief, out for herself and herself alone. She's most interesting that way, not as generic Gotham vigilante #593.

She does not need her own damn book. It was a waste of space, of time, and of resources. And not a single writer has been able to write a decent on-going with her, anyway.