So, that green Catwoman costume introduced in Batman #197?
Just a bit over one year later, it's gone. I think it's safe to say that look just didn't play in the sticks. Not that this one is much better. I mean, the black color makes more sense but I'm not sure about the buckles on the boots. Is she trying to be a swashbuckler or a Pilgrim? Because either would arguably apply.
There was one improvement, though:
That actually makes a fair amount of sense. Those eyes look ridiculous, but you can at least see how she's trying to stay with the theme this time.
Speaking of which:
Would Catwoman really want real leopard-skin seats in her car? Is that the retirement plan for those big cats she's always running around with? Puddles, I'm afraid you didn't keep Batman at bay while I made my escape. As an example to others, I am going to reupholster my sofa with your skin. Way harsh, Selena!
And check this out! Here's a letter to the editor that appeared that issue:
Well, Mark Evanier, if you didn't like the quality of comics, why didn't you just start writing them yourself, smarty pants?
Oh. You did. Alright then.
And just for the giggles, here's one from Batman #207:
Yup. This guy.
I guess Frank Robbins was quite the polarizing writer back in the day. It makes sense... the man brought us back to a darker Batman (which was awesome), but then he'd turn around and give you the Ten-Eyed Man (who we'll certainly get to). A complicated fella, that Frank Robbins.
See you tomorrow!
Posts
10 comments:
No one noticed that Selena stole Harvey's Black Cat's costume?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Cat_(Harvey_Comics)
NICE ONE! I never noticed that before!
Adam: have you ever seen the trade with Catwoman stories with each story showing her in each costume she wore going back to the 40s?
Frank Robbins also wrote possibly the worst Flash story of all time - and a two-parter at that! - in issues 180-1.
That was a weird comment in the second letter, where the letter-answerer talked about a "New-Old Look." I assume Schwartz was still on the Bat-books at the time. Did he or someone else in editorial think they needed to distinguish their current look from the era of Fox/Broome/Infantino?
Robbins might indeed be the random element, but he was "old" not in the sense of being like "Old Batman" but like "Old Terry and the Pirates." A lot of Robbins' scripts for BATMAN, THE SHADOW and THE FLASH have a vibe that strikes me as very Milt-Caniff-ish.
Wayne, I seem to recall there was a feature of Catwoman costumes in something I had, but I don't remember if was a 100 page Batman or if it was one of those oversized treasury editions. But yeah, I definitely remember seeing a feature on it somewhere.
Gene, I'm not sure what they're talking about exactly with the "New-Old Look." I wondered that myself.
And now, thanks to gumboote, I have to pick up Flash 180-1 and see it for myself.
I remember that Catwoman costume feature. It showed the evolution of the Catwoman costume, beginning with plainclothes (er, dress) Catwoman and ending with the purple-dress Catwoman that was brought back in '70s. The point of the feature seemed to be that the purple dress MUST have been a good costume because it was the only one Catwoman had worn in two different eras.
I think the Catwoman costume feature originally appeared in "Batman" #256. It was reprinted in "The Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told, Vol. 2", a collection of Penguin of Catwoman stories that was released to coincide with the rlease of Batman Returns.
That sounds right, although I'm thinking I saw it somewhere else before I got "Greatest" volume 2. Like years before... and yet Bats #256 was still just a bit before I started picking up the book... actually a mere 1 issue before. Batman #257 was my first Batman book! And it was awesome!
Post a Comment