In the last 20 or so years, I've bought three comic books...
In Defense of Fascism, a compilation of Bob the Angry Flower, a
Watchmen Graphic Novel, so I wouldn't have to worry about getting my original first editions damaged, and the sequel to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns -whatever the hell that was called.
So... I guess the question of what I'm basing my Catwoman on is worth discussing. While I was still a comic collector, I was getting Batman, and I picked up Year One (again, first editions as part of the regular Batman comic run at the time, I think they were #400-403), which prompted me to pick up Catwoman Year One, which was a mini series. In those books, Selina's origins are a bit vague, but the implication is that she might be Carmine Falcone's daughter. She also has a sister who's a bonafide Catholic Nun; I incorporated some of that into my versions background. My Selina's father is the singing chimney sweep, Kyle Prendergast (an entirely original creation). Selina's half-sister, the nun in my imagining is the illegitimate child of her father and Falcone's wife (although I've anglicized him to be Cameron Falconer).
Looking at the Catwoman at Comic Vine, what struck me most about her is that despite being one of DC's truly iconic characters, Catwoman
does not have an official origin. She doesn't. Again, that gives me a lot of room to do what I wanted, and it also brought me back to Frank Miller's work. Now, Frank's an excellent writer, but when he is criticized, it's usually to point out that "The Frank Miller Method" of writing is "just add whores." I don't know if Catwoman was a prostitute before Miller wrote an origin for her, or if DC has been reluctant to adopt his background for her as canon because of it... but it's what I'm most familiar with. In any case... Miller's Selina Kyle did seem to be somewhat more of a dominatrix than prostitute, and there is a difference -at least as far as Canada's criminal code (my home country) and what a dominatrix would tell you. So, I tend to lean a bit more to that way of thinking than to just simply say "Selina was a hooker." I'm actually drawing a certain amount of influence from
Lady Heather for the concept and personality.
In any case... if you understand where my vision of the character is coming from, you can probably see that having her dress up as a Strict Nun and take a riding crop to someone is hardly taking license with the Catwoman personality at all.
by Spectrum » Fri Aug 31, 2012 12:07 pm 
