9. lives for selina kyle: CATWOMAN #39

a trail of honey, to show you where i've been

Last week, I talked a little bit about Dick Grayson, and how there was one other DC hero I felt like I really identified with. A Gothamite, even, who as I’ve aged and gotten to know myself more and more, has become a patron saint for living the absolutely delicious, fearless, femme, dark, queer, deadly life you fucking deserve. But I couldn’t talk about that last week.

I can talk about it now.

It’s Catwoman. And I’m taking over with issue #39.

Nico Leon on art, and Jordie Bellaire on colors. Reuniting with my incredible Thanos cover artist Jeff Dekal for regular monthly covers that drip fashion and sex. With this creative team? I’m the wimp. They all have awards and heads on pikes, and I’m trying to get on their level. (I also have to shout out my editors Jess Chen and Jessica Berbey. So much of our development for this book is just them listening to me while I send them my latest inspiration and ramble about Catwoman and femininity and danger and lust and power and they’re into it every time. Icons.)

I don’t want to go too far into what we’re doing in the book yet - Selina and I agree that there’s nothing more tantalizing than a taste - but you should know that I came in with a lot of plans. I’m building to a Catwoman-centric tale the likes that Gotham has never seen. The shape of this story, what makes it required reading for Selina Kyle’s life all became so clear to me as a I worked on this. I’m standing on the shoulders of giants who told my favorite Catwoman tales like Brubaker, Cooke, and Valentine, and I’m so grateful.

This is an all new jumping on point - if you’ve wondered about Selina’s life post-Bat you can start right here -but I also need to take the time to holler at the current creative team. Ram V, Fernando Blanco, Nina Vakueva - the people working on the current Catwoman book have been kicking ass and they didn’t give me an easy act to follow.

Sozomaika. meeeeow, shiny. My Christmas watching of Batman Returns is gonna hit different this year.

But follow we shall, into the places only Catwoman can work. Dressing rooms and bedrooms, boardrooms and champagne rooms. After all, we know well in Gotham that you don’t have to take the spotlight to be center stage.

She’s the World’s Greatest Criminal, and she loves it. Don’t forget it.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED…

As I write this, I’m laying in bed. We went out tonight for a drink and a little dancing at my favorite vaxxed up goth bar. I knew this announcement was coming out Thursday and I was nervous, needed the distraction of doing my makeup, picking out an outfit, going to the club, having a drink.

I got my glass of wine and enjoyed the vibe. We were in the other room when they played one of my all time favorite songs when it comes to twisted femininity - Reptile by Nine Inch Nails. It’s the kind of song that doesn’t sound like it would get everyone on the dance floor, but it does. If you’ve never heard it it sounds like a bunch of noise, but it really gets into your head bit by bit until it’s one of your favorite songs. And like most great Nine Inch Nails songs of the era, it is completely gross and hot at the same time.

I grabbed Blake’s hand and ran to the dance floor as soon as I recognized it - it’s one of his favorites, too. We were totally lost in it, dancing our asses off. Now, I’m a grown up, and some of the places I like to go dancing are for grown ups. There are sexy go-go girls. There was a sexy go-go girl up on the stage to our right, getting down to the beat, and I looked up (I’m only human.)

She was wearing a full pleather catsuit and a black cat mask.

I went out dancing to burn off my Catwoman nerves and there she was.

I couldn’t stop laughing.

Stay weird. Talk soon. Grateful for you.

Meow.

10.14.2021 11:59
-TH