Spoilers ahead for Catwoman #46
Someone brand new is wearing the Catwoman suit, and she wants nothing to do with Batman. Selina Kyle may have a complicated relationship with Bruce Wayne, but she's headed out of town, and someone new is filling her shoes with Selina's full permission. Eiko Hasigawa, Gotham mob boss and one of Selina's cast of love interests, is officially wearing Gotham's newest Catwoman.
Batman and Catwoman have a complex romantic history, including one in-continuity almost-wedding and a host of alternate futures. But Bruce Wayne has never been Selina Kyle's sole love interest, and lately they've been taking a well-deserved break from each other. Selina has been exploring her options in the latest Catwoman run, including the mysterious and flaky Valmont as well as Selina's ally among the mob bosses, Eiko Hasigawa. Eiko and Selina have history, too; introduced in 2014, Eiko's kiss (and, to this day, romantic tension) with Selina confirmed Catwoman to be bisexual. Eiko didn't just kiss Selina in her original story arc—she also wore her own version of the Catwoman suit to see her own version of justice done.
Selina and Eiko drag up this history, romantic and violent, in Catwoman #46 by Tini Howard, Sami Basri, Vicente Cifuentes, Jordie Bellaire, and Lucas Gattoni. In order to cement the other mob bosses' trust in Eiko, the pair stage a very public betrayal wherein Eiko seems to bomb her own yacht while Selina is still on it. Though the two have agreed to the charade, they're both seen shedding tears, clearly upset by having to part ways. But they're still connected, and their trust in each other seems to be firm, despite Selina's reluctant to commit to Eiko: as Selina leaves town with Valmont, she spots Eiko wearing her old Catwoman suit, just as the two seemed to have planned: "You can't stop a girl from wearing her favorite outfit," Selina narrates over a panel of Eiko in the suit. "No reason to let them know I'm out of town."
It's been refreshing to see Selina step away from Batman and expand her romantic pursuits during this run—especially by re-introducing the historic Eiko to Selina's circle. On top of this, having Eiko return to the Catwoman roll is a great continuity callback, and it's exciting to see a new Catwoman hit the streets—with Selina's full permission, of course. Eiko's connections with the mob keeps Catwoman's traditionally grey morals as murky as ever. More than that, it will be refreshing for readers to experience a Catwoman who isn't connected to Batman at all. Selina's adventures are often tied up in Bruce's and the larger Bat-Family's, but Eiko's only tie to that world is Selina herself.
Who is Catwoman without Batman? Fans will finally get an answer to that question with Selina Kyle's mob boss love interest, Eiko Hasigawa, in a pair of her own goggles and cowl. Eiko is a thrilling and history-making addition to Catwoman's history, and having their connection fleshed out even more has been a much-needed change of romantic pace for Catwoman. Fans can look forward to seeing more of Eiko as Catwoman in future issues, but only time will tell if the "real" Catwoman will spurn Batman and make Eiko a more permanent part of her life.
Check out Catwoman #46, available now from DC Comics!