Since her first appearance in DC Comics, Catwoman’s allusive charm and incredible confidence has caught the eye of readers, as well as Batman himself. For most of that time, Catwoman was someone who didn’t rely on guns and knives to defend herself - instead, she had her iconic whip.
Almost from the first time that cat burglar Selina Kyle slunk onto the scene in the pages of Golden Age Batman comics, she had her famous whip at her side, creating a sexy but dangerous image in the otherwise tame stories of the era. The whip became a weapon and a tool; used to scale buildings and make quick escapes much like Batman’s Bat-rope, and also to defend herself in fights alongside and against Gotham’s Caped Crusader. Typically drawn as a long, thin bullwhip, and sometimes as the punnier “cat o’ nine tails,” Catwoman’s whip has become as signature to the character as Batman’s Batarangs. The weapon is traditionaly kept tied at her side, tucked in her boots, or slipped into her belt for quick and easy access. When it came to using a whip as a tool and a weapon, Catwoman had even Indian Jones beat.
A preview for the cover of the upcoming Catwoman #35, shows Selina Kyle at her best. Dressed in her iconic black style, a variant cover from Jenny Frison shows Selina sporting her famous whip, hinting at its possible return in this particular comic run. Frison's art portrays a stunning and confident Kyle as she offers the readers a confident smirk. She knows she’s capable and a force to be reckoned with.
Things have been ramping up for Catwoman, and in DC’s newest run, Selina Kyle is on her own and struggling to hold her position as the feline queen of crime alley with the help of her gang of juvenile delinquents and runaways—the Strays. In the midst of setting up shop, Selina hears of a new, powerful street drug hitting Gotham and at the center of it is the missing Poison Ivy, who may be the source of the drug herself.
Having taken down the Magistrate’s communication network and replaced it with their own, the Strays are ready for their next battle for the streets of Gotham. And, with Harley Quinn about to set off to track down Catwoman and rescue Poison Ivy, it’s likely readers can expect some knock-down, drag-out fights between the women of Gotham and the drug-dealing villains. And, with the cover art, readers can assume that Catwoman won’t be relying on her fists alone to do the fighting.