Catwoman, as one of Batman's oldest villains and one of DC's longest-running characters, obviously has a long history. It's been 75 years since Selina Kyle first donned a leotard and did cat burglary in style.
It's a colorful history, sharing many highs and lows with other mainline DC superheroes, and she's served as one of the most influential characters in any Batman story ever.
For decades, there have been rumors that Selina Kyle has eyes more than just the Batman...and we're not talking about other men, either. Rumors about Catwoman's bisexuality have existed for almost as long as the character herself, though DC never saw fit to confirm it one way or another.
Until now, that is:
That's straight from the pages of Catwoman #39, in which DC confirms Selina's sexuality in a very definite way.
Of course, that kiss isn't the entire focus of the issue: most of Catwoman #39 deals with Selina's decision to go to war with a much more powerful enemy. However, as many heroes are wont to do before a seemingly impossible-to-win battle, Selina pours her heart out to her love interest: in this case, Eiko, or the new Catwoman.
It's not a spur-of-the-moment decision, either: Catwoman writer Genevieve Valentine had the reveal in mind since the very beginning:
"When I was first plotting out what I expected to be a six-issue arc, there were a few emotional beats I considered indispensable...And one was establishing Selina as canon bisexual.
She's flirted around it - often quite literally - for years now; for me, this wasn't a revelation so much as a confirmation."
In the past, Selina's used her sexuality more as a weapon than anything else - something to give her an advantage over stronger, tougher opponents. But this development lends more humanity to the character.
With any luck, Catwoman could become another example of how to do representation right in comic books. Over the past few years, publishers have tried to be more inclusive - while not every attempt was successful, it's nice to see the industry at least trying to move forward.
Catwoman is one of DC's longest-running and well-developed characters - let's just hope this new storyline does her justice.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page!
