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Selina Kyle

Selina Kyle

677 appearances · Golden Age · 1942–2026 · 8 key issues
Who is Selina Kyle?

A street-savvy Gotham City orphan who mastered acrobatics, thievery, and survival on her own terms, Selina Kyle became the expert cat burglar and costumed thief known as Catwoman — one of Batman's earliest and most enduring adversaries, as well as an occasional uneasy ally.

Few characters in comics history carry the mystique and staying power of Selina Kyle, who slipped onto the scene all the way back in 1942 — a Golden Age debut in World's Finest Comics #6, co-created by none other than Jack Kirby — and has never stopped captivating readers since. Across more than eight decades, she has remained a fixture in DC's most storied titles: Batman, Detective Comics, and her own long-running Catwoman series, accumulating over 500 catalog appearances and no fewer than eight key issues that collectors prize. She moves through the highest circles of the DC universe, sharing pages with the likes of Bruce Wayne, Robin, Dick Grayson, Superman, and Green Lantern, which speaks to just how central she is to the fabric of that world. Whether you're a Golden Age devotee or a modern reader, Selina Kyle is one of those rare characters whose presence across 84 years of comics isn't just longevity — it's a legacy.

Identity

Real name. Selina Kyle

Powers. No superhuman powers; peak human acrobat, gymnast, and martial artist; expert cat burglar/thief; skilled with bullwhip and claws; master of stealth and infiltration.

Affiliations. Batman Family; Gotham City Sirens; formerly Birds of Prey, Justice League of America, the Society/Secret Society of Super-Villains, Outsiders

★ First appearance
Batman #1
Apr 1940

Trivia

  • Catwoman was among the first major Batman-adjacent characters to receive a solo revival push in the modern era, landing a 1989 limited series followed by a 1993 ongoing title after years spent largely in guest appearances and backup strips.dccontinuityproject.com
  • Tom King has written more of Selina Kyle's comics than any other writer in our catalog — 60 issues.

Top series

Covers through the years — 1942–2020

World's Finest Comics #6 1942
World's Finest Comics #6
Batman #65 1951
Batman #65
The Adventures of Bob Hope #96 1965
The Adventures of Bob Hope #96
Detective Comics #369 1967
Detective Comics #369
Showcase #94 1977
Showcase #94
The Superman Family #211 1981
The Superman Family #211
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #4 1985
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #4
Congorilla #3 1993
Congorilla #3
Catwoman #44 1997
Catwoman #44
Batman: Gotham Knights #38 2003
Batman: Gotham Knights #38
JSA: Classified #36 2008
JSA: Classified #36
Batman #17 2017
Batman #17
Batman #82 2020
Batman #82

Appearances (1–150 of 677, oldest first)

World's Finest Comics (1941)
#6
Leave It to Binky (1948)
#21
The Adventures of Bob Hope (1950)
#96
Smash! (1966)
Detective Comics (1937)
Date with Debbi (1969)
#1
Binky's Buddies (1969)
#1
Superman Supacomic (1959)
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane (1958)
Wonder Woman (1942)
Batman Classics (1970)
Showcase (1956)
#94
Batman Poche (1976)
The Superman Family (1974)
Comics the Golden Age (1984)
#5
Amazing Heroes (1981)
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe (1985)
Batman: The Dark Knight (1986)
#3
Who's Who: Update '87 (1987)
#1
Action Comics Weekly (1988)
Batman: Year One (1988)
Corto Maltese (1983)
Sandman (1989)
#2
Legends of the Dark Knight (1989)
#11
Hawkworld (1990)
#9
Batman: The Sunday Classics, 1943-46 (1991)
Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper (1992)
Star Trek (1989)
#33
Batman: Catwoman Defiant (1992)
Batman Returns: The Official Comic Adaptation of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture (1992)
Comics Scene Spectacular (1989)
#7
Showcase '93 (1993)
Congorilla (1992)
#3
Superman & Batman Magazine (1993)
Zatanna (1993)
#2
Doom 2099 (1993)
#8
Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1992)
#49
Catwoman Annual (1994)
#1
Green Arrow (1988)
#86
The Batman Adventures (1992)
#21
Robin (1993)
The Darkstars (1992)
#0
Batman: The Last Angel (1994)
Batman: Dark Knight Gallery (1996)
#1
Catwoman: The Catfile (1996)
DC gegen Marvel (1996)
Batman Legend (1996)
#3
DC Universe Holiday Bash (1997)
#1
Wizard: The Comics Magazine (1991)
Le Père Noël dans ses petits souliers (1997)
DC / Marvel (1997)
#9
The Batman and Robin Adventures (1995)
#16
The Batman Chronicles Gallery (1997)
#1
Brainbanx (1997)
#4
JLA Secret Files (1997)
#1
Batman Adventures (1995)
#28
Batman: The Dark Knight Adventures (1998)
Batman: Gotham Adventures (1998)
Batman Villains Secret Files (1998)
#1
JLA (1998)
#4
Batman - Das lange Halloween (1999)
#1
Crisis on Infinite Earths (1999)
Batman and Superman: World's Finest (1999)
#7
Batman: Dark Victory (1999)
#1
Batman: Strange Apparitions (1999)
Batman / Daredevil (2000)
DC Crossover (1998)
#33
Joker / Mask (2000)
Batman: Gotham Knights (2000)
#9
Spécial DC (1997)
#10
Harley Quinn (2000)
#3
Batgirl (2000)
#12
Bizarro Comics (2001)