The Cat

Few characters can claim a debut as historic as The Cat, who first prowled onto the page in Batman #1 back in 1940 — one of the most legendary first issues in the entire Golden Age, brought to life by the foundational trio of Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson. That debut alone earns collector reverence, and sharing those early pages with Batman, Robin, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Professor Hugo Strange places The Cat squarely at the very heart of DC's earliest mythology. Over 85 years of publishing history, this enigmatic figure has endured in reprints and collected editions that keep that landmark first appearance accessible to new generations of fans. For anyone tracing the roots of the DC Universe back to its Golden Age origins, The Cat is an essential piece of the puzzle.