Every week we spotlight the various characters, phrases, objects or events that eventually became notable parts of comic lore. Not major stuff like "the first appearance of Superman," but rather, "the first time someone said, 'Avengers Assemble!'" or "the first appearance of Batman's giant penny" or "the first appearance of Alfred Pennyworth" or "the first time Spider-Man's face was shown half-Spidey/half-Peter." Stuff like that. Here is an archive of all the When We First Met features so far! Check 'em out!
Today we do a spotlight on Catwoman firsts!
Typically, I avoid featuring MAJOR firsts in this feature (like first Batman, first Superman, etc.) but I think that it gives context to the rest of these Catwoman firsts if I share her debut from 1940's Batman #1 (written by Bill Finger, with art by Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson and George Roussos)...
It is interesting how much of the Batman/Catwoman dynamic was established right in her first appearance (well, not counting the spanking, of course).
Next issue, Batman #2, in a story by the same creative team, her name becomes Catwoman (alternatively Cat-Woman, and even there, she is still referred to occasionally as The Cat)...
Next issue, in Batman #3, in a story by the same creative team, Catwoman first adopts an actual costume...
While the dress becomes purple, that's the basic look she used for the next four years.
In the same story, Batman and Catwoman share their first kiss....
The next major change for Catwoman comes in Batman #35 (after taking most of 1944 and all of 1945 off, she returns in 1946's Batman #35), in a story by Bill Finger, Bob Kane and Ray Burnley, as she adopts the classic Golden Age Catwoman costume, which is basically just the same outfit only without the giant cat mask...
Bob Kane and Charles Paris drew the outfit in a more traditional style a month later in Detective Comics #122...
Detective Comics #122 also debuts the...sigh...Kitty Car...
The next major milestone for Catwoman comes in 1950's Batman #62, as Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Lew Schwartz and Charles Paris reveal Catwoman's secret identity of Selina Kyle...
Do note that there's an interesting aspect of Batman #62 that I'll likely address in an Abandoned An' Forsaked (possibly as early as this week), so please don't discuss Batman #62's plot in the comments section.
If you have a suggestion for a piece of comic lore that you'd like to see when it first occurred, drop me a line at bcronin@comicbookresources.com!