Catwoman's Lair - Page 3 
Gotham City Blues

     Selina's return to Gotham didn't lead to the big romantic reconciliation 
she'd hoped for with Bruce Wayne.  During the months she'd been gone he had  
become involved with Vicky Vale again.  After Vicky stopped trying to prove 
Bruce Wayne was Batman he had finally got around to realizing how cute she 
was when she wasn't being a pest.  She must have noticed it worked for Lois 
Lane too.   
     Anyway Selina came pretty close to running amok but managed to contain 
herself before crossing the line.  She decided to stay in Gotham but out of 
Batman's way while she waited to see if Bruce's romance with Vicky would self
destruct on its own.
     Which brings us to Detective Comics #526 (May 1983) and the first origin
of Robin II aka Jason Todd (Script by Gerry Conway, Art by Don Newton & Alfredo
Alcala).  A new crime boss named Killer Croc (who became a lot dumber post
Crisis on Infinite Earths) was taking over the Gotham mobs and planning to
kill Batman.  The Joker didn't want to get beaten to the punch and brought an 
assortment of villanous types together to kill Batman first.  He made two
mistakes, the first was not noticing Selina sneak in, take notes and head off
to warn Batman.  The second was inviting Talia who also left prematurely to 
warn Bruce.  Leading to a little altercation in the Batcave.






     Reluctantly agreeing to work with one another Selina and Talia joined
Batman in taking out the Joker's gang.  Meanwhile Croc had killed Jason Todd's
parents.  They were buddies of the first Robin (now Nightwing) and circus 
acrobats like his own parents (DC wanted Todd to be almost a Dick Grayson 
clone) while the Joker had met Croc to plan a double cross of his allies 
(which he was planning to make a triple cross by getting rid of Croc).  
Anyway Batman, Talia and Catwoman walked into a trap at an old brewery.






     The Joker was just planning to heat up the old brewing vats until they 
exploded but Croc had other ideas.  He wanted to kill Batman with his bare 
hands so he had him cut down but Catwoman and Talia stayed where they were.





     Things got macho.  Watching all this from the shadows was Jason who had
found the Batcave earlier and followed the threesome to the brewery.





     Jason shut off the steam before Catwoman and Talia boiled then, on 
learning Croc had killed his parents, went bersek and beat the crap out of 
him.  Jason might have killed Croc if Batman didn't hadn't stopped him and
made his settle for pummeling Croc senseless.  Anyway while Jason became   
Bruce's new ward Catwoman and Selina did their own Thelma and Louise act 
(actually this probably predated the movie) and drove off together having 
decided they could live without Bruce as long as the other didn't get him.
     Both had returned to Gotham by Batman #400 (Oct 1986 - Scripted by
Doug Moench) when Ra's Al Ghul (did anyone really think he had died during
"The  Lazarus Affair"?) freed everyone in Arkham Asylum and Gotham City's
Prison.  He then gave Batman an ultimatum; join him and Ra's would take care
of the escapees, refuse and Bruce was on his own against all his greatest
enemies.
     Ra's was wrong there as Batman already had Robin and was soon joined by
Talia.  Unfortunately as Ra's knew Batman was Bruce Wayne he was able to tell
the costumed crooks the right hostages to grab.  Namely Vicky Vale and Alfred
and Julia Pennyworth.  The latter was Alfred's daughter and disappeared post-
Crisis after DC figured out that if she was fathered by Alfred during his OSS
days in World War 2 she should be in her forties rather than her twenties.
Anachronisms aside Batman was stymied, unaware a new player was about to enter
the action (Art by Arthur Adams & Terry Austin).






     Unfortunately while Catwoman tracked Poison Ivy, the Riddler and the 
Scarecrow to their hideout Ivy wasn't alone when she made her entrance (Art by
Steve Leialoha)






     Fortunately Batman's good at finding crooks too (art by Ken Steacy).






     That's it for the peril Catwoman faced in this adventure, she spent the
rest of the issue kicking butt and taking names, so to wrap up here's the 
conclusion of her rematch with Poison Ivy.
 




     Not much else to say about this adventure, Ra's died again (hah!) and 
Selina faded back into the background.  But just before Crisis on Infinite 
Earths and Batman:Year One rewrote Selina's continuity she had already 
returned to a life of crime.  For the reason why you'll have to check out 
the next page.


Or you can go back to the previous Catwoman page








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