One thing that’s been sorely missing from DC’s lineup as of late is a proper Catwoman series. Sure, we’ve had Selina Kyle featured prominently in Batman‘s tremendous current run—which focuses on her impending wedding to Gotham’s forever bachelor, Bruce Wayne—but it’s not the same as having a comic that zeroes in on the adventures of our favorite feline-themed antihero. Well, the Cat Gods have heard our prayers because this Summer we are finally getting a relaunched Catwoman #1, which will be written and drawn by Joëlle Jones.
“It’s a lot of pressure,” Jones told us when we asked her about helming this new series. “Somebody else is writing [Batman], so Tom King can take all the heat on that, but this one is all on me.” 
When it came to preparing for her run, Jones told us she dug into the long, sordid history of Catwoman. “That was a really fun part of this project, going back and going through her history,” she said. “It’s a complicated history, a lot more complicated than I remembered. I really love the Darwyn Cooke run, a lot.” She pointed out that Cooke’s work made the run feel like a big event or adventure, which she wanted to achieve as well.
Jones’ affinity for Cooke’s run is also apparent in the design of Selina Kyle’s new costume in Catwoman #1. She floated the idea of creating a new set of Catwoman duds to DC and was a little shocked when they encouraged her to go for it. “I thought, well, I can’t back out now,” Jones said. When it came to the actual design, Jones embraced the past, but also looked elsewhere for inspiration.”I wanted to make it a little fashion-forward. I was inspired by this Helmut Lang dress. I just really wanted it to have a silhouette, but exposed bits still give you a sense of character movement and motion.”
Catwoman has been an obsession of Jones’ long enough that she dressed up as her for Halloween as a kid. When you talk with Jones, you get the sense that she’s thought about working on this character for a long, long time. “I don’t see this obsession going away anytime soon, so I hope I get to stick with this book for a while,” she said. “I don’t want to give away too much, but I thought about what [Catwoman] would do when she got bored with her baubles. So, she’s gambling them away. She’s gambling away her riches.”
You can see Selina Kyle doing just that in the gorgeous pages below, which really showcase Joëlle Jones’ incredible art and storytelling. I mean, just look at that panel where she’s putting on a jacket! It’s perfection. After you’ve drooled over these pages, you can head to your local comic shop and preorder a copy of Catwoman #1, which is launching on July 4.
Wanna know even more about the story? Here’s the solicit text, which will give a taste of the awesomeness in store:
The wedding night’s barely over, but Catwoman’s back on the streets, this time to expose a copycat who’s pulling heists around Gotham City. As Selina cracks the whip on her former criminal cohorts, she’s attracting unwanted attention from one of Gotham’s most dangerous groups. The mob? Nope. Try the GCPD
Sounds great, right? Sign us up.
Featured Image: DC Comics
