19 October 2011

Evolution of the Batman (and Robin) - Catwoman Short


Although the Dark Knight himself was nowhere to be found in this entry, DC's fifth, and most likely last, Showcase shorts featured Batman's sometimes lover, the felonious feline, Catwoman. Like the previous DC Showcase shorts, this one had a pretty sharp edge to it giving Catwoman her most adult onscreen portrayal to date.And even though there was a horrid Catwoman movie, this short is the first time that Selina Kyle's Catwoman has headlined.




The short was released as a companion to the animated movie Batman: Year One. Although the Showcase line had more or less been cancelled, a few scripts, including one for Catwoman had been penned. When the running time for the Year One film came in at a lean 60 some minutes, DC animation had some remaining budget to push this little bitty into production.



Although Batman himself was not in the adventure, the tale shared the setting, and plausibly the continuity, of the Batman: Year One movie. Both Catwoman and Holly Robinson shared actresses with the film, yet the short allowed Catwoman the spotlight whereas she played just a minor role in the movie. The story followed Catwoman though a brutal encounter with a gangster named Rough Cut as she sought to rescue the sidekickish Robinson.



Not only was the violence fairly intense, but some of the fighting took place in a strip club with Catwoman even masquerading as a stripper before unleashing her whip. Its hard to argue that there was not a gratuitous element to this short, but it certainly did its job at presenting Catwoman in a heroic light and as a force to be reckoned with.

Up Next: Batman: Year One

Batman Serial * Batman and Robin Serial * Batman '66 TV * Batman '66 Movie * Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder * Batman on Scooby Doo * Batman the Super Friend * The New Adventures of Batman * Batman '89 * Batman Returns * Batman: The Animated Series * Batman: Mask of the Phantasm * Batman Forever * Batman and Robin * The New Batman Adventures * Boo Wonder * Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero * Batman Beyond * Gotham Girls * Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker * Batman on Justice League * DCAU Crossovers * Birds of Prey * Teen Titans * Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman * Chase Me * The Batman * Batman Begins * Batman Vs. Dracula * Justice League: The New Frontier * Batman: Gotham Knight * The Dark Knight * Batman: The Brave and the Bold * Superman Batman: Public Enemies * Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths * Batman: Under the Red Hood * Superman Batman: Apocalypse * Catwoman

* Special Musical Edition * Special Christmas Edition *
Special OnStar Edition * Special Never Happened Edition * Special Canine Edition * Special Joker Edition * Special Imaginext Edition * Special Batgirl Edition

No comments:

Post a Comment