Superhero Shows: Evolution of the Batman (and Robin)

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