Catwoman

If you're expecting Julie Newmar, think again--this Selina Kyle is based more on Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One" in which Selina was a dirt-poor East End hooker who had just about all she could take and became a jewel thief to get herself out of a life of pain and degradation. Borrowing from both the "Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper" miniseries, a stint in "Action Comics Weekly", this Selina is a fascinating young woman who is at war with herself, her desires, and her world. But she's strong, capable, and a surprisingly warm protagonist capable of heroism--despite experiencing confusion about her feelings for Batman. She also gets a bit of female bonding with a fresh-off-the-bus animal activist, which helps blunt some of her sharpest edges and make Selina a 3-dimensional character that readers will take great delight in getting to know. Especially recommended to fans of the 1980s and early 1990s comics, and animated television series.