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Retro Review: Batman #1 (1940) – “The Cat”
Retro Review takes a look at influential issues of DC Comics books and measures their artistic integrity against their cultural and symbolic importance to the DC Universe and comic books in general.
Batman #1 (1940) – “The Cat”
Written by Bill Finger
Art by Bob Kane
Inks & Letters by Jerry Robinson
Published: June 1940 (DC Comics)
Grade: D-
There is a certain difficulty in reviewing a 75-year-old comic in that the world is a much different place now than it was then. From narrative style to social context to the technique and materials used to create the artwork, nearly everything about comic books is completely changed. So to look back at a story and judge it through the lens of our modern artistic expectations is unfair.
Reading “The Cat” – the first appearance of the femme fatale burglar who would become Catwoman – I was struck by how removed I felt from the reading experience. And though I, at first, attempted to be open-minded and to read the story in the context of the era in which it was written, it became clear to me that this story was more than just dated; it is practically unreadable.
The Cat, revealed – Batman #1, DC Comics
The story centres around a robbery on a yacht party, where the emerald necklace of the hostess Mrs. Danvers is swiped from her room by a mysterious thief known as the Cat. On board the yacht is Dick Grayson, sent in undercover by Batman, who was dealing with another case. As Dick begins to narrow down potential suspects – a sneaky nephew and a doctor with a gambling problem – he finds that he is already too late. Other robbers arrive at the boat, equally dismayed to find the emerald necklace missing. The Batman arrives and intercepts the secondary crooks, returning the items they themselves stole, before springing a trap to out the Cat, who had been hiding in plain sight disguised as a feeble, elderly woman. Batman and Robin apprehend the Cat, who attempts to seduce Batman into becoming her partner in crime, only to have Batman half-heartedly bring her to the police, feebly allowing her to escape on the way to shore.
Batman forces Robin to fight – Batman #1, DC Comics
There are some serious problems with this story on a whole host of levels, but almost all of them are the fault of writer Bill Finger. The story lacks any sense of pacing or momentum; from the moment the story begins, Finger struggles to find any real danger. Certainly, the threat of the robbery is real, but unlike the Joker stories told in the same issue, this robbery puts literally no lives in danger. Even when the other crooks arrive, they very peacefully steal jewelry and money and go on their merry way. The only character in any danger whatsoever is Robin, and he is only put there by the Batman himself. Despite being sent in solo for the first time in his career, Robin very capably apprehends the fleeing crooks, having fought and restrained a number of them himself. When Batman arrives, he inexplicably allows those very same crooks a second chance, stepping aside and forcing Robin to fight them again in some bizarre human cock-fighting scenario.
Finger further mischaracterizes Batman during the Cat’s ultimate escape. While the story attempts to imply that the Cat’s beauty and charm are so powerful that even the Dark Knight is affected, that part of the story happens so quickly over a few hasty panels that the whole thing comes off as inauthentic. At best, Batman can be perceived as bumbling; at worst, he is willingly complicit in the escape of a criminal. And unlike nowadays where Batman and Catwoman have the weight of their romantic history to motivate such complicity, in this first meeting it is totally unearned and seriously undermines both the physical and moral credibility of Batman.
The moral failing of Batman in both his treatment of Robin and his attitude towards the Cat is amplified by the horrific misogyny of his Cat-related dialogue. In reference to her beauty, one might chalk up lines referring to her legs or to cavalierly casting aside thoughts of Julie – Bruce Wayne’s actual girlfriend – simply to the book having been published in 1940. This is largely a fair point, except for a single frame in which Batman has apprehended the Cat and as she impotently struggles against him he exclaims “Quiet or papa spank!”
I want to let that sink in for a moment.
Batman unmasks the Cat – Batman #1, DC Comics
The Golden Age Batman shot and killed a man in Detective Comics #33/34, but a murderous Dark Knight is far less shocking to the system than this. I have read that panel both in and out of context well over one hundred times by now, because I don’t want to believe my gut reaction – that an iconic comic creator like Bill Finger stooped so low – but even after the first reading I knew for a fact that this panel was unjustifiable. Â “Quiet or papa spank”, even for the era, undoubtedly crosses a line. It is dismissive, disrespectful, oppressive, sexually threatening, and generally distasteful. It reeks of the worst-offending pop culture examples of misogyny and chauvinism. It is not casual engendered sexism; it is aggressive disdain for a female character.
But all my criticism and frustration over the mischaracterization of Batman pales in comparison to just how awfully written the Cat is. I said in the beginning that it was unfair to judge an old comic based on its legacy, but to look at this story and imagine that the Cat is truly the inception of Catwoman is untenable. Selina Kyle, the Catwoman, is one of the most iconic female figures in all of comic books – perhaps second only to Wonder Woman and/or Lois Lane – and she has earned that place. She is one of the few female characters who has long had independent agency over her own actions. Selina represents a kind of freedom – physically, morally, and sexually – that sets her apart from the vast majority of female characters as old as she is. That’s what makes her so attractive to Batman. She is strong, but she can be weak; she is bad, but often fights for good. She is a physical and emotional match for Batman. She is completely in control.
The Cat tries to seduce Batman – Batman #1, DC Comics
None of that woman exists in this story. We see nothing to indicate that she has any agency at all; she isn’t even given a real name. She is literally just a pretty face, though the passable artwork of Bob Kane is hardly sufficient to make up for Finger’s utter lack of character. She relies heavily on male characters at every turn – to sneak her onto the yacht, to get her into the room, and to help her escape custody. The only saving grace is that, with neither her real name nor her trademarked catsuit and whip appearing in this issue, we can imagine that maybe this character is, in fact, not the Selina Kyle of infinite complexity and depth to which we are accustomed.
In a book titled Batman and a story titled “The Cat”, the only character who behaves at all in the manner they should is Robin, who in my opinion now stands in for the reader, watching helplessly as the hollow husks of characters around him rob this story of stakes, momentum, and meaning. This story is an inexplicable catastrophe caught between the incredible first and second appearances of the Joker. It is neither fun to read nor particularly important to the mythology: only tenuously the first appearance of a much beloved character. If you ever find yourself in possession of Batman #1, it is my wholehearted suggestion that you never read “The Cat”.
Batman #1 is available for digital download on the DC Comics website.
Bonus thoughts:
Robin picks his nose – Batman #1, DC Comics
– Bob Kane got off pretty easy this time around, so here’s a panel where it looks like Robin is picking his nose.
– I know I touched on it in the review, but I simply cannot fathom just how inconsequential this story is. A diamond may or may not get stolen, no one is really ever in danger, the hero lets the crook get away, and the villain introduced her may as well be considered totally different from the much better character that came later. Nothing is exciting and nothing is important.
– On a positive note, Robin is shown to be incredibly capable not only as a fighter, but as a junior detective. Best of all, his light-hearted nature and compassionate morality really shine through.
– There’s got to be a better way to phrase this:
Poorly phrased caption – Batman #1, DC Comics
Modern Mythologies 
I try not to read any golden age stuff anymore. I’ve tried many a time, but I find a lot of it hard to get through. Books and pulps – no problem. Comics… hit and miss. Fun read!
Hit and miss is a really great way to put it. Honestly, I think Superman’s debut, even by today’s standards, is one of the best comics I’ve read.
Batman and Detective Comics, however, are particularly inconsistent, for some reason. My instinct is to blame Bob Kane, but that feels too easy.
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