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Batman/Catwoman revealed which two villains Catwoman has the deepest hate for — but which one is truly Selina Kyle’s worst enemy?
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Batman/Catwoman #9, now on sale
In Batman/Catwoman #9 (by Tom King, Liam Sharp, and Clayton Cowles), Selina Kyle has been increasingly shown to be brutal when she needs to be. The series has delved into the nebulous place Catwoman has, hanging between both the Batman rogues and the Bat-Family. But her connections to various villains have been explored in the series, highlighting which two she really despises beyond anyone else.
During the series run Selina Kyle has a chance to reckon with her complicated relationships with both Penguin and Joker. But only one of those villains provokes Catwoman to actually take extraordinary steps and attempt to murder him.
CATWOMAN & PENGUIN ARE AT EACH OTHER’S THROATS (AGAIN)
Catwoman and Penguin have come to blows multiple times over the years — with their rivalry even making the leap to other mediums in films like Batman Returns. Both of them are among Gotham’s more dangerous criminals, even though they both are nominally human. Their typical status as rivals in the criminal underworld makes their fighting all the more perfect. The pair have come up against each other repeatedly in the core-DC Universe, with Catwoman’s betrayal of him and Riddler during Joker War resulting in the two villains trying (and failing) to bring her down during the events of Fear State. Some stories have portrayed them as close — but effectively serve as their own unique pockets in the multiverse.
Batman/Catwoman reveals the long-standing animosity that remains even decades into the future. In the possible timeline portrayed in the series, an older Selina Kyle turns to a weakened Cobblepot (one of the last villains of their generation still with power in Gotham) to try and get out of Gotham before Batwoman hunts her down. Penguin is furious the entire time, especially after Catwoman breaks his nose. Even when he does seem to agree to work with her, it’s all just a long-con, stalling Selina until Batwoman arrives. Penguin takes particular joy in watching a cornered Catwoman, speaking to their rivalry.
CATWOMAN & JOKER, SITTING IN A TREE, F-I-G-H-T-I-N-G
Batman/Catwoman — as well as the Tom King-run on Batman in general — gives further insight into the complicated friendship that exists between Joker and Catwoman. As Batman’s two most iconic villains, the pair have an understanding of the Dark Knight that every other rogue lacks. Batman/Catwoman even revealed that these versions of the villains were on good enough terms to spend time together merely hanging out, sharing a flirty friendship where the Joker teased Selina about her romance with Batman. Despite this, Joker has been hinted to know just how much Catwoman hates him — with the Harley Quinn of the future suggesting Catwoman was the one other Batman rogue he genuinely feared.
Catwoman in particular has spent the modern-day portions of Batman/Catwoman reckoning with their bond, attacking the Joker and even working with the Phantasm to try and kill the Clown Prince of Crime. In the future portrayed in the story, an aged Selina Kyle even eventually hunted down Joker and killed him with her own bare hands, ending their frenemy relationship in a gruesome fashion. Batman/Catwoman #9 seems to feature the final nail in any friendship between the pair, with Catwoman leading Batman on a hunt for the Joker and vocally begging the Dark Knight to let her kill him.
WHICH VILLAIN DOES CATWOMAN HATE MORE?
Catwoman and Penguin have been shown to despise each other, with this animosity existing across realities — even serving as the backdrop of their meetings in alternate futures like the ones portrayed in Batman/Catwoman and Catwoman: Lonely City. But despite this rivalry often turning violent, Catwoman has never actually tried to kill the Penguin before. They may not like each other, but they can understand each other on a material level. They’re both criminals in a city defined by crime and are heated rivals as a result.
But Catwoman’s hatred for the Joker — especially in Batman/Catwoman #9 — is palpable. She shows no regret about killing the Joker in the future and has been completely up-front about her actions. Catwoman’s assault on the Joker in the past is a particularly heated one from the typically cool Catwoman, showcasing how her allowances of the Joker’s murderous tendencies have quietly eaten away at her over time. While Catwoman might hate the Penguin on a superficial level, it’s clear that she genuinely wants the Joker to die — and in one timeline, is even willing to betray Batman’s final wishes to do so. Meanwhile, she’s content to just hurt Penguin and insult him to his face. While she may dislike the Penguin, it’s clear that Catwoman genuinely hates the Joker.
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