Cat’s Out of the Bag: Joëlle Jones to Write & Draw New Catwoman Ongoing Series

Selina Kyle has been a major player in Tom King’s ongoing Batman saga—most notably in the lead-up to her impending wedding to the Bat himself, Bruce Wayne—but a solo Catwoman title hasn’t graced shelves since the New 52 volume ended in 2016. Fans of the fierce feline icon shouldn’t fear, though: today’s Batman panel at the Chicago Entertainment and Comic Expo (C2E2) included the welcome surprise that Eisner Award-nominated writer/artist Joëlle Jones and colorist Laura Allred will launch a new Catwoman ongoing series this summer.

Jones is a natural choice for the title; she recently joined the startlingly small number of women who have drawn the main Batman series with her contribution to Batman #44, and she designed Selina’s gorgeous wedding dress for the upcoming big day. Jones is also the writer/artist behind Dark Horse’s Lady Killer (which ably demonstrates her knack for refined women capable of dishing out violent justice) and is a graduate of DC’s Talent Development Workshop. Jones’ collaborator Laura Allred, meanwhile, contributes much of the magic that brings her husband Mike Allred’s work to cosmic life on titles like Silver Surfer and Bug!: The Adventures of Forager.

Jones and Allred’s first arc promises to introduce a brand-new villain and put Selina in the crosshairs of Gotham’s police force, so don’t count on the blushing bride-to-be enjoying a relaxing honeymoon any time soon. Catwoman #1 hits shelves July 4, 2018—the same day as Batman #50—and Paste readers can check out the cover and solicitation text for the issue below.

Catwoman #1
Writer/Artist: Joëlle Jones
Colorist: Laura Allred
Variant Cover Artist: Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
The wedding night’s barely over, but Catwoman’s back on the streets, this time to expose a copycat who’s pulling heists around Gotham City. As Selina cracks the whip on her former criminal cohorts, she’s attracting unwanted attention from one of Gotham’s most dangerous groups. The mob? Nope. Try the GCPD. And as if the Bat-Bride didn’t have enough problems, don’t miss the debut of an all-new villain determined to make trouble for all nine of Selina’s lives. Don’t miss the start of an all-new monthly series written and illustrated by Eisner Award-nominee Joëlle Jones!

Catwoman #1 Cover Art by Joëlle Jones & Laura Allred