Published Jul 15, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT
Jason is an award-winning journalist whose writing career dates back to when he developed the ability to use a crayon. He, most notably, worked previously as a "professional fan," as he likes to call it, at CinemaBlend, for which he wrote about anything and everything under the pop culture umbrella... especially Batman. His passion for the art of cinema began even earlier, stemming from repeat viewings of The Wizard of Oz.
This initially led him to pursue a career in filmmaking -- and even work briefly in the industry as an extra in the straight-to-video family film, Alice Upside Down -- before deciding that his talents would be better served discussing and showing appreciation for the various forms of entertainment he is passionate about.
Scott Snyder's writing for Batman during DC's New 52 initiative would go on to become known as a definitive era for the character. However, some readers may have noticed that one important staple of the Dark Knight's legacy was largely absent during this run: Catwoman.
Bruce Wayne's relationship with the master thief has famously been on-and-off for decades, but why was it mostly off while Snyder was in charge? The acclaimed writer has provided an answer.
Scott Snyder Finds Batman And Catwoman's Relationship Repetitive
When appearing on a panel at HeroesCon 2026, Scott Snyder addressed the fact that his run on Batman during The New 52 era, in collaboration with artist Greg Capullo, was light on appearances by Catwoman. The author explained that, at the time, he struggled to find a way to depict Bruce Wayne's relationship with Selina Kyle in a refreshing way.
"I’ve never been able to write Selina well honestly in the main universe. I kind of avoided her a lot, mostly because I always saw that relationship as cycling through the same format. They get together, they’re together, and then they can’t be together."
Snyder certainly makes a good point in his brief analysis of the vigilante's turbulent romance with the burglar. Since Catwoman's debut in 1940, the pair have gone back and forth between being enemies and lovers over and over again, with either Selina's attraction to the criminal lifestyle or Bruce's own personal demons standing in the way of them sharing a life of happiness.
The former is what caused the couple's initially hot and heavy pairing to come to an end during The New 52, with Bruce citing concern over Selina's less rigorous moral code. As a result, Catwoman would dive feet first back into the criminal underworld, and even deeper than before.
However, while Snyder and the main DC continuity's interpretation of Catwoman have rarely mixed well, he has since been able to introduce his own version of the anti-hero.
Absolute Catwoman Solves Scott Snyder's Issues With The Character
Image via DC ComicsThree issues into Absolute Batman, Scott Snyder introduced Catwoman into this new timeline, in which Bruce Wayne is a working-class construction engineer. The smash-hit series establishes that Selina Kyle is a childhood friend and, once again, an on-and-off lover of the vigilante who interrupted their romance in favor of international thievery.
However, the immense wealth that she has acquired in her career has allowed her to be an ally in Bruce's crusade against crime and corruption in Gotham City. It is an interesting flip of the script that is perfectly on brand for the goal of the Absolute Universe, which Snyder also promised there will be more of at HeroesCon.
"Here, it’s so different because they can be together in a very different way," he said, "and we’re exploring that in a lot of the stuff coming up. Both in [Absolute Catwoman] and in [Absolute Batman]."
The last that readers of Absolute Batman saw of Selina Kyle in the series was in Issue 14, in which she helps Bruce defeat Absolute Bane in a larger-than-life arena battle, which became an instant all-timer Absolute Batman moment. However, the previous chapter insinuated a rift in their relationship after Selina urged Bruce not to use performance-enhancing venom against the hulking enemy.
The anti-hero now leads her own Absolute Universe title aptly called Absolute Catwoman. Snyder even partners with with Che Grayson to co-write the six-issue limited series, which introduced Absolute Huntress and Absolute Question in its second chapter.
Absolute Catwoman #2 is now available where comic books are sold.
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