After Practical Cats
cheap new balance nz , a reader asked me to summarize my Cleopatra theory as it pertains to Catwoman. With shooting under way on The Dark Knight Rises, and Batman circles abuzz with speculation on what Christopher Nolans take will be, it seemed the perfect time. Briefly: Cleopatra lived and died over 2,000 years ago, and whats known about her life hasnt changed. There is the sensational Roman account, juicy but questionable material dating from a propaganda war with Augustus Caesar, and a drier but more flattering picture of her political accomplishments recorded by the historian Flavius Josephus. Thats it. Its not like any new unauthorized biographies were unearthed in the 1300s, 1500s
new balance nz sale , or 1800s to account for the drastically differing images of her. There is only one set of facts from which different ages have formed completely different Cleopatras: from The Nile Slut to a childlike innocent, from a murderous man-eater to a savvy politician, from a devoted mother to a tragic slave to love. Obviously, they cant all be right. Obviously, what each era chooses to focus on-and what it chooses to ignore-says more about them than it does the real Cleopatra. Lucy Hughes-Halletts fascinating Cleopatra: Histories, Dreams and Distortions does a remarkable job analyzing each of these incarnations and what they reveal about the eras which romanticized and vilified her. Not surprisingly, it is the spin each age puts on the sexual aspects of her story that is most telling about their attitudes about women in general, and womens sexuality in particular. Like Cleopatra
asics gel kayano nz , Catwoman is a sex symbol who has spanned many generations and gone through many incarnations. From her first appearance in Batman #1, the draw between male and female has always been the distinguishing feature of BatCat encounters. Tame and subtextual under the early comics code: Batman saw through Catwomans disguise in that first appearance by noticing her shapely legs. Amusingly brazen by the time Julie Newmar donned her claws and Adam Wests Batman declared You give me curious stirrings in my utility belt. Of course there is more to Catwomans appeal that the physical. You cant throw a batarang in mainstream comics without hitting a beautiful and voluptuous woman. What made Catwoman particularly well-suited to the role as the Batmans romantic foil was her playful free-spirited disposition. In an era that was finally acknowledging that sex is fun, the BatCat titillation reached its zenith in Batman #324 when Selina awoke naked in the Batcave after her costume had been torn to pieces. Batman tosses her a replacement saying she was lucky hed kept one of her old costumes in his trophy room, and she responds-just barely covering herself with the sheet-that she got lucky in more ways than one. Approved by the Comics Code. And thats probably what made it so much fun: the tingle of being bad, of getting away with something a little naughty. It is the appeal of Catwoman, and in scenes like that, the reader got a taste. And therein lies one of the essential elements of a successful Catwoman portrayal that has often eluded DC Comics. A simple comparison of the merchandise dating from Denny ONeils day as Bat editor, where it seemed to be a mandate that her features be distorted by a hostile snarl
asics gel kinsei mens , to the turning point when a Japanese company, Yamoto Toys, released a limited edition figurine based on manga artist Kia Asamiyas design. The sexy come hither pose and naughty grin sold out in days in many U.S. comic shops and was voted The Sexiest Batman-related Action Figure by Wizards ToyFare Magazine. After a second equally successful figurine from Yamoto, again featuring the Jim Balent costume with an appealing pose and smile, DC appears to have got the message. Recent offerings of the Balent costume from DC Direct have certainly featured an attractive pose and naughty grin. But the detour into snarling hostility illustrates how, like Cleopatra, Catwoman has undergone reinvention after reinvention reflecting the insights, fetishes or fears of those doing the re-imaging. Consider her Bob Kane origin from The Secret Life of Catwoman
asics gel noosa nz , an airline stewardess who suffered amnesia after a plane crash. (Yes, amnesia. Its a comic book.) In the 1940s and 50s, stewardesses were incredibly glamorous figures. Beautiful, svelt single girls, traveling the world, meeting exciting people and working side-by-side with pilots! It is in this story that Catwomans real name is revealed to be Selina Kyle. Selina meaning daughter of the moon. Kane clearly gave his Catwoman a glamorous and romantic cache befitting her status as the Queen of the Night in Batmans world. This Catwoman, despite her criminal activities, was far from evil. She bargained away loot to save Robin from Joker
new balance 501 mens , and on regaining her memory, worked with Batman to bring down a crime boss and ultimately her own criminal brother. The next origin revealed that the amnesia story was a lie. Selina Kyle had been married to a rich man who beat her. When she left him, he tried to ruin her. Her first robbery was stealing back the jewelry hed given her and, titillated by the thrill, she continued. The attitudes expressed by this version of Catwoman are not at all difficult to decode, for the author puts it right in the text: Selina tells Batman she made up the amnesia story to get out of the life of crime because I was thirty years old and I didnt want to die without love. without children. That Selina does marry Bruce Wayne and has a child with him: Helena Wayne. While modern sensibilities may kneejerk at the notion that every woman must pang for motherhood, I submit that the root idea that all humans, both men and women
new balance 574 mens sale , want love is a timeless and valid one. Things took a bit of a turn when the in-your-face feminism of the Sixties sent the comics boys into a tizzy. Consider the mentality of a writer who had the Green Lanterns girlfriend become evil Star SapphirQa.
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