Batman/Catwoman #1 is coming December 1 from the creative team of Tom King, Clay Mann and Tomeu Morey, and fans of Batman: The Animated Series should be excited. The first book in the series will usher in the return of Andrea Beaumont, who fans may know better as the titular Phantasm from the lauded 1993 animated movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.
The book will explore the oftentimes tumultuous relationship between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle and take place across three different timelines – the past, where readers will learn more about how Batman and Catwoman first met; the present, which will explore the couple’s now seemingly stable bond; and the future, where Bruce is dead and Selina has to forge her own path solo. It’s the present timeline where readers will be re-introduced to Bruce’s former love interest Beaumont, which could throw a wrench into Batman’s love life.
According to DC, “Bruce and Selina’s union is threatened by the arrival of one of Batman’s past flings, Andrea Beaumont, a.k.a. Phantasm. Beaumont’s return calls into question how each character chooses to operate in their costumed, and personal, lives, and any move by Phantasm could change the fate of Bruce and Selina’s future.” It will be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out not just between Bruce and Andrea, but more so between Andrea and Selina over the course of the story’s 12-issue run, which is coming from DC’s Black Label imprint. Judging by some of the previews teased by the creators, things may get pretty messy.
For anyone unfamiliar with the character, Andrea Beaumont first appeared as a love interest and fiancé for Bruce, before leaving him jilted through a Dear John letter. His love for Andrea was so strong that he actually considered giving up the Batman mantle to live a normal life with her. But things never go easily in Batman’s favor. In the movie, a cloaked figure known only as Phantasm begins killing Gotham’s criminals, with some of the murders being wrongfully pinned on the Dark Knight. It’s eventually revealed that the true culprit is Andrea herself. Her father had gotten in trouble with Gotham’s mobs and they were forced to flee the country. When her father is eventually killed, Andrea returned to seek revenge as the Phantasm. Bruce’s heart is broken yet again when he learns the truth and Andrea once again puts Gotham behind her..
Previews for the second issue of Batman/Catwoman seem to imply somewhat of a retcon to Beaumont’s story, with her return to Gotham being for the purpose of finding her long-lost son in a plot that somehow also involves Joker. To get him back, she’ll need Batman’s help.
With all of these characters and their intertwined backstories in play, it should be an interesting read, even if only to see how the dynamic between Bruce’s former and current lovers plays itself out. Seeing Phantasm officially introduced into DC’s comic canon can make for some great stories down the line and it’s all about to kick off with Batman/Catwoman #1.
