The Best Of Cat Girl
Format Collection
Writer RAMZEE
Artists Giorgio Giorgetti,
Elkys Nova Publisher Rebellion
The tortured heroine was a staple of girls’ comics in the 60s and 70s. These were girls who struggled with cruel parents, school bullies and exploitative adults. Among these woeful tales, the masked sleuth emerged, giving readers a taste of freedom usually only permitted for boys. One such character was Cathy Carter, who helped her father fight crime by donning a magic suit and calling herself Cat Girl.
Cat Girl mostly fell into obscurity with the decline of girls’ comics, but for the first time, five stories have been collated into a new edition. Originally serialised between 1969 and 1971 in Sally, they feel a little twee and oldfashioned – Cathy mostly fights cartoonish gangsters, and it’s easy to snicker at how cats are always referred to as pussies – but it’s genuinely fun too, thanks to its throwback slang, Swinging Sixties backdrop and beautiful art.
The only real disappointment here is the one new story, 2020’s ‘Cat Girl Returns’. It introduces Cathy’s teenage daughter, who finds her mum’s old suit and sparks another cycle of vigilante justice. It’s obviously a way to introduce young readers to the character, but sadly it’s so weighed down with Gen Z trends that it feels shallow, and it’s an unnecessary addition to a collection that’s all about retro charm.