How DC Comics lost customers, devalued bulletproof assets like Batman and Catwoman, created incalculable bad will, and caused comic shops to go out of business, all in a period of unprecedented popularity
2. Catwoman First appearance Batman #1 Created by Bob Kane Julie Newmar Fan favorite Autobiography of Bruce WayneMarried, Child, Helena Wayne the Huntress 1992 Batman Returns – Michelle Pfeifer As a property: Catwoman is bulletproof
3. And yet… The cancer that will destroy the character, devalue the Batman franchise and endanger the entity of DC Comics is already active. Miller O’Neil Writer track to management Immaturity Entrenchment
4. “Denny” O'Neil Invented Talia al Ghul as love interest as writer Became editor Demands Doug Moench break up Batman & Catwoman romance established “She didn’t even know why she was doing this”
5. Denny O’neil Demands SECOND break up, this time Catwoman “revillainized” to eliminate contact between characters entirely Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns Catwoman is brutally raped by the Joker Frank Miller’s Year One makes her a prostitute Reprint collections for Batman Returns downplay and misrepresent the history of Batman and Catwoman romance in the comics and include Denny’s creation Talia al Ghul.
6. Denny O’neil Publications such as Tales of the Dark Knight purporting to be impartial history downplay and misrepresent Batman and Catwoman romance and present Denny’s creation Talia al Ghul as Batman’s “True Love.” Denny dictates to fans in letters column and at comic conventions that Talia is Batman’s true love.
8. “Elseworld” sex and offspring Bride of the Demon written by Mike Barrblatant attempt by publishers appease O’neil in hopes that if his character gets to have sex with Batman, he’ll focus on managing the franchise. Elseworld: What if, “Imaginary Story” Not real for purposes of “Continuity” Fans (of that era) are smart and perfectly well aware“Fine, you got your lady laid. Now settle down and do your fucking job.”
9. It didn’t work O’Neil then spent all his time trying to make Bride of the Demon and its sequel “Continuity” (i.e. not an “Elseworld”) And trying to remove The Long Halloween from continuity, presumably because it contained a Batman/Catwmoan romance, and declare it to be the Elseworld. The Long Halloween is the inspiration for fabulously successful Christopher Nolan film The Dark Knight
10. Solo Comic Catwoman Solo Comic launches in 1993 O’Neil forbids appearances by Batman or Gotham characters, attempting to pre-emptively destroy possibility of romance and possibly outright sabotage the title. Ban lifted at Issue #50 – Return of Doug Moench.
11. End Part IPart II: New Direction “New Direction” PR efforts to present failure as success Game Changer: THE INTERNET Gaming Wikipedia Punishing Fans
