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Scott Snyder avoided using Catwoman during his DC ‘New 52’ Batman run because he found her relationship with the Dark Knight repetitive
Scott Snyder thinks Batman and Catwoman’s relationship is too repetitive in the main DCU, and he’s hoping to fix that in the Absolute Universe
NewsbyChris Arrant, Editor-in-Chief
Published on Mon Jul 13 2026
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Scott Snyder is easily one of the most consequential Batman writers of the 21st century. Even if you discount his record-breaking run on Absolute Batman, Snyder’s time on the mainline Batman title during DC’s ‘New 52’ is considered one of the character’s most definitive runs. During Snyder’s original Batman run he redefined the Dark Knight’s rivalry with the Joker, introduced the Court of Owls, and revisited the Dark Knight’s early years
Snyder’s run explored a lot, but one thing it stayed away from was Batman’s romance with Catwoman. According to the writer, he had a hard time getting a handle on the relationship, so he avoided it. “I’ve never been able to write Selina well honestly in the main universe,” Scott Snyder says during a panel at HeroesCon 2026. “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 is hoping to flip the script in the Absolute Universe. Selina Kyle, who can be seen in Absolute Batman and Absolute Catwoman, is now one of Bruce Wayne’s childhood friends. Using her immense wealth, which she gained through years as an international thief, Catwoman occasionally helps Batman in his war on Gotham’s elite
“Here, it’s so different because they can be together in a very different way, and we’re exploring that in a lot of the stuff coming up. Both in [Absolute Catwoman] and in [Absolute Batman].”
Absolute Batman is currently available monthly at your local comic book shop
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Chris Arrant: Chris Arrant is the Popverse’s Editor-in-Chief. He has written about pop culture for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher’s Weekly, Marvel, Newsarama, CBR, and more. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. (He/him)
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