Catwoman’s 2020s hot streak is rolling on, with DC Comics revealing that its fantasy Elseworld sequel Dark Knights of Steel II will finally add a new version of the Gotham Siren to the cast.
Early December 2026 solicitations confirm that the character makes her debut in Dark Knights of Steel II #6, alongside a first official look at this universe’s Catwoman design.
ScreenRant first highlighted the reveal, noting that the announcement underscores just how central Catwoman has become to DC’s current publishing line.
Dark Knights of Steel launched as a high fantasy reimagining of the DC Universe from writer Tom Taylor, recasting familiar heroes and villains in the mold of warring medieval houses and dragon-backed kingdoms.
The follow-up series pairs Taylor with artist Otto Schmidt, and issue #6 is slated for release on December 16, 2026 according to DC’s solicitation copy.
December 2026 solicits also position the book within a broader slate that spotlights the Gotham City Sirens, including stories that see Black Canary reluctantly teaming up with Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn to hunt a serial killer.
On screen, DC has been equally eager to reinvent Selina Kyle, with Warner Bros. animation introducing a visually striking, Aztec-inspired Catwoman in Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires, a Mexican-American animated feature scheduled to premiere on HBO Max in September 2025.
The film’s trailer spotlights the new incarnation in a sleek, motif-heavy costume that blends traditional Aztec imagery with Catwoman’s trademark feline flair, underlining how adaptable the character remains across cultural lenses.
At the same time, corporate restructuring at DC Studios has led to the shelving of several proposed live-action spinoffs centered on Catwoman and Poison Ivy, even as the studio pivots toward projects like a Jimmy Olsen series and a villain-focused film pairing Deathstroke and Bane.
Print comics have arguably gone even harder on Catwoman experimentation, most notably in DC’s new Absolute Universe, where Selina Kyle now shares the mantle with another legacy character.
In the Absolute line, a gang of Catwoman imitators called the Copycats attacks Selina in her London penthouse, only for their leader to be revealed as Cassandra Cain, who steps into the role of a rival Catwoman and effectively replaces the original in this reality.
Absolute Batman further expands on this reimagining by confirming via a variant cover that its Catwoman is half Brazilian and half Black, with the cover artist explicitly adjusting the character’s facial features and skin tone to reflect that heritage.
Absolute Catwoman‘s solo title has already unveiled a dramatically different costume that leans into armored aesthetics, featuring a bulbous cat-eared helmet, a multi-segmented whip, and glowing golden elements running through both the visor and weapon.
Writer Scott Snyder, co-writer Che Grayson, and artist Bengal use the design to signal that this Selina operates in a more extreme, high-tech environment than her traditional Gotham counterpart, with variant cover art by Lesley “Leirix” Li pushing the futuristic look even further.
Absolute Catwoman #2, which showcases the new suit in full, is slated to hit shelves July 8, 2026.
Against that backdrop, the Dark Knights of Steel II version of Catwoman slots neatly into DC’s current strategy: build multiple, distinct Selinas for different corners of the multiverse, each tailored to the tone of her respective world.
A medieval fantasy Catwoman has the potential to play with the character’s traditional themes of class, wealth, and rebellion in ways that fit the series’ feudal politics, whether she surfaces as a noble-born thief, a courtly spy, or something closer to a dragon-riding rogue.
For fans, the upside is clear—regardless of what happens to any single Catwoman project in film or television, the comics continue to offer a steady stream of new interpretations, and this latest Dark Knights of Steel incarnation is poised to extend the character’s 2020s renaissance well into 2027.
