Warning: The following article contains spoilers from the story "All Cats Are Grey" from Batman: Black & White #2 by Sophie Campbell, on sale now.
While Batman is famous for his many ingenious suits, he isn't the only one who changes their outfit for the sake of function over fashion. In the short story "All Cats Are Grey" in Batman: Black & White #2, Catwoman dons a new costume to evade the Caped Crusader.
The issue begins with Catwoman, in her all-black outfit, running from Batman in a snow-covered Gotham. Catwoman clutches a diamond and she flees with a jet black cat running alongside her. The Dark Knight, who for some reason seems to have a small white cat as a companion, quickly catches up with her. While she attempts to hide, he easily spots her due to the contrast of her dark costume against the white landscape of the frozen city. He snatches the diamond from her but she manages to escape, now with both cats following her.
Pondering her failed theft on a rooftop, she attempts to stroke the white cat, but it darts away from her. Noticing that its white fur has made it almost invisible in the heavy snow, Catwoman has a genius idea. She creates a new costume out of white cloth and attempts once again to steal the diamond.
Moments later, she's back in a familiar chase, with the jewel clutched in her claws and the Batman hot on her heels. This time when she hides, Batman is unable to find her, as she blends in almost perfectly in the background. She chooses not to escape, however and instead gets the drop on Batman. She pins him to the ground, although he doesn't seem to be putting up much of a fight.
Though the story may seem like a neat gimmick for a black and white comic, there is perfect logic to this new costume. Catwoman is not a villain like The Joker or The Riddler who wears garish colors in order to be noticed, nor is she like Scarecrow or Bane who use their unique looks to strike terror into their enemies. Catwoman is a thief and wants to go more or less unnoticed by those trying to stop her, with Batman being the obvious exception.
Her previous black outfit made sense, as she primarily operated during the night, much like Batman himself. Even her grey costume, which she has worn from time to time -- most notably in Batman: The Animated Series -- is mostly practical, allowing her to blend into the bleak skyline of Gotham. What makes the black and white costumes work so well in this story is partly the challenge writer/artist Sophie Campbell faced only working with the two colors, but also the way in which she makes the characters interact with their background. The way in which she makes Catwoman's white costume disappear into the snowy backdrop while still showing the character itself is beautiful, to say the least.
While urban camouflage isn't exactly a new concept, Catwoman's all-white outfit brings it to new levels that can outsmart even the Worlds' Greatest Detective. This may have been was only been a one-shot story, but hopefully, there's a chance that readers will be able to see Catwoman's winter wardrobe once again.
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