We're always happy to see more ladies entering the comics world and writing some of our favorite funny books; so when we heard that writer and former comics editor Ann Nocenti would be taking on the writing responsibilities for CATWOMAN this fall, the news definitely piqued our interest. Fresh off her run as the writer for GREEN ARROW, Nocenti plans on taking over the series starting with its zero issue this October, 2012. We caught up with the writer to discuss her plans for the series and how familiar she is with the character. Is Nocenti a big Catwoman fan? Is she looking forward to writing Selina Kyle? Find out the answers to these questions -- and many more -- below.

Comic Vine: Are you looking forward to Catwoman?

Ann Nocenti: Absolutely. It's Very exciting. She's legendary. She's awesome.

CV: You worked on a lot of books over the years -- many books at both Marvel (New Mutants) and DC (Green Arrow). How does writing Catwoman differ from writing your previous work?

AN: I mean it's…every character has a kind of resonance. To me she has a lot of wild schisms in her. She just loves being out in the night, you know? being a thief, you know? And chasing something unattainable. At her core though she's got some damage. So when you've got someone on such a tight wire, and the two persona's are stretchemd between this wire, it can be so exciting and rich to try to keep that tension high.

CV: There have been Catwoman runs in the past, is there one that stands out to you or that you will be taking inspiration from?

AN: You know I am not that versed in the last ten years of comics. I mean I am sure I've read some Catwoman stories in the past, but I am really not versed in her individual runs especially because I've been a Marvel girl throughout most of my career. DC is like a whole new world for me and it's an exciting new whorld. The new 52 thing I think is just terrific. This idea that you can…all that history is gone, but I feel like it's still in the DNA. Everything Catwoman has ever done is still in her even though she doesn't have any of that history. So I think it's a good way to take the characters back to their original conflict that is inside them.

CV: So in the current Catwoman run, writer Judd Winick has made a point to stress that she's this sort of reckless character, do you think that you will be brining growth to her character?

AN: I like what he's established. It's this really fast ride with this electric pacing, and I think it's fun. You know because I'm doing CATWOMAN #0 which is her origin issue there will be some things revealed in her origin issue. So there will be some changes.

She has an origin issue coming out, we're going to remind readers of why she ticks the way she ticks…so that when that comes back into play…I think I will probably deal a certain amount with what drives her to want the most glittery things she can find. What is the compulsion to be a master thief? Especially because sometimes she just clearly does it for kicks. It's not like those noir robbers that do it because they want he cash. With her it's got more to do with some inner turmoil -- she will never be happy no matter how many jewels she gets.

CV: In the beginning of Judd's series we saw a very brief sexual relationship with Batman, but in more recent issues we haven't really seen much of that come up again. Is that something you will be addressing?

AN: I think that when a comic does something that has been building for years and years it's fun -- it's kind of a cool thing. But the idea that they would then actually have a relationship? You know, I don't know. It seems like a cool idea to say 'alright, these two are finally going to consummate this buildup,' and I think that gives a kind of a release from that tension…and it goes back to something much, much more complex. To me it seems like she has some rescue fantasies, you know, it's almost like she needs to know that he will rescue her yet again. That's the real sexuality if you know what I mean.

CV: Will he be appearing in the series?

AN: He'll be there thematically. Not right away. I want to take her down new roads and get to know her first.

CV: We've seen her develop a relationship with Spark, the character Winick introduced towards the end of her series. Is he going to be a character that will appear in your series?

AN: I have some stuff planned right out the gate, but then I will have take a closer look at those issues (Winnick's) and whatever else I can find…and find an angle on him that could bring him back in an impactful way. But I love continuity. I like building on characters that exist.

CV: You mentioned that you are not familiar with her stories from the last ten years. Do you plan on going back and researching her character and becoming acquainted with her character?

AN: I trust my Editor, Rachel, to tell me if there's something in particular that she thinks I should read because I think the problem with characters that have been around for 60 years…they don't want some of that stuff coming back. That's what a great editor is for. A great editor says "you should read this version of Catwoman because this is really cool." Otherwise, you know, the things they have been through when you read their Wikipedia entires are phenomenal -- there are so many twists and turns. You kind of have to trust your Editor. When I was an Editor I did this all the time. I would say "Hey, look there's this little thing you can use in Storm's past…"

CV: What are some qualities that get you excited about her character?

AN: I like every variation on the double identity world. It's kind of unrealistic, yet it's so beautiful. This tension between people with two identities. I'm really intrigued by her particular almost schism between Selina Kyle and Catwoman. Think of people that have a double life; it's like a compulsion they can't stop. That is in many ways derailing their lives.

CV: We have seen her lose some very important people in her life, (Lola) die as a result of her recklessness. We haven't really seen her character in the last ten issues really grow and recognize that her recklessness is the root of so many of her problems. Is that something you're going to be addressing in your CATWOMAN run?

AN: Definitely. I think that's a good question. Lola was her fence, and now Gwen is her fence. It's also who you choose to associate with. It's not like Catwoman is out there befriending really stable, nice people. She's clearly attracted to people who live with a certain amount of risk. I mean, Lola and Gwen were both painted as very down-to-earth girls who just happened to do these heisting gigs for her. It's like, she also picks people who are already kind of teetering on a tightrope, even if their personalities don't manifest in the way hers does.

What do you think of Ann Nocenti's take over of the CATWOMAN series? Have you been enjoying Judd Winnick's series, or are you ready for this change in the creative team?

Update

Check out the cover to CATWOMAN #13 by Andy Clarke posted over at DC's blog.

I think this series needs a bit of a shake up. Winick did an ok job, but it never got better than "just ok." Hopefully Nocenti can crank it up a few notches!!

Thank goodness, not a fan of Winnick.

Pretty much everything is better than Winnick but I haven't heard anything great about Nocenti.
BB

The series started out good, but slowly died died down. I like that someone new is going to take a hold of her. I'd like to see more on this double Identity aspect Nocenti was talking about. I'm re excited about this title now.

What this series needed was a new creative team....hopefully Nocenti will give it the shake-up it so needs.

If it's as bad as her Green Arrow I will have no problem dropping this title in a heartbeat, her Green Arrow is atrocious

She did a crappy job on Daredevil and her run on the New Mutants wasnt to interesting.

I love the current run. People bash it for Catwoman seeming immature, but she's supposed to be. This is a new Selina Kyle who is still learning. When she does grow up, it'll make the development much more meaningful. I hope that learning curve isn't just tossed aside.

I've only read the first trade, but I kind of dug Winnick's take on the character. She didn't develop much, but I kind of dug the fact that she had this reckless compulsion that she seemed vaguely aware of but unable to do anything about.

Given what I've heard about Nocenti's run on Green Arrow, I'm not super optimistic about the writer change. The issues with Green Arrow might be the result of the direction editorial wants to take the character rather than the writing itself, but even still I haven't heard many good things. Hopefully she finds more success with Selina.

I'm more interested in hearing who the new artist is. I'm not a huge fan of March's art. If Andy Clarke is doing more than just covers, I'm way more interested in the book.

Screw all the haters who saw 'sex and violence' on the surface and just disregarded it. Winick's run has been FULL of depth and intensity. All I know about Nocenti is that she's managed to be just barely not quite as atrocious on Green Arrow as the previous two writers, but that's really not saying a lot.

God dammit.

I think Winick has some really good concepts, but loses something in the execution of his books over a long run. But I have always been a big Catwoman fan, and this was a very solid book.

Selina has always had rough beginnings that gave birth to her insecurities and personality, which is normally the Sassy independent woman who would only let you get so close before she would run away and make you chase her

Here we see her vulnerable, we see her cry and feel pain and her emotions are on display.

So I can see where folks miss the "OLD" Catwoman, but this was a good job by Judd and a fun read every month

Here's to the future!

This latest volume of Catwoman has sucked so bad. Thank god there's now a creative shake-up.

YES! Can't wait. I really like how she describes everything.

Screw all the haters who saw 'sex and violence' on the surface and just disregarded it. Winick's run has been FULL of depth and intensity. All I know about Nocenti is that she's managed to be just barely not quite as atrocious on Green Arrow as the previous two writers, but that's really not saying a lot.

I miss Selina as a hero starting with Brubaker's run. Winick tried to take her back to the Jim Balent (criminal) years, but it really wasn't as much of a fun ride. Winick was about to take Selina the hero route again. Too bad that we will never read it.

Hope Nocenti can do better here than on Green Arrow.

Wont matter to me, subscription on it wont be renewed.

Hmmm. I like her understanding of Selina's core personality, but the lack of familiarity with the character makes me nervous. Also, she didn't seem to have an objection to the random hookup with Batman. I hate that. Selina probably knows better, and Batman damn sure should know better.

This gal must practice politics in her spare time. She was dodging questions like a press secretary. I don't know much about her or her previous writings - but she didn't seem all that excited about writing Ms. Kyle. Also - where is that cover from ?

Nocenti's writing on Green Arrow is very VERY bad so I'm not sure how I feel about this

I don't know, I've actually been enjoying the Catwoman run so far. I think the only thing that bothered me a little was the early sex scene with Batman that fat a little out of place, but other than that it's been enjoyable.

All I know about Nocenti is she wrote Daredevil about 20 years ago, and it was pretty much NOTHING but her pushing her politics down our throat.  If one could get past that, the writing was actually pretty good, but it was nearly impossible to get past that, as it was her main goal each and every issue. I hope she has grown-up.

i think it might be a good thing. 

I'm glad she didn't feel obligated to read earlier issues. I'm being very sarcastic.

I've heard Catwoman was becoming slightly lackluster over time so maybe a change up is good. Can't say I would also have picked Nocenti but maybe she can do well with it. Who knows?

I've liked the Catwoman so far, it cool art(to me) and I like the writing. So if the creative team is changing I'll look for it.

Someone can make a shot game by the number of the times this person says "you know" :P lol

I'm interested to see what direction she takes Selina, color me intrigued.

Thank god Ann Nocenti is still writing Green Arrow.

Nocenti did a great run on Green Arrow. So I'm glad she is writing more comics. I know for one the feminist would be overjoyed a female writer would be writing this. Even if theres tons of sex and stuff, its okay because a female writer is writing it. I call it reverse sexism.

Dear Comic Vine: get your facts straight. She isn't "fresh of her Green Lantern run" it's Green ARROW she's writing...

So this is going to be a reboot of a reboot of the new 52?

I've really enjoyed Catwoman for the past 10 issues and I'm going to be sorry to see Winick leave the title. All I know about Nocenti is that she's writing the mess that is Green Arrow. I held on to see if she'd fix Green Arrow and she kept it just as unreadable as it had been before and I dropped it a while ago.

I'm not excited at all. I'm going in with my fingers crossed but that's about all the optimism I can muster from this news.

If you want a good sample of her writing, she wrote Daredevil for over a year, it's amazing that wasn't listed in her resume. I'm looking forward to her writing though I was kinda hoping she would maybe have her learn from past mistakes instead of repeating them but, I'm willing to give Ann a chance.

My favorite Selina Kyle was when he didn't have any loyalties to the either side. She is neither a Supervillian nor a Superhero. The series tried to establish her as ''villian'' again but that played out after the last 10 years of developement and how she grew as a character. Now after all that, reducing her to her old immature-self , it kinda killed the joy for me.

I just hope they don't just her deep connection with Batman off with just the ''sexual fling'' in the first issue and say '' Well , we visited that angle, so it is done ! '' .... There is so much to explore on that surfice in this new setting of DC but I can understand why they are staying away and trying to establish Selina as an independent character since Batman can overshadow any character in their comic he appears in.

As for Green Arrow run, as I said , I hated the late Cry for Justice animosity... and the new ''Ollie'' is not a character I am fond of either. Sometimes I feel like they are inspired by Smallville TV series too much for the New Ollie and I can help but miss the old one. The separation of Ollie/Dinah kinda took a bad turn for both of them in my opinion.

I'm honestly very excited to see the creative team change, because I believe Judd has taken Selina as far as he can take her. The past several issues have been enjoyable to read, but mediocre. (A three and a half star rating at best). There's been no real development or interesting/unpredictable plot twists.

Anything has to be an improvement over Winnick's initial run

That one picture of Catwoman makes her look like a Midget. Who drew that? It seems unsightly. I'm not a fan of new writers. I keep being reminded of the Stormwatch mess where they changed writer 3 times in just 9 issues.

While I can't say I've been able to make a call regarding her Green Arrow comic, there is so much goodwill in my heart for Ann from her Daredevil run, that I will be absolutely picking up her Catwoman run.

@webofthornns said:

If it's as bad as her Green Arrow I will have no problem dropping this title in a heartbeat, her Green Arrow is atrocious

Yep.

Hahahahah gotta love when a writer comes on that doesn't know the material. At least she admits it though. Can't wait to not pick this up. At least till next year when the new new creative team has a whole new direction for her that will really shake things up!!!! LOL.

Hope she does Catwoman justice.

Ann Nocenti needs to pull her head out of the sand and go watch TDKR. That's how Selina should be written. Not some screechy half loon with runny mascara like that awful Trail of the Gun.