Warning: Spoilers for Batman #125 ahead!
There are no shortage of similarities between Batman and Daredevil, and with both the Dark Knight and the Devil of Hell's Kitchen facing uncertain futures, Catwoman and Elektra have stepped up in their absences. While the similarities in their arcs cannot be denied, one key difference breathes new life into their aligned tales.
When Chip Zdarsky was announced as the next writer for Batman, readers were quick to draw the comparisons between the Caped Crusader and Daredevil, whose series Zdarsky has been the lead writer for since 2019. Both vigilantes fight in the shadow of night, donned in menacing cowls and striking fear in street criminals. Batman and Daredevil also both have antagonistic paramours, Catwoman and Elektra, respectively. The once-criminals turned anti-heroes have both spent a great deal of time as a thorn in the side of their respective heroes, but perhaps more importantly are the relationships that have grown between them over the years.
Very recently, in Zardsky at the helm of both Batman and Daredevil, the prolific writer has the opportunity to offer a new spin on the journey from villain to hero.
In the backup story in Batman #125, by Zdarsky with art by Jorge Jimenez, Batman is down for the count in a big way. After being framed for the death of the Penguin, Bruce is in hiding, attempting to wait out the manhunt being carried out by Gotham PD (on top of his usual rogues' gallery), leaving the city caught in the middle of a gang war. In the issue's backup story, also by Zdarsky with art by Belén Ortega, Selina Kyle has stepped in, starting at Penguin's longtime criminal front The Iceberg Lounge, interrupting a shootout between converging gangs. While Bruce is gone, she's jumping into full hero-mode, even (almost) calling herself Gotham's new "Dark Knight" amid the scuffle.
The similarities in Elektra and Catwoman's current arcs are hard to deny, but a key difference in their stories allows Zdarsky to take a whole new spin on Selina's story. When Elektra decided to don the red mask, she did so in an effort to get Matt to trust her and forgive past transgressions. In contrast, Selina is taking on Gotham's criminal underbelly as Catwoman, without Bruce's knowledge. By sticking to her own identity and making the decision independent of Batman, her journey has potential that Elektra's can never reach. With Elektra becoming Daredevil, her journey is forever attached to Matt's. Even if she loses Matt in her grand plan to defeat The Hand and continue's being the Devil of Hell's Kitchen without him, Matt's shadow will always loom over her story. For Selina, on the other hand, when Bruce inevitably mettles in her hero's journey and tries to stop her, she can still walk away her own hero, independent of the specter of Batman.
Both Elektra and Selina embody what makes a good villain so dynamic: their inherent ability to change and grow. In Elektra's case, she's trying to find her place in a world that has long left her for dead, and found that purpose alongside Matt. For Selina, her drive to be better has grown despite her rocky relationship with Bruce, and given her an heir of independence rare for a former villain. Fans will luckily get to see Catwoman, Batman, Elektra and Daredevil's journeys continue, with Batman #126 out now and Daredevil #2 releasing August 17.
