Catwoman First Appearance: Batman #1 Value by Grade

Catwoman first appeared in Batman #1 (cover date Spring 1940), published by DC, by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson. The source puts it this way: "This book features the first appearance of The Joker and The Cat (Catwoman).".

PriceCharting values for Batman #1 (1940) by CGC grade, based on recorded sales and updated September 25, 2026:

• CGC 2.0: $82,456
• CGC 3.0: $103,070
• CGC 4.0: $128,838
• CGC 5.0: $218,128
• CGC 6.0: $307,419
• CGC 7.0: $334,600
• CGC 8.0: $368,903
• CGC 9.2: $567,625
• CGC 9.4: $2,220,000

The spread from CGC 2.0 ($82,456) to CGC 9.4 ($2,220,000) shows how much condition matters on a key issue. Restored, trimmed or incomplete copies sell far below these figures, and reprints and facsimiles (see below) are worth a small fraction. Grade and restoration are confirmed by a grading service such as CGC or CBCS; prices move with the market and the character's popularity.

• Original character name in the story: in this issue she is called "The Cat," not yet "Catwoman."
• No cat costume yet in this issue: at this point she wore a furry cat-like mask with a caped orange dress, not the cat-themed costume she is known for.

• Indicia: the small print on the first page or inside cover gives the issue number, date and publisher; reprints usually say so there.
• Cover price and barcode: a price or barcode format that did not exist in the year printed means a later edition.
• Paper and staples: decades-old newsprint is tan at the edges; bright white pages on an old date are a warning sign.
• Restoration: color touch, trimmed edges and married covers are common on expensive keys; a grading service can detect them.

Shoot the front cover flat, straight on, in even light, then the indicia page and the back cover. Include the top edge and staples in one frame. The app reads the title, issue number and cover and matches it against the checks above; the indicia photo settles most reprint questions.

In Batman #1 she is only "the Cat", disguised as an old woman during a burglary. Batman #1 went on sale April 25, 1940 (Wikipedia). In Batman #3 she wears a fur mask and again escapes Batman (Wikipedia), and PriceCharting labels it the first appearance of Catwoman in costume. PriceCharting values for Batman #3 (1940), retrieved September 25, 2026:

• Ungraded: $1,514.38
• 2.0: $3,329.99
• 4.0: $4,436.54
• 6.0: $9,645.35
• 8.0: $20,627.85
• 9.2: $40,331.25

A 2.0 copy of Batman #3 costs about 4% of a 2.0 Batman #1 ($82,456).

In one version, yes. On Earth-Two, Selina reformed in the 1950s, married Bruce Wayne and gave birth to Helena Wayne, who became the Huntress (Wikipedia, Catwoman).

In the main continuity they did not marry. Bruce proposed at the end of Batman (vol. 3) #24, and on the day of the wedding in Batman #50 (2018) Selina called it off, deciding that marriage would take away what makes him Batman; the story later revealed she had been manipulated by Holly, acting on Bane's instructions (Wikipedia, Selina Kyle).

• Batman (1966 TV): Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt; Lee Meriwether in the 1966 film
• Batman Returns (1992): Michelle Pfeiffer. Annette Bening was cast first but withdrew because she was pregnant; Sean Young campaigned for the part, even visiting the Warner Bros. lot in a homemade costume, but the studio chose Pfeiffer. The film went on wide release June 19, 1992.
• Catwoman (2004): Halle Berry as a new character, Patience Phillips, released July 23, 2004. Berry, born August 14, 1966, was 37. She later accepted the Razzie for Worst Actress in person.
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012): Anne Hathaway
• The Batman (2022): Zoë Kravitz

All from Wikipedia's articles on Catwoman, Batman Returns, Catwoman (film) and Halle Berry.

• Batman #1 (spring 1940): first appearance as "the Cat"
• Batman #3 (1940): first time in costume, a fur mask
• September 1954 to November 1966: absent from the comics, because of Comics Code restrictions on how female characters could be shown
• Batman: Year One (1987): her origin is revised
• 2014 to 2015: she runs the Calabrese crime family

From Wikipedia. IGN ranked her 11th on its Top 100 Comic Book Villains and 20th on its Top 100 Comic Book Heroes.

Research and drafting were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed on this page. Prices are the figures shown by the named source on the date given; they change with the market.