20 Of The Best Comics Superhero Costumes

Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman (Image via Warner Bros.)

3. Catwoman (Batman Returns)

It can be truly difficult to get Catwoman’s suit right. The longtime Batman villain has shown up in many different incarnations through a wide array of media. Her costume has likewise seen mixed success.

Sometimes, there are some truly unfortunate missteps, like the Halle Berry Catwoman costume. That monstrosity looked like a bondage set had gone through a particularly traumatic wash cycle. Now, there’s nothing wrong with bondage, but that gear gets expensive. It pains me to see something that looks like thousands of dollars of ruined leather. One starts to wonder what Halle Berry did to the Catwoman costume designer to deserve such a fate.

Fortunately, we’re here to discuss costumes done well. As such, the version sported by Michelle Pfeiffer in Batman Returns is especially satisfying. This suit also looks like she’s on her way to a BDSM party, but it actually works. The sleek, shiny new suit with plenty of visible stitching fits almost perfectly with Selina Kyle’s newfound sexuality and villainy.

The costume design is right on the razor edge between taking itself too seriously and acknowledging the dreamlike, hyper-stylized world of the Tim Burton Batman movies. Thankfully for both the audience and Pfeiffer herself, the high-wire act works.