You don’t get the greatness of The Dark Knight without Batman: The Animated Series. The insanely popular show was one of the first to take the DC hero seriously, and helped develop characters for audiences who’d never cracked open a comic book before. And considering it premiered during TV animation’s golden age (the 1990s), it inspires love among Gen Xers, Millennials, and elder zoomers alike. Syren’s Catwoman cosplay is one such labor of love, inspired by one of the best animated shows of all time.
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Why Syren loves Catwoman
“She’s confident, cunning, and sexy and has this magnetic aura that draws you into her charms,” Syren told PLAYBOY. “As a young girl, I felt like I could also be Catwoman.”
Syren’s Catwoman cosplay is inspired in large part by the rendition dreamed up by the artist Spicy Donut. While she bought most of the cosplay’s parts online, she did commission the mask. The awesome whip accessory is a homemade number, which is made from rope, PVC pipe, and good old electrical tape.
Despite falling for the Batman version of Catwoman, her love truly clicked when she saw the version of the character portrayed by Halle Berry in the polarizing 2004 film Catwoman.
“People will say what they want about that movie, but seeing someone who looks like you in the role of a character you idolize can have a massive influence on the way you view yourself,” Syren said. “I hope to get around to cosplaying as Halle Berry’s Catwoman soon.”
Who is Catwoman?
Catwoman is one of the more complicated members of Batman’s rogues gallery, and to call her an outright villain would be an oversimplification. Selina Kyle’s a cat burglar (audience groans) out to make a score, and occasionally even helps Batman take down nastier baddies. In the 1960s, she was portrayed by three different actresses in the goofy primetime romp Batman. This includes Julie Newmar, Lee Meriweather, and perhaps most iconically, Eartha Kitt.
In film, Michelle Pfiefer’s portrayal in the 1992 film Batman Returns practically redefined the character. However, the portrayals by done both Anne Hathaway and Zoe Kravitz in The Dark Knight Rises and The Batman aren’t too bad either. The box office mega flop Catwoman was loosely based on the DC Comics character, and portrayed by Halle Berry. The Oscar winner went on to win that year’s Worst Actress Razzie Award.
“I want to thank Warner Bros.,” Halle Berry says in her Razzie acceptance speech. “For putting me in this godawful, piece of shit film.”
To see more of Syren’s cosplay, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch.
