Catwoman

Few characters in DC's long history have proven as enduringly magnetic as Catwoman, who prowled onto the page in Batman #65 in 1951, brought to life by the legendary team of Bill Finger and Dick Sprang. A Golden Age creation who has never once felt dated, she has accumulated over 500 catalog appearances across seven-plus decades — gracing the pages of Batman, Detective Comics, and her own long-running Catwoman series well into the 2020s. Seven of those appearances carry key-issue status, a testament to how often her stories become the ones collectors chase, and she keeps rarefied company throughout, sharing adventures with the likes of Bruce Wayne, Robin, Dick Grayson, Superman, and Green Lantern. If you're building a serious DC collection, Catwoman isn't just a want — she's an essential.