First Pic of Anne Hathaway in Disappointing Catwoman Costume

Warner Bros has released a picture online from "The Dark Knight Rises" of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. The studio wanted to beat the website Spoiler TV to the punch when they got wind that the website had photos of Anne Hathaway's stunt double driving the batpod down the steps of the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, which is doubling as Gotham City Hall. The "official" image showed up several hours after the first picture of Henry Cavill as Superman premiered.

Many Batman fans could barely wait for their internet connections to open up whatever website they were looking at to see the picture. As the website opened up, it revealed -- Anne Hathaway in some weird goggles, a plain black bodysuit, thigh high black boots, and a belt with pouches. Can anybody say "booooriiing?"

Okay, I get it Christopher Nolan. You want to make everything in your world of Batman reality-based. Does that mean it has to be "boring" based? Where is Catwoman's headgear and ears? Right now, she just looks like a common burglar who somehow got lucky and stole the Batpod.

Apparently, the rumors that Catwoman's costume was going to be based on Darwyn Cooke's design from his Dark Knight comic books are somewhat false. The outfit she is wearing in these images is similar but very different. For one, there is no headgear or mask with ears. On top of that, she has the thigh high boots which are not a part of Cooke's ensemble for the character.

Being a big fan and reader of the Batman comic books, I have been mostly happy with everything in Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. I was a bit disappointed with the portrayal and character of Ra's Al Ghul in "Batman Begins." This first lackluster picture of Selina Kyle/Catwoman is the second time now I have had the wind taken out of my sails by Mr. Nolan.

I am hoping that this is an early scene in "The Dark Knight Rises" featuring Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman before she realizes that she needs a better disguise. If this is what Catwoman will look like through the entire movie, count me as one extremely disappointed Batman fan.

For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:

Will Adam West Appear in 'The Dark Knight Rises?'
'Batman: Year One' Trailer Hits the Internet
Interview with 'Batman: Arkham City' Concept Artist Carlos D'Anda