When you’ve got a new Supes story, you know Lois Lane’s going to be there, and then you've only got a few options for love when it comes to a Spidey story. But Bats? His level of commitment is about as lasting as James Bond’s. It’s actually a bit telling that Ms. Dawes was created for BATMAN BEGINS just to give him a new, suitable gal to get all mushy about. He's had so many girlfriends over the year, but no definitive one, and at this rate, we can't really ever expect him to settle down.
However, let’s say there were was some kind of BATMAN: THE END coming up. Which one of Wayne’s flames do you Comic Vine maniacs figure could be the one for him in the end?
CATWOMAN
Bats and Selina actually got married in the pre-CRISIS Earth 2 and had a daughter, Helena, who went on to become a vigilante of her own - - the Huntress. So there's a precedent, already. As I said in my plot speculation about DARK KNIGHT RISES, she makes sense thematically as a significant other precisely because she’s already part of this world of theatrical crazies that Bruce’s devoted so much of his life to. There’s also some rich irony in a rigid moralist like him ultimately falling for a career criminal whose past is as checkered as her's is. But can their moralities ever harmonize to last?
TALIA AL-GHUL
Well, she is already his baby mama. Maybe Bruce owes it to Damian to finally make him and this whole family affair legitimate? Once again, there’s some appropriate irony in the notion of Batman marrying the daughter of one of his greatest foes in what would effectively an epic case of matchmaking. On paper, it certainly makes sense for the greatest detective in the world to be coupled with one of the greatest adventurers in the world. Then again, the recent revelations about how she’s aided Jason Todd during the formation of his Red Hood persona (and maybe even got romantically linked to him) make things weirder than they already are.
SILVER ST. CLOUD
Bats' main squeeze during the late 70s and early 80s. Out of all the ladies on this list, she appeals most to the Bruce Wayne side of the enigma. A socialite and event planner, she’s part of that world of the rich & beautiful, yet she was sharp enough to figure out the legendary secret identity on her own. Interestingly, while Rachel rejects Bruce for the intensity of the Batman identity, Silver ends up breaking up with him because she couldn't handle worrying about his safety. On-and-off over the years, she really represents the call of a normal life for the Batman.
VICKI VALE
Vale was an odd choice for a love interest in the first Burton BATMAN. Even though she was introduced in the 40s, she hadn’t been too important a part of the comics in the decades up into that movie’s release. Thematically, she overlaps with Lois and if Superman's so compatible with a journalist, then, logically, Batman probably isn't (he and Supes are well-established as antithetical, after all.) There’s not much love lost between her and Bats, now, as she’s been an antagonist in the Bat books, doggedly trying to ruin the family’s secrets.This is a really incomplete selection, because there simply isn’t enough room to talk about Bruce’s other flames, like his doomed first love, Julie Madison, his vengeful counterpart, the Phantasm, his shrink, Chase Meridian, or his very brief date, Wonder Woman. Still, that's plenty of options for you maniacs to choose from in this elaborate dating game, so let's see your picks!
And we all know there's really only one way to close out all this talk of Batman and tender romance...Tom Pinchuk’s the writer of HYBRID BASTARDS! & UNIMAGINABLE . Order them on Amazon here & here . Follow him on Twitter: @tompinchuk
