12 Greatest Batman Love Interests From His DC Comics History

Summary Batman has had many love interests, but Catwoman remains his one true love across various universes.

Bruce Wayne has had complex relationships with various women, many of which have ended in tragedy.

Batman has sought companionship through romantic connections, showcasing his desire for love despite his loner image.

Batman is nearly the literal definition of a Gothic prince, which is why it's no wonder he's gotten so much romantic attention over the years. There seem to be plenty of prerequisites to being a superhero, such as needing a tragic backstory or a freak accident that results in powers. The other prerequisite of being a superhero is being absurdly attractive, as Bruce Wayne — and his many love interests — proves.

Nothing makes for more tragedy and high-stakes stories than romance. Over the decades, Batman has been involved with many different women, and they've all had a major impact on his life in different ways. Some have ended in tragedy, some have merely parted ways, and others are still around to this day. Batman has an image of being a loner, but these women have continually proved he's only ever wanted companionship.

Related Batman Officially Needs Catwoman to Make Him a Better Hero Batman may be one of the DC Universe’s leading heroes, but Batman: Noel reveals that Catwoman’s presence in Bruce’s life brings out the best in him.

12 Vicki Vale Was Batman's Very Own Lois Lane

First Appearance: Batman #49 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Lew Sayre Schwartz, Charles Paris, and Ira Schnapp

Vicki Vale was originally created as Batman's version of Lois Lane: a star reporter who was dedicated to figuring out Batman's secret identity. Vicki has since consistently popped up in Batman lore, with her even being the main love interest in Tim Burton's first Batman movie. She's also been a continual off-and-on love interest for Bruce Wayne, partly fueled by her belief that he is Batman.

But even with the knowledge that Bruce Wayne is Batman, she decided to keep it to herself and eventually became a trusted ally of the Bat-Family.

Eventually, in the storyline Bruce Wayne: The Road Home, Vicki would finally find the evidence she'd been seeking for the past 40 years. But even with the knowledge that Bruce Wayne is Batman, she decided to keep it to herself and eventually became a trusted ally of the Bat-Family. While Vicki isn't used nearly as much in comics since the New 52 rebooted the DC Universe, she still pops up from time to time — most recently as a love interest for Batman's least favorite colleague, Guy Gardner.

Bruce Wayne: The Road Home, which collects a number of special one-shots from the aftermath of Bruce Wayne's return to Gotham after his "death" in Final Crisis, is available now digitally and in collected editions from DC Comics.

11 Vesper Fairchild Nearly Caused Bruce Wayne to Give Up Being Batman

First Appearance: Batman #540 by Doug Moench, Kelley Jones, John Beatty, Gregory Wright, Android Images, and Todd Klein

The two went out on a few dates and really seemed to hit it off, eventually entering into a steady relationship.

Vesper Fairchild was a radio host who eventually attracted the attention of Bruce Wayne. The two went out on a few dates and really seemed to hit it off, eventually entering into a steady relationship after her return after the massive No Man's Land Bat-Family event. Unfortunately, this relationship never really got the chance to bloom into anything, as David Cain murdered Vesper, on the orders of Lex Luthor, to frame Bruce Wayne.

This led to the Bruce Wayne - Fugitive storyline, wherein Bruce started to act as Batman 24/7, nearly abandoning the Bruce Wayne identity entirely. It was only due to the help of his family that Bruce was able to clear his name, but Vesper Fairchild's murder mostly went un-avenged, as Lex Luthor was president at the time, which made him nearly untouchable.

Batman: Bruce Wayne - Fugitive, which collected a number of issues from across DC's 2002 Gotham line, is available digitally and in collected editions from DC Comics.

10 Julie Madison Was Batman's First Love

First Appearance: Detective Comics #31 by Gardner Fox, Bob Kane, and Sheldon Moldoff

Julie Madison has gone through more character changes than almost any other Batman love interest in the Dark Knight's history. She originally appeared as an actress and was even engaged to Bruce Wayne at one point, but broke things off after her acting career started to take shape.

Bizarrely, in Earth-One continuity, she actually became royalty, marrying the king of a country and then later marrying a prince of a different country. In the New Earth continuity, she broke up with Bruce after learning he was Batman, blaming Batman for the death of her father, and finally, in Earth-Prime continuity, Julie was an artist and the daughter of the arms dealer who sold the gun that killed Batman's parents.

DC's Earth-One, New Earth, and Earth-Prime continuities designate different histories from across DC Comics' publishing timeline, as the DC Universe has been rebooted a number of times over the decades — most notably after Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1986 and Flashpoint in 2011.

9 Jezebel Jet's Love for Batman Was Really a Weapon to Break Him

First Appearance: Batman #656 by Grant Morrison, Andy Kubert, Jesse Delperdang, Dave Stewart, and Nick J. Napolitano

Batman has long had contingency plans for his friends and family, but it seems he needs them against his lovers, too.

Batman is a deeply paranoid individual, and by all accounts, he has every right to be. Batman has long had contingency plans for his friends and family, but it seems he needs them against his lovers, too. Bruce Wayne met and quickly fell for Jezebel Jet, a wealthy model who had lost her parents in much the same way Bruce had. This shared history quickly drew them together, and Bruce eventually shared his identity as Batman with her.

Unfortunately, this relationship was all a hoax, as it was revealed that Jezebel was a member of the Black Glove Society and had been working to destroy Batman along with them, and her relationship with him was just a ploy to do so.

Jezebel Jet was later murdered by Talia al Ghul — a significant Batman love interest and the mother of his biological son, Damian Wayne — for Jezebel's role in nearly destroying Batman.

8 Batwoman Was Once a Batman Love Interest (from a Bygone Era)

First Appearance: The Brave And The Bold #182 by Alan Brennert, Jim Aparo, and Carl Gafford

During the early years of the American comic book industry, parents and governmental figures weren't sure of the effects comics were having on children. This uncertainty led to the infamous book Seduction of the Innocent by Frederic Wertham, which claimed, among other outsized cultural fears, that Batman and Robin were homosexuals. To try to appease Wertham, the Comics Code, and their believers, DC Comics introduced two new female characters to act as love interests for the Dynamic Duo — including Kathy Kane, also known as Batwoman.

Despite being created for the sole purpose of being Batman's female love interest, Kathy was never really treated as anything more than Bruce's friend, which resulted in nothing happening between the two characters. Kathy's history then becomes a bit murky, with one version of her being murdered by the League of Assassins and another version actually becoming a villain for Batman later on.

Batwoman was later rebooted into the contemporary Kate Kane character, who is a former soldier and, notably, an out lesbian. Readers can learn more about Kate's origins in Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka and J. H. Williams III.

7 Silver St. Cloud's Relationship with Bruce Wayne Was Doomed from the Start

First Appearance: Batman #469 by Steve Englehart, Walt Simonson, Al Milgrom, Jerry Serpe, and Ben Oda

Few characters have as tragic a history with Batman as Silver St. Cloud. Silver was a wealthy socialite who dated Bruce Wayne and eventually deduced he was Batman. Instead of being excited about this news, she realized she was in far over her head in the romance. She immediately ended her relationship with Bruce — but would later return years later.

Her character has never reappeared, making her relationship with Batman a truly doomed one.

Having had a change of heart, Silver tried to have a serious relationship with Bruce, but this was put to the test when the Joker kidnapped her. Even after being rescued, her bad luck wasn't over, as she was later murdered by Onomatopoeia in Batman: The Widening Gyre by Kevin Smith and Walt Flanagan. Since then, her character has never reappeared, making her relationship with Batman a truly doomed one.

6 Black Canary Was Batman's Lover During His Worst Story

This Justice League Romance Begins in All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #7 by Frank Miller, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, Alex Sinclair, and Jared K. Fletcher

It's well known that, among the Justice League, Black Canary and Green Arrow are true soulmates and will always find each other, no matter how far apart they are. But in the fever dream that is All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder, this devotion was put to the test.

Obsessed with the idea of meeting Batman, Black Canary eventually tracks him down, busting up a drug deal on the docks of Gotham City. The two immediately start passionately kissing, even progressing a bit further amid the broken bodies of criminals, before Batman decides he has better things to be doing and he leaves. It was certainly one of the more bizarre and out of place romances that Batman has ever had, but that's to be expected from such an infamous comic book.

5 Batman and Wonder Woman Have Tried a Few Times to Be Together

Their First Team Up: The Brave and the Bold #78 by Bob Haney, Bob Brown, Mike Esposito, and Milt Snapinn

Batman and Wonder Woman have been a pretty popular pairing for fans over the years, and they've actually tried to make it work several times. During The Brave and the Bold #78, Wonder Woman was legitimately attracted to Batman and attempted to go on a few dates.

While they've never dated, Batman and Wonder Woman have certainly been more than friends, and their connection is undeniable.

In JLA #80 by Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, Ken Lopez, Aaron Sowd, and David Baron, after sharing a kiss, they tried to date once again, but Diana eventually called it off, not wanting to put her friendship with him at risk if things didn't work out. Wonder Woman was even able to use the vision of her kissing Bruce as a way to break out of the control of the Black Lanterns. While they've never dated, Batman and Wonder Woman have certainly been more than friends, and their connection is undeniable.

4 Nocturna Was Batman's Perfect Gothic Equal

First Appearance: Detective Comics #529 by Doug Moench, Gene Colan, Dick Giordano, Adrienne Roy, and Ben Oda

While it's true Natalia was a criminal, Bruce has never shied away from dating criminals before

One of the most perfect loves that Batman has ever had — at least conceptually — was Natalia Knight, also known as Nocturna. Natalia had a rare skin disease that left her remarkably pale and also gave her an aversion to sunlight, making it so she'd often stay up all hours of the night, just like Batman. She even adopted Batman's ward, Jason Todd, for a time.

While it's true Natalia was a criminal, Bruce has never shied away from dating criminals before. Unfortunately, it seemed their affections were one-sided, as Natalia often wore a special perfume that drew men to her. While Natalia's feelings for Bruce were real, it seems that Bruce's were just a result of this perfume.

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3 Harley Quinn Had a Surprisingly Deep Relationship with Bruce Wayne

Their Alternate-Universe Romance Begins in Batman: White Knight #2 by Sean Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth, and Todd Klein

While it's hard to imagine, Harley Quinn managed to do what very few women have: marry Bruce Wayne. In the White Knight universe, Harley and Bruce are eventually married after the death of the Joker. Naturally, even though their marriage is strained, their relationship is far stronger and more intense than in any other universe.

The White Knight universe is an interconnected series of books, available in trade paperbacks and hardcovers, masterminded by writer/artist Sean Murphy.

This version of Harley is significantly saner and down to Earth than the main continuity, with her abandoning the Joker entirely when it became clear that the Joker intended to kill Jason Todd. Readers haven't gotten to see much of this marriage, but their character dynamic is certainly interesting and something that hasn't been explored before.

2 Talia al Ghul Has Long Been One of Bruce's Most Important Love Interests

First Appearance: Detective Comics #411 by Dennis O'Neil, Bob Brown, Dick Giordano, and Ben Oda

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Talia al Ghul has always been one of the more dangerous and complicated love interests of Batman. Talia is the daughter of Ra's al Ghul, one of Batman's most dangerous villains, and to complicate matters even further, she is the mother of Batman's son, Damian Wayne. These connections have made removing Talia from Bruce's life difficult at best.

While Talia has often rejected her father's villainy, she's never been quite heroic enough for Batman, and their relationship has been full of betrayal and difficult fights. Their nuanced dynamic can be seen in Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated run, in which Talia's machinations result in the death of her own son Damian, which nearly drove a permanent wedge between Talia and Bruce.

Talia and Bruce recently reunited in the Detective Comics run led by writer Ram V., which begins with Detective Comics #1062 by Ram V., Rafael Albuquerque, Dave Stewart, and Ariana Maher.

1 Catwoman Is Batman's One True Love

First Appearance: Batman #1 by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson

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Despite their disagreements about how to handle crime in Gotham City, Batman and Catwoman always find their way back to one another.

There is no Batman love interest who is more iconic than Catwoman. Selina Kyle started off as the typical femme fatale who tried to tempt Batman with her beauty. Eventually, their relationship grew into something real. Batman and Catwoman have ended up married in several different universes, with the original Batman actually ending his career after he married Catwoman, as explored in various Justice Society of America stories.

This version of the Bat/Cat couple even have a child together: Helena Wayne. Despite their disagreements about how to handle crime in Gotham City, Batman and Catwoman always find their way back to one another. Their relationship will likely always be rocky, but in more universes than not, Batman always ends up with Catwoman.