Dinosauricon
Lieutenant
Ever since the 30s Batman's had a number of love interests, some unique to the spin-off TV, animation, and film but most contained in the comics. Any favorites?
Favorite Batman love interest?
- Thread starter Dinosauricon
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I was gonna go with Selina Kyle but then switched to Talia - cos I think she's an exotic-looking hottie who's (if possible) even more cryptically oscillating between being good or evil than Catwoman!
Plus she beds Batman!! I was amused how the Grant Morrison Damien introduction talks about him being drugged. Talk about retconning things in your own mind, Bats!! You just got the hots for Talia in the original book. And then did the kinky (wearing the cowl) sex scene with Talia!!
Plus she beds Batman!! I was amused how the Grant Morrison Damien introduction talks about him being drugged. Talk about retconning things in your own mind, Bats!! You just got the hots for Talia in the original book. And then did the kinky (wearing the cowl) sex scene with Talia!!
No love for the original Kathy Kane?
I mostly read 30-40s Batman comics when I was little (with some silver age stories and a Batman/Superman crossover from the 80s), so Julie Madison, Bruce's fiance, is my favorite. Selina would be my second choice.
Setting aside romance, though, the original Batgirl is my favorite Batman character (including the Caped Crusader).
Setting aside romance, though, the original Batgirl is my favorite Batman character (including the Caped Crusader).
Silver St. Cloud gets my vote. A strong-minded, interesting character who sussed Batman's identity. Her storyline provided the backbone for Engelheart's Batman run in the 70s (collected as "Strange Apparitions").
Catwoman and Talia are both good characters, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to claim Poison Ivy as one of Batman's love interests. Sure, she's had him under her spell once or twice, but that hardly qualifies, does it?
Catwoman and Talia are both good characters, but I think it's a bit of a stretch to claim Poison Ivy as one of Batman's love interests. Sure, she's had him under her spell once or twice, but that hardly qualifies, does it?
My experience comes from the DCAU. Going from that I would pick either Talia, Lois Lane, or Wonder Woman. I cannot decide which is my favorite for Bats,
I voted for Vicki Vale but only because of Kim Basinger. YUM! :-)
Best written Batman love story in the comics is without a doubt the Silver St. Cloud run. While Silver is relatively generic, she is at least a strong willed, fully realized woman who is an ostensible equal to Bruce Wayne. And it's a good story, straightforward and poignant. Silver actually has the backbone to make a choice and stick to it when she leaves, making a point of the sacrifices the hero makes for his war on crime. (The less said about the horrible sequel published more recently, the better.)
While Selina Kyle is often played as if she is Bruce Wayne's equal, for the most part the love stories involving her are bad. There's a severe tendency to undercut either her or Bruce Wayne's characters - that is, Selina either becomes a waffling good girl, or she gets played as criminal with an adolescent fetish for making Batman chase her (what are they, on a playground?). Or Bruce Wayne gets turned into an angsting wuss bent on long talks about "our relationship" (*coughHushcough*).
Talia started off as a feminist's nightmare, living only through either her father or her "Beloved" (is there a nausea smiley?), with no will or mind of her own. I understand that has somewhat been remedied but the divided loyalties schtick is only powerful if it's in a shorter story. After years and years of supposed divided loyalty, you just want the woman to quit whining that she can't make up her mind.
Rachel Dawes was probably the best of all Batman love interests though. With a strong backstory and an actual life of her own, she's the one character it makes sense, without a doubt, that Bruce Wayne would be in love with her (that is beyond the usual male fantasy fulfillment of she's HAWT!). She is dedicated to justice for her own reasons, she pursues her work with vigor and dedication, she makes tough choices to move on with her life and doesn't wring her hands over it, she's courageous and she is both loyal to Bruce, and willing to stand up to him. I was dubious when they introduced the "child hood sweetheart" angle, but it was pretty well handled in both movies.
While Selina Kyle is often played as if she is Bruce Wayne's equal, for the most part the love stories involving her are bad. There's a severe tendency to undercut either her or Bruce Wayne's characters - that is, Selina either becomes a waffling good girl, or she gets played as criminal with an adolescent fetish for making Batman chase her (what are they, on a playground?). Or Bruce Wayne gets turned into an angsting wuss bent on long talks about "our relationship" (*coughHushcough*).
Talia started off as a feminist's nightmare, living only through either her father or her "Beloved" (is there a nausea smiley?), with no will or mind of her own. I understand that has somewhat been remedied but the divided loyalties schtick is only powerful if it's in a shorter story. After years and years of supposed divided loyalty, you just want the woman to quit whining that she can't make up her mind.
Rachel Dawes was probably the best of all Batman love interests though. With a strong backstory and an actual life of her own, she's the one character it makes sense, without a doubt, that Bruce Wayne would be in love with her (that is beyond the usual male fantasy fulfillment of she's HAWT!). She is dedicated to justice for her own reasons, she pursues her work with vigor and dedication, she makes tough choices to move on with her life and doesn't wring her hands over it, she's courageous and she is both loyal to Bruce, and willing to stand up to him. I was dubious when they introduced the "child hood sweetheart" angle, but it was pretty well handled in both movies.
I liked Andrea Beaumont, his love interest in "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", but I don't know if I like her enough to vote her over anyone in the poll. Gotta think about it.
The relationship between Poison Ivy and Batman has always been an interesting one to me.
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
Robin, but not in a gay way. In a shared experiences, surrogate father-son relationship as well as adopted brother relationship.
Okay, maybe that is a bit gay. But of all on that list, I think Robin may be the only one who gets Bruce Wayne/Batman.
Okay, maybe that is a bit gay. But of all on that list, I think Robin may be the only one who gets Bruce Wayne/Batman.
yes late 70's in detective.
those comics were just pure magic.
for me it is is ..
silver, talia and rachel.
Definitely Catwoman.
Thespeckledkiwi
Vice Admiral
Zatanna 
This is rapidly becoming my favourite quote: Yes, men like sports. Men watch the action movie. They eat of the beef and enjoy to look at the bosoms. A thousand years of avenging our wrongs, and that's all you've learned?
IIRC, back when Batman Begins came out Katie Holmes (and by extension Dawes) was considerably unpopular.
I'm going to go with the unpopular choice and say nobody. Some characters - Superman, Spider-Man - are enhanced by their relationships, some are just dragged down.
Zatanna
uoy teiuQ!
Had to go with CatWoman. Though I liked the second incarnation of Rachel in the Dark Knight.
I'm going with Catman if everything is taken into account.
If we were to just go on movies I'd probably pick Vicki Vale. Surprising, considering how much I dislike Kim Basinger as an actress.
If we were to just go on movies I'd probably pick Vicki Vale. Surprising, considering how much I dislike Kim Basinger as an actress.
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