Since June of 1940, Batman and Catwoman’s lives have been entwined. While Catwoman is usually on the opposing side of the law from Batman, they always seem to come together. They understand each other. They understand why they’re both wearing costumes, running on the roofs of Gotham and even why they choose this somewhat isolating path in life. And because of this, they’ve been able to find comfort in one another, though it usually ends up in sadness for the pair. While they have a lifetime of work together, we’re going to be highlighting 9 moments of their honest love in no particular order, because that’s a purrfect number.
Disclaimer: Spoilers for SO many Batman comic runs and series. You’ve been warned!
1 – The Truth
Batman has always had a tentative relationship with Catwoman in the Hush story arc. She’s a criminal but one he feels drawn to. He decides that with all the madness happening in Gotham and a new villain prowling the streets, he needs to be honest with her. He trusts her completely and wants to make this relationship work. So he takes her to a secluded place and reveals his true identity to her. While their relationship doesn’t work out in the end in this story, they prove to each other again and again that they truly love each other.
“Like you, I have two lives. I want you to be part of both of them.”
2 – Rooftops – A Place They Feel Alive
The current Batman Rebirth run by Tom King has many, many moments of BatCat love, even going so far as having them (almost) marry. Hell, the engagement ring is the diamond she tried to steal when they first met! Before he proposed and before their wedding, there was one night that they had together. She was going to be locked away in prison for life for murders she didn’t commit. Bruce was going to take her in personally in the morning, so they spent the night together. They stopped criminals and even “robbed” a place. In the end, they discarded their costumes and made love on a rooftop. They admitted their love for each other. And though it pained him that she’d be locked away, she still got him to smile.
“I love you, Bat.” “I love you, Cat.”
3 – Chase Me
Chase Me is a story by the team behind Batman: The Animated Series. In the dialogue-less short, we see Bruce pining to be away from his party. He’d rather be on the streets prowling for criminals. That’s when he finds Catwoman robbing him. He goes after her and the two of them run around Gotham until Catwoman is finally cornered. She goes to kiss him. Though he attempts to rebuff her, he realizes he wants to and kisses her passionately. Though, he does hand her over to the police. Then we see that the whole thing was a daydream of Bruce’s, as he’s still at the party. He daydreams about Catwoman and the thrill of the chase. How’s that not love?
4 – “Does this mean we have to start fighting?”
Bruce and Selina cross paths a few times, masked and unmasked in Batman Returns. Bruce eventually asks her on a date and they seem to really connect. They also connect as Batman and Catwoman, culminating in a sensual kiss. When they go to a party by Max Shrek, Bruce and Selina realize who the other is. Not sure what to do knowing they’ve been fighting as Batman and Catwoman, Selina desperately asks “does this mean we have to start fighting?”, clearly not wanting to. Later, when Bruce thinks Selina is gone, he’s miserable. He sees her shadow on a building and goes after her. He doesn’t find her but finds a black cat instead. He takes the cat and gives it a new home, a constant reminder of his love for the complicated woman who understood him.
“A kiss under the mistletoe. You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.” “But a kiss can be even deadlier… if you mean it.”
5 – A Life Well Loved
In Batman Rebirth Annual #2 by Tom King (yes, I’m using another story by King, shhh), we were able to see the love story of The Bat and The Cat. The entire thing. How their love first blossomed, how their relationship grew to marriage and a family. How their daughter Helena became a crime fighter. How they continued to argue over where they first met. Even how Bruce succumbed to an illness that couldn’t be cured. It was so touching to see them, having grown old together and loving each other just as much as they did when they were first together. While the ending was bittersweet, it was a beautiful story of their love.
“I love you too, Cat. From first kiss to the last.”
6 – Growing
Bruce and Selina have always had feelings for each other, bonding quickly as kids in season 1 of Gotham. They’ve broken apart and come back together again quite a lot through the show. In season 4, Bruce is sure to let her know how much he feels for her. How important she is to him. Though they continually played cat and bat as they always do, towards the end of the season, they both show their love for each other. He calls her up in order to help him find Alfred but ends up in a trap. She saves him from going insane from fear toxin by Scarecrow. She risked her life to save him, coming close to being hit by Scarecrow’s scythe. Later she’s shot in the stomach by Jeremiah and his pain of that mirrors the pain he felt when his parents were shot. What will happen in the final season between these two?
“Bruce, I’m gonna be here whenever you need me.”
7 – I Will Love You Always
In 2009, the Heart of Hush arc was released. It was a continuation on the immensely popular Hush story line and it got real personal. The villain Hush returned and cut out the heart of Selina Kyle. His theory? Watch the heart of the woman he loves die, a part of him dies as well. Fair enough. Even though he had refused to say it or even admit it to himself, he confesses everything to her at her hospital bedside. There’s only one woman who has held his heart. It’s something every BatCat fan melts at.
“Tonight I’m only sure of one thing. Whatever the future hold, wherever life takes me…I will love you. Always.”
8 – Saving Bruce
Catwoman has been locked up in Arkham City with the rest of Gotham’s biggest criminals. Though she’s able to smile and be a quip machine, she ends up with a big choice. She could either leave Arkham City with the loot she’s been trying to get the entire night. Or, she could help save Batman who was trapped under rubble. Though she’s upset at herself, she goes and saves Batman. She knows in her heart she’d never forgive herself. And deep down she knows it’s because she genuinely loves him.
“You’ll never forgive yourself, Selina; help Batman, then escape.”
9 – Facing Their Fears, Together
Brave and The Bold #197 holds one of the sweetest BatCat stories to hit the page. On his deathbed, Batman is writing his autobiography, including his most important story – the love between himself and Catwoman. The relationship starts when the two of them are hit with fear gas that makes them fear each other. Selina figures out that it’s Scarecrow’s fear toxin so she takes her mask off and tell him to do the same. He hesitates but does it, exposing himself to Selina. His fear of losing her was overwhelming and they embraced. It started a love affair between the two.
“I found and captured the Scarecrow of course… but more important… that night I found Bruce Wayne. And I found the woman who would share my life for the next twenty years.”
So there’s our picks for 9 moments of love between The Bat and The Cat. What is your BatCat moment? Let us know! Be sure to come back to Geek Girl Authority for more Batman and Catwoman news.
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This article was first published on August 19, 2018
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Most of this list isn’t about the full story. Many of these points aren’t actually true.
For example, Batman did reveal his identity to Catwoman in Batman: Hush but soon became distrustful of her. And it’s not just because he’s distrustful, her working as a criminal either in present or past will always be a cause of distrust unless she stays out of it for a long time.
Something like chasing a thief on rooftops isn’t what I call love especially when you don’t simply turn them over to the police. Any other thief and Bruce would knock them out and have them serve their time. It’s clearly obsession and not love.
His comments about her being the only woman he loved are also untrue, because he did love Vicki, Silver St. Cloud, Sasha Bordeaux and especially Talia even though Morrison retconned their consensual sex into her drugging his drink, Morrsion admitted that was a mistake.
Not to mention she tried to kill him and Vicki Vale but only held off on the last second for “love” though it sounds more as an obession because you don’t try to kill for love.
And the way the romance started out by him simply getting infatuated with a thief and letting Selina get away, when he was ruthless in his war on crime makes no sense. Instead if going after Crane before he does more damage he’s busy puckering up.