Batman & Catwoman: A History

[Slimybug]

I was just reading in an article that Bruce Wayne & Selina Kyle had a relationship in their civilian guises prior to 1983 (Batman #355) when Selina, who is a known former criminal, inexplicably knows Bruce's identity as Batman. How she knew and where this goes is a long story, but I wanted to start off by asking, when, prior to 1983, did Bruce and Selina date? And when was Selina's identity as Catwoman revealed to Bruce/the world?

EDIT (04/13): Okay, that question has been answered: The 1950 issue Batman #62 revealed Catwoman's identity. BUT, Crisis put her identity back in the bottle, for both Bruce and everyone else. So my NEW question is, when (and it had to be pre-Hush, as he knew who she was then) did Bruce learn of Selina's identity AGAIN, and did the rest of the world learn it too?

[MajorHoy]

I was just reading in an article that Bruce Wayne & Selina Kyle had a relationship in their civilian guises prior to 1983 (Batman #355) when Selina, who is a known former criminal, inexplicably knows Bruce's identity as Batman. How she knew and where this goes is a long story, but I wanted to start off by asking, when, prior to 1983, did Bruce and Selina date? And when was Selina's identity as Catwoman revealed to Bruce/the world?

As to the last part, if she was a criminal who was arrested / booked, then her secret identity would no longer be secret.

[Slimybug]

As to the last part, if she was a criminal who was arrested / booked, then her secret identity would no longer be secret.

Right, just looking to see when that happened.

[MajorHoy]

Right, just looking to see when that happened.

I'm not sure how many times that has happened since she was first introduced over 80 years ago (back in Batman #1, cover-dated "Spring 1940", though she was able to escape without being arrested in that story).

[bat39]

Yeah, its a bit complicated since Catwoman and her history tends to get soft-rebooted fairly often, at least relative to Batman himself or many other Bat-family members.

I think her identity was first revealed all the way back in an early 50's story where we learn that she was an amnesiac air-stewardess named Selina Kyle who lost her memory after a plane crash and developed the villainous persona of Catwoman. Decades later, an Earth 2 flashback story reveals that she was lying about the amnesia and just wanted a fresh start, but anyway, at least Pre-Crisis this is where her identity first becomes known to Batman and to the authorities and the world at large.

Not sure when's the first time Bruce and Selina started dating though. Probably the 80's. Then after COIE, Catwoman's history was rebooted such that a) she and Bruce never dated, and b) her identity was unknown. Of course, both things have changed over time. The New 52 tried to put the genie back in the bottle again, but now it's out...again.

[exile001]

I think they were dating on and off through most of 80 to 87.

What I do know is that Selina forgot about Bruce/Batman's identity because Joker (via Dr Moon) hypnotised her to make her evil, hoping she'd reveal his secret. She doesn't but has apparently forgotten the last several years.

It kinda feels like a rushed mess designed to facilitate a soft-reboot for Catwoman (and Bruce), probably due to the chaos that was the Crisis reboot/non-reboot. Bit of a gross, immature way to go about it but whatever.

This was Detective Comics #569-70.

[godisawesome]

I believe the first “serious” treatment of them as a couple is under Doug Moench during that Bronze Age period before Crisis, where through some series of events they date as civilians and know each other’s IDs as heroes.

At one point, Selina gets jealous of Vicki Vale after her and Bruce’s breakup, and there’s a “fight between the exes” story where she seriously thinks about killing before stopping and is horrified at what she was thinking.

[Matt Rat]

At one point, Selina gets jealous of Vicki Vale after her and Bruce’s breakup, and there’s a “fight between the exes” story where she seriously thinks about killing before stopping and is horrified at what she was thinking.

I own that issue, I thought the ending where Bruce actually apologizes and hugs Selina at the end was a bit much (and I'm a Bat/Cat fan), especially since Selina nearly does kill Vicki at the start of the story.

[godisawesome]

I own that issue, I thought the ending where Bruce actually apologizes and hugs Selina at the end was a bit much (and I'm a Bat/Cat fan), especially since Selina nearly does kill Vicki at the start of the story.

That period of the Bronze Age is fascinating because of stuff like this - they’re always like 50% “more mature, realistic” characterizations, and 50% “Hey, we did it let realism hold us back in the Silver Age, so why should we do that now?”

[Slimybug]

So I'm just reading The Long Halloween and it looks like, less than a year after Year One, Selina Kyle is now a high-society girl (far from being a prostitute) that knows Bruce Wayne. Is there any other story that explains how they first met (without the masks) or anything else between Year One and The Long Halloween?

Selina even claims "For a man who claims he had no business with me...." as if this was a conversation with them previously.

[Restingvoice]

So I'm just reading The Long Halloween and it looks like, less than a year after Year One, Selina Kyle is now a high-society girl (far from being a prostitute) that knows Bruce Wayne. Is there any other story that explains how they first met (without the masks) or anything else between Year One and The Long Halloween?

Selina even claims "For a man who claims he had no business with me...." as if this was a conversation with them previously.

Someone told me the answer once but I forget. Catwoman Year One or one of the 90s backstory. She managed to get enough money to debut herself as a socialite.

[Slimybug]

Okay, the OP question has been answered: The 1950 issue Batman #62 revealed Catwoman's identity. BUT, Crisis put her identity back in the bottle, for both Bruce and everyone else. So my NEW question is, when (and it had to be pre-Hush, as he knew who she was then) did Bruce learn of Selina's identity AGAIN, and did the rest of the world learn it too?

EDIT: I was just doing some browsing and also searching through Catwoman Vol. 2's dc.fandom page and searcing for the word "identity," and here's what I found.

In issue #69, in 1999, Selina's identity is still secret from the world.

In issue #94 from 2001, the finale, Batman calls her "Selina," so it was definitely before then.

[exile001]

Knightfall has a scene where Selina sneaks onto Bruce's private jet and he doesn't seem to know her at all.

Batman later kisses Catwoman during No Man's Land and I think he knows her name by then. I might be misremembering, though.

[Slimybug]

Yep, I kept doing my research, and it looks like he just randomly knows her identity as of Birds of Prey #27 in 2001!