Who is Bruce's best love interest?

[jump]

In the late 80s, as the Batman continuity moved into Post-Crisis mode, Year Two's Rachel Caspian would have been perfect for him, and I think she made a serious mistake by becoming a nun instead.

Personally I never got the Caspian attraction, it just seemed to me like Bruce was in bachelor conquest mode when they met and then it got serious because they story needed it to be.

[Vakanai]

As much as I love Catwoman, I keep finding myself voting for Wonder Woman. The DCAU just made it work so well...

[Black Angel]

Catwoman
Talia
Superman

[Lorendiac]

Personally I never got the Caspian attraction, it just seemed to me like Bruce was in bachelor conquest mode when they met and then it got serious because they story needed it to be.

Been a long time since I actually reread the story arc -- maybe I should brush up. But my impression was that Bruce was impressed by her wide-eyed optimism and charitable impulses and all that. I felt Rachel Caspian could have been a very good influence on him -- as opposed to such cynical and tough women as Vicki Vale, the photojournalist; Selina Kyle, the jewel thief; and Talia, the daughter of a genocidal megalomaniac. (Of course, she also could have indulged her charitable impulses by spending a hundred million dollars a year of his money on hand-picked worthy causes.)

[sonofspam1972]

As I look at the list of candidates, I realize that my answer depends on which era and which continuity we're talking about.

In the Golden Age, it would probably be Selina Kyle.

In the Silver Age, it would Kathy Kane, Batwoman.

In the 1970s I'm not sure if there was a clear front-runner -- Silver St. Cloud was absolutely a non-starter because she couldn't stand the thought of being married to someone in Batman's dangerous line of work.

In the early-to-mid 1980s, Selina and Vicki were both serious contenders (and even Alfred's daughter Julia looked like a possibility).

In the late 80s, as the Batman continuity moved into Post-Crisis mode, Year Two's Rachel Caspian would have been perfect for him, and I think she made a serious mistake by becoming a nun instead.

In the 1990s, Shondra Kinsolving also could have been a great wife to Bruce, but it wasn't allowed to happen.

In the DCAU, my money is on Wonder Woman, but I would hate to see that pairing happen in "regular comic book continuity."

And then there's the first and second sets of movies that have all come out within the last quarter-century . . .

All things considered, I'm not sure I'm ever going to be able to honestly vote for "just one."

When did Catwoman become the default Batman love interest anyways?

No "Alfred" option?

Better than Dick Grayson i suppose.

[Sacred Knight]

After FE #7 I'd change my answer to being alone. He treats Selina poorly. Can't even muster a thank you to a woman who had your back the whole time during the invasion?

[TheBatman]

So who do you think is Bruce's best love intrest or should get the happily ever after ending with?

In terms of most entertaining romance, it would have to be Catwoman, followed closely by Talia.

In terms of who would be best for Bruce, I'd say Silver.

[Lorendiac]

In terms of most entertaining romance, it would have to be Catwoman, followed closely by Talia.

In terms of who would be best for Bruce, I'd say Silver.

Silver? A woman who would constantly be begging him to stop risking his life as Batman? That sounds like a recipe for constant stress in a relationship.

Or do you mean that she'd be the best romantic match for Bruce Wayne, the wealthy businessman and philanthropist, after she had succeeded in getting him to utterly abandon the Batman persona so that she wouldn't constantly be freaking out about his hazardous lifestyle? (That interpretation of your words just now occurred to me as an afterthought. And I have to admit that if Silver could make that happen, his life expectancy would skyrocket and his yearly medical bills would probably drop down to almost nothing -- so in that sense she might, in fact, be the "best and healthiest" possible wife for him.)

[Flash Gordon]

After FE #7 I'd change my answer to being alone. He treats Selina poorly. Can't even muster a thank you to a woman who had your back the whole time during the invasion?

What does he do?

That's totally Geoff Johns though. Under Grant Morrison, or other writers that "get" Batman, he would have gave Selina a big sloppy one.

[Flex Mentallo]

Had to go with Catwoman

[Dman_3145]

Why is Robin Not an option or Alfred ("I have cared for you since you were a boy Master Wayne, You make me feel young")

[John Venus]

In the late 80s, as the Batman continuity moved into Post-Crisis mode, Year Two's Rachel Caspian would have been perfect for him, and I think she made a serious mistake by becoming a nun instead.

Personally I never got the Caspian attraction, it just seemed to me like Bruce was in bachelor conquest mode when they met and then it got serious because they story needed it to be.

I really dislike Batman: Year Two having read it last year. It tried too hard to be dark, grimy and edgy. Caspian didn't really leave any big impression in my mind since she felt like just another love interest to me.

[Jokerz]

Definitely Catwoman, if only because she's by far the longest-running and most developed of Batman's love interests. The fact they're both normal humans without superpowers who have an interest in vigilantism also makes it feel much more fitting.

[The Red Monk]

I don't think any of Batman's romantic interests are really that good. Talia al Ghul is basically full-on evil now, and not likely to change. Catwoman hasn't been able to get past the ****-buddy stage for decades now (not counting her marriage to Batman on, I think, Earth Two?). Vicky Vale is a Lois Lane wannabe. Poison Ivy is basically an on-again-off-again kind of thing that none of the writers have ever bothered to explore properly outside of pieces like Batman/Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows (and even then it's mostly implied). And everyone else basically just fades into the background.

Batman's most entertaining relationships are usually with villainesses like Talia, Catwoman and Ivy, and as I mentioned, Talia is full-on psycho now, Catwoman is basically a heroine, and Ivy is schizophrenically getting bounced all over the place. I personally hope DC doesn't make her a heroine too - Batman doesn't have any other good female antagonists outside of her (and few super-powered antagonists), and I don't see DC creating any new ones any time soon.

[deadboy80]

Vicki Vale all the way. Liked her. Wish she was around still. Normal enough to bring out the Bruce Wayne in Batman, and adventureous enough to fit in a Batman book.