Pros and Cons of Batman and Catwoman Hooking Up

A Guest Article by Temari13

If you read the Batman comics you are aware of the love/hate, on again/off again relationship between Bruce Wayne/Batman and Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Catwoman would try to seduce Batman, but fail time and time again. He never seemed interested in her.

Until Hush.

In Batman #610 the two masked adventurers kiss for the first time. Later, in Batman #615, he reveals his identity to her. Then, after Hush literally steals Selina's heart (Detective Comics #848), Batman recovers it and Bruce visits her in the hospital. With Selina "sleeping soundly," he confesses that she has been the only woman who has really held his heart, and that "whatever the future holds, wherever life takes me, I will love you. Always." He's almost out the door when she calls out to him. They share a kiss, but the next day go their separate ways (Detective Comics #850).

If anybody deserves to be together, it's these two. And with Batman returning in a few months, I am hopeful that there will be a scene where Selina and Bruce see each other again, and discover they still feel the same way, and they kiss, and--

Wait. Who's the author? Grant Morrison? Oh, never mind then. That will never happen.

But if Bruce and Selina do begin to date steadily or even - gasp! - get married, what will the result be? A better comic? Or will all the magic and mystery and suspense fade away because they finally took their relationship to the next level?

Of course, there are pros and cons if Bruce and Selina do become a couple. But do the cons outweigh the pros, or vice versa? Let's find out.

CON:

There will be no more sexual tension:

If Bruce and Selina pursue a relationship the sexual tension that has always been between them will disappear. They'll be able to pick up the phone or walk down the hall whenever they want to see each other, instead of having to wait for their rooftop dance. That tension made the interaction between them entertaining. Catwoman attempts to steal something. Batman appears to stop her. She flirts. He wants to respond, but refuses because she's a thief. He sees the world in black and white, and her world is all gray.

And that's what made it interesting. They both wanted each other, yet Batman's morals--and Catwoman's sticky fingers--were always in the way.

PRO:

They need a little happiness in their lives:

After all they've been through, they need all the happiness they can get. Bruce's parents death, Jason Todd's death, Selina's sister and brother-in-law's suffering at Black Mask's hand, Hush, Selina giving Helena up for adoption, Bruce's "death."

You get the picture.

CON:

There will be shark jumping:

"Wow. Batman and Catwoman are dating. Guess the writers couldn't come up with anything else to write about." I would hate for that to be the reason as to why Bruce and Selina finally get together. People may lose interest in the comics, Sales go down, profits go down, Batman hangs up his cape and retires. No more Batman comics. That would be one of the saddest days in comic book history. As much as I would love to see them settle down together, I would rather they never have a steady relationship than have the comic end.

PRO:

Love can overcome obstacles:

Okay, this one is a bit cliché, but it's true. With Batman being a vigilante and Catwoman being a thief, there was no way that he would even consider a relationship with her. Yet that didn't stop him from falling in love with her, and her with him. Now that she's a reformed thief, their bond is probably stronger than ever.

CON:

There will be a chance for different kinds of drama in the hands of Grant Morrison:

Remember Grant Morrison? He's the guy who gave us Batman R.I.P. I'm fearful to find out what havoc he would wreck in the Batman universe, more specifically in Bruce's and Selina's lives. Something like this, perhaps? I pray not. While Selina being captured by villains in order for them to get to Batman is an interesting idea, it is not a safe idea in the hands of Grant Morrison.

PRO:

There will be a chance for different kinds of drama in the hands of a good writer:

With Bruce and Selina dating/married, that opens teh door for different kinds of drama - as long as it's in the hands of a good writer, and not Grant Morrison. Consider this: If the couple were to have a fight, would it merely be a verbal argument? Or will it entail Selina storming away and pulling a heist that night as Catwoman? Let's play with the scenario a bit. Bruce and Selina have a fight. They argue. She leaves. She changes into Catwoman and breaks into a museum. Batman shows up. They argue some more. The argument turns physical. The sexual tension between them sparks. They kiss and...well, maybe things would turn physical in a different way. OR would this be the case? Bruce and Selina have a fight. They argue. She leaves. She thinks about stealing, but decides not to because she's afraid of what that will do to their relationship.

See? Full of potential. Also, it would be interesting to see how the villains would react to Batman and Catwoman's relationship. Would they use Catwoman as bait to lure Batman in? Some of the bad guys already think that killing Catwoman and showing her corpse to Batman would be fun. Let's see how fun that would be after he's beaten them to a bloody pulp within an inch of their lives. As mentioned before, it's an intriguing notion, as long as it's done by the right people. Who knows? Maybe the repeated attempts to get his attention through Catwoman will prompt Batman to set in motion the Four Rules of Gotham.

Okay, maybe not.

Also, imagine Bruce trying to juggle his three jobs: Wayne Enterprises, husband, Batman. Granted, Selina would most likely just be out and about as Catwoman, but think of the drama and tension that would cause. Would she accept the fact that he won't be home very much? When - and if - they have children, would Bruce remain as Batman, or would he give the cowl to someone else so he can spend more time with his family?

In the end, however, it's difficult to decide whether it would be best for Bruce and Selina to become a couple, or if they should just remain apart. There are so many factors, so many ways the plot can turn, whether for good or for bad.

The best thing to do is just wait and see what DC has in store for Bruce and Selina. Hopefully their future involves a wedding and children, not Grant Morrison.