Batman-Catwoman Wedding: What Went Wrong?

Batman and Catwoman's wedding was a highly anticipated event in the world of comics, with the couple finally tying the knot after years of will-they-won't-they hype. The road to their wedding was not without its challenges, including deception, betrayal, and a plot by the villain Bane to break Batman and take over Gotham City. In the end, the couple exchanged vows in a Vegas-style ceremony, with Superman and Lois Lane as witnesses, marking a significant milestone in the history of DC Comics.

Catwoman didn't show up at the altar

The wedding of Batman and Catwoman, or "Batrimony" as it has been dubbed, was set to be a historic event in Gotham City. Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, the couple behind the masks, had arranged for a rooftop ceremony at dawn. However, as the big moment approached, Catwoman, or Selina, did not show up at the altar, leaving Bruce dejected and still a bachelor.

Selina's decision to call off the wedding was not due to cold feet or a simple change of heart. Instead, it was a complicated choice influenced by the recurring theme in Tom King's narrative that a happy Bruce Wayne could not coexist with the emotionally driven Batman that Gotham City needed. Selina's doubts about the wedding were confirmed by her conversation with her longtime friend Holly Robinson, whom she had sprung from Arkham Asylum to serve as her maid of honor. When Selina asked Holly if she was a hero, Holly's response—"Don't you have to be?"—resonated with Selina's own feelings about the sacrifices heroes must make.

Selina ultimately decided that her sacrifice would be her love for Bruce. She believed that their marriage would cause Bruce to leave his inner darkness behind and, in turn, give up his important role as Batman. This decision was influenced by the Joker's argument in the previous issue, where he threatened to kill Catwoman to prevent Batman from achieving marital bliss. Interestingly, the Joker's wish for Batman's unhappiness comes true, but the lost-in-love Batman he faces next is likely to be darker than he anticipated.

The dynamic between Batman and Catwoman is complex, and their aborted wedding highlights the challenges of balancing their personal lives with their crime-fighting identities. While Selina's decision to call off the wedding was motivated by her beliefs about the role of heroes, it also underscores the impact their relationship has on each other's lives. The revelation that they had planned a legally binding ceremony adds another layer of heartbreak to the situation.

The aftermath of the broken Bat/Cat relationship remains to be seen, but it is clear that the dynamic between these iconic characters has been significantly altered. The impact of Selina's decision will undoubtedly shape the future of Gotham City and the characters who inhabit it.

She decided a happy Bruce Wayne couldn't coexist with Batman

Selina Kyle, also known as Catwoman, decided not to marry Bruce Wayne because she believed that a happy Bruce Wayne could not coexist with the emotionally driven Batman that Gotham City needed.

Selina's decision was influenced by her longtime friend Holly Robinson, who was sprung from Arkham Asylum to be her maid of honour and witness at the wedding. Selina's doubts about the marriage were confirmed when she asked Holly if she was a hero, to which Holly replied, "Don't you have to be?". Selina decided that she needed to sacrifice her love for Bruce because she believed that their marriage would rob the world of Batman.

Selina's decision was also influenced by the Joker, who similarly argued that a happy and content Bruce Wayne would mean the absence of the true Batman. This idea was reinforced by the "Batpoint" arc, in which a happy Bruce Wayne led to the creation of a dark and dangerous alternate reality. Additionally, in the Batman/Flash crossover "The Button," Bruce's father from another alternate reality urged him to give up his Batman career so that he could be happy.

Selina's decision not to marry Bruce was a heart-wrenching one, as Bruce had come to realise that his love for Selina could change him for the better. He understood that his love for Selina could be a stronger driving force than the death of his parents, which had previously defined him. However, Selina's decision to put Gotham's need for Batman before her own desires stood to drastically alter the nature of Bruce Wayne and Batman for the foreseeable future.

The Joker was targeting weddings to send a message to Batman

The Joker was targeting weddings across Gotham City to send a message to his longtime nemesis, Batman, that he was enraged he wasn't invited to Batman and Catwoman's ceremony. The Joker's actions were also driven by his desire to prevent Batman from experiencing marital bliss, as he believed a happy Bruce Wayne could not coexist with the emotionally driven Batman that Gotham City needed.

The Joker's actions took the form of a twisted killing spree, with the supervillain choosing a random house in Gotham City to wait for his invitation, claiming any letter was an invitation. He set off in search of the perfect wedding gift, which turned out to be murder. The Joker executed members of a wedding party, with the story titled "The Best Man," taking on a sinister meaning.

The Joker's actions were not without consequences. Following his discovery of the upcoming nuptials, Gotham City's villains jumped into action, determined to ruin the wedding of Batman and Catwoman. They refused to let one of their own, Catwoman, be lost to their greatest foe, Batman. This led to a series of confrontations between Batman's allies and his villains, such as Robin vs. Ra's Al Ghul and Nightwing vs. Hush.

The Joker's targeting of weddings was just one part of a larger plan to disrupt the Bat/Cat wedding. Selina Kyle, Catwoman herself, ultimately decided to drop out of the wedding, leaving Bruce Wayne, Batman, at the altar. This decision was influenced by her friend Holly Robinson, who was secretly working for Bane, another supervillain plotting to break Batman.

Bane's plan to break Batman and take over Gotham

Firstly, Bane wanted to wear down Batman's spirit and mind, not just his body. To do this, he sent Holly Robinson to manipulate Catwoman into believing that her marriage to Bruce Wayne would cause him to leave his inner darkness behind, effectively ending his role as Batman. This worked, and on the day of the wedding, Catwoman stood Bruce up, leaving him heartbroken.

Bane also sent the Joker, under the influence of Psycho-Pirate, to kill Catwoman, and Booster Gold, under the advice of his robot sidekick, to show Bruce a world without Batman. These events caused Bruce to spiral down a path of violence and anger, even punching his friend Commissioner Gordon and nearly killing Mr Freeze. With his spirit broken, Batman isolated himself from his teammates and friends.

Bane then moved on to breaking Batman's mind, with the help of Batman's father from the Flashpoint Universe, Thomas Wayne. Together, they gassed Bruce with psychotropic drugs, subliminally messaged him, and gaslit him, causing him to question his sanity. Thomas Wayne, believing that being Batman was destroying his son, urged Bruce to give up his war on crime.

Finally, Bane broke Batman's body, recreating his original fight with Batman in Wayne Manor, and breaking his back. With Batman defeated, Bane took control of Gotham, rigging explosives across the city and detonating them, killing hundreds of people. He declared martial law and proclaimed that the city now belonged to the people, handing them the power of "justice" over the "corrupt" Gotham elite.

Bruce and Selina's relationship history

Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, better known as Batman and Catwoman, have had a long and tumultuous romantic history that has spanned over eight decades. The pair first met in the very first Batman #1 ever printed, where Selina, as "The Cat", a jewel thief, intrigued Bruce, who was enamoured with her. Their first kiss took place in 1940, in Batman #3, when Selina, now the Catwoman, planted a kiss on Batman before escaping.

In 1941, Selina entered a beauty contest judged by Bruce Wayne, under the identity of Elva Barr. Bruce proposed to Selina, but the engagement fell apart due to Bruce's involvement with Linda Hill, a socialite. Selina returned to her life of crime, and their relationship continued to be fraught with challenges and deception.

In the early 2000s, Bruce revealed his secret identity to Selina, and the pair continued a will-they-won't-they dynamic for years. In 2017, Bruce proposed to Selina again, this time with the diamond she tried to steal when they first met. However, in 2018, Selina left Bruce at the altar, worried that his happiness with her would cause him to give up being Batman. This decision broke both their hearts, but they eventually rekindled their romance, recognising that Batman was motivated by fighting the darkness, not being consumed by it.

Finally, in 2022, Bruce and Selina eloped with Clark Kent and Lois Lane as their witnesses. Their marriage was considered a "culmination" and "standalone series" by writer Tom King, who created an ambitious love story between the two iconic characters.

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