Batman had several love interests such as Talia (whom he had a child with in many variations), Batgirl, but it seems none is more iconic and bandwagoned as CATWOMAN. I watched the 1966 Batman live-action TV series. The late Adam West portrayed Batman and Julie Newmar played Catwoman. The two are enemies while Catwoman has an on/off crush on Batman. Catwoman's often depicted as someone with a Villainous Crush on Batman. Unlike the other villains, Catwoman gradually walked into the path of being an anti-villain to even becoming an anti-hero.
Batman: The Animated Series presented sexual tensions between Batman and Catwoman. What disappointed me was that there was no love triangle between Catwoman and Poison Ivy for Batman. Poison Ivy kissed Batman the first time they met. Catwoman also kissed Batman. The show decided to go for Batman and Catwoman instead. People by now should realize that I prefer to ship Batman and Poison Ivy. I even think that Poison Ivy may make a good stepmother for Damian. In BTAS, Catwoman goes for the blonde girl look when she is introduced as a brown-haired girl on TV. Other adaptations had Catwoman with black hair. The recent look sticks with the black hair.
The attraction might be because Batman loves strong women. Batman could resist Poison Ivy easier than he could with Catwoman. Catwoman's the better fighter actually. Poison Ivy might be easily subdued by Batman in a struggle.
While the Batman Beyond cartoon's continuity never told us what happened to most villains (they probably just retired or died of old age) - here's an interesting shot of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle growing old together. Some versions of Batman and Catwoman even got them married and had a daughter named Helena Kyle Wayne That would make Catwoman the stepmother of Damian. The Batman Rebirth comics present a more realistic view. They've both grown old. I'm glad the comics didn't take the cartoon approach in exaggerating how old people look. Instead, this reminds me of how handsome Adam was in his later years before he died at 88. Julie still looks pretty for an old lady too. A disappointment Julie never had grandchildren while Adam had grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
I wonder if Batman Beyond planned to have Batman and Catwoman as an elderly couple then? If so, it might've been something if Terry McGuinness had to team up with Helena/Huntress. It could've created tense moments in the Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker movie. Yes, that movie where the Joker managed to return by possessing Tim Drake's body. Joker and Harley did "adopt" Time by turning him into Joker Jr. It could've been interesting IF Selina was Bruce's wife and Helena was in the same cartoon. Bruce could've talked more and maybe told Helena, "Ask your mother more about the Joker." Selina could've given an exposition. Those were possibilities that weren't explored with the Batman/Catwoman shipping.
I'm still the Batman x Poison Ivy fan shipper. However, I feel that the DC Animated Universe didn't think things through with the official Batman x Catwoman shipping. Reading how Batman and Catwoman (as the official couple) even had at least one child made me think, "Why wasn't that worked with into Batman Beyond?" Bruce and Selina could've been portrayed as an old couple, with Helena, and maybe have Bruce refuse to let Helena be the Huntress until Selina manages to say, "We're too old to fight. Let her fight now."
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