his true persona, some would say) is seemingly destined to remain single — and oddly enough, it's no one's fault but his own.
Batman made his debut in Detective Comics #27 in 1939 and immediately gained a massive fanbase, one that still exists to this day. Creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger wanted to evoke gentleman-aristocrat heroes like the Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro, with the same mystique and flair for the dramatic (in Batman mythos, 1940's Zorro is often the film seen by the Waynes on the night of their murder). Batman eventually eclipsed them both in popularity, but his intended character as a nocturnal knight errant gave way to the dark and brooding hero fans know and love today. Still, as Batman's ing cast has grown over the decades (his sidekick Robin, friend-on-the-inside Commissioner Gordon, etc.), his one-and-only love interest remains notably absent. That's not for lack of trying on the part of the writers — they've created many — but why do none of them seem to stick around?
Batman's first flame was actress Julie Madison, appearing in Detective Comics #31. Though already engaged to Bruce, in true Golden Age fashion, she was more enamored with the mysterious Batman than Bruce Wayne, whom she saw as little more than a lackadaisical playboy. They amicably separated barely a year after her debut issue, and nurse Linda Page became Bruce's new love interest — but again, not for long. Reporter Vicki Vale, socialite Silver St. Cloud, model Jezebel Jet, and many others have come and gone (even Wonder Woman is occasionally paired with Batman in many alternate continuities). Bruce's most enduring love interest is Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, but both parties know they can never live a life together: thrill-seeker Selina loathes stability, and in many ways will always be a criminal in Bruce's inflexible eyes.
Over the years, writers eventually realized that Batman works best without a steady love interest — and amazingly, this is Bruce's choice: he refuses to fully trust anyone short of his butler Alfred. He is laser-focused on his one-man crusade against crime and sees romantic relationships as a weakness he cannot afford. In Superman/Batman #42, Batman is not without regrets regarding this decision, lamenting "The day I put [the mask] on was the end of me. Gotham would be safe, but there would be no rescue for Bruce Wayne. No love. No family. No real intimacy. No real losing oneself in someone else...not in this life." This is the tragedy of Batman as a character: he leads a solitary life not because he has to, but because he believes he has no other choice.
Batman always puts his mission before himself, and in many ways, this is irable. But Batman's inner demons stem from his inability to trust almost every love interest in his long history (hardly any of them find out his true identity, and in many continuities, he doesn't even tell Wonder Woman, whose entire character centers around truth). Perhaps one day Batman will learn to expand his circle of trust to include a significant other in his life — but for now, he lives his life the only way he knows how: alone.
