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My knowledge of Batman comes from the various movies, video games and TV shows, which all deviate from the comics in various ways.

Many superheroes have a quintessential one true love of their life. Peter Parker had Gwen Stacy; Logan has Jean Grey; Superman has Lois Lane.

In the various forms of Batman, he has been shown to have relationships with a number of women: Selina Kyle, Zatanna, Talia Al Ghul and Vicki Vale spring to mind just from the shows, movies and games. In Batman: The Animated Series, Talia Al Ghul refers to Batman as her "beloved". While he expresses affection for her, he does not seem to be reciprocate the same level of devotion. In the depictions I'm familiar with, Batman seems to most frequently have an on/off relationship with Selina Kyle. In the Christopher Nolan films, Rachel Dawes seems to be his only real serious love interest.

Is there any one particular true love of his life?

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In most of the DC Continuities, (Golden Age, Silver Age, Modern Age, Pre-Crisis, Post-Crisis and the DCnU) Batman/Bruce Wayne has maintained a professional distance from all women. Dating enough to be seen to be a lax and indifferent playboy, but rarely allowing a woman into his life, permanently.

Earth-Two (Golden Age)

Alfred in DC's Super Spectacular (1975) reveals a collection of beauties which had the Dark Knight's attention.

enter image description here

However, in the Golden Age, Batman marries Selena Kyle (Catwoman). It is one of the only continuities (in print) where Batman chooses to actually marry and stay married to anyone.

In the 1970s comics, a series of stories taking place on Earth-Two (the parallel Earth that was retroactively declared as the home of DC's Golden Age characters) reveal that on that world, Selina reformed in the 1950s (after the events of Batman #69) and had married Bruce Wayne; soon afterward, she gave birth to the couple's only child, Helena Wayne (the Huntress).

Earth-One (Pre-Crisis)

On Earth-One before the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Batman and Catwoman were getting to be very chummy, even fighting crime together. This relationship would not be taken further due to the Universal reset.

enter image description here

Post-Crisis

(See StackExchange Article: Is Batman's 'relationship' with Wonder Woman comic-book canon?)

Wonder Woman. Did Batman and Wonder Woman share a more than platonic relationship? And was it canon? - Yes and yes. A brief relationship is hinted at in the DC Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited (You can see an episode featuring that relationship called "This Little Piggy.")

In the Post-Crisis Universe, they had a brief relationship in the Justice League of America comic written by Joe Kelly in The Obsidian Age Saga.

With the creation of the DCnU, any previous relationship between the Batman and Wonder Woman has been erased. Now Wonder Woman and Superman are an item but no knows how long their relationship may last.

DCnU

With the advent of the new 52 DC New Universe (DCnU), Batman has a complicated social life. Batman has child with Talia (daughter of Ras Al Ghul, supervillian mastermind) and is also dating the DCnU Catwoman. How much interaction he has with Talia is unknown but you can expect to see her again. He and Catwoman are going at it hot and heavy.

How long this lasts, where this will be going is anyone's guess. But seeing how long this relationship has lasted (through five universes, so far, not counting the dozens of imaginary tales, movies, throw away models, sex supervillainess, glimpses of the future and the like) I would count Selena Kyle (however they are spelling these days, as the woman most likely to catch, The Bat.

enter image description here

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    That chick in the last panel of the Golden Age spread is HAWT. Jul 11, 2013 at 11:23
  • @PaulD.Waite isn't that Aunt Harriet?
    – Monty129
    Jul 11, 2013 at 17:03
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    @Monty129: Aunt HarriHOT you mean! *looks around to lap up laughter* tumbleweeds Jul 11, 2013 at 20:40
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    @PaulD.Waite hashtag nailed it! (I don't know how the internet works)
    – Monty129
    Jul 11, 2013 at 21:36
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It is between Catwoman and Talia al Ghul, basically.

Catwoman is the most consistent love interest, having been involved with both Selena and Catwoman separately.

Talia is the only one he's ever settled down with in any manner(Son of the Demon?)

Beyond them, however, all of Batman's major love interests tend to be significant. To my knowledge, Vicky Vale, Silver St. Cloud, Sasha Bordeaux, and maybe Julie Madison left him because he chose Batman over them, not because of Bruce Wayne.

Wayne tends to have more significant girlfriends, and less arm candy than people think.

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Selina Kyle/Cat-woman is the quintessential love interest of Batman/Bruce Wayne now they are engaged.

Oh another thing
Gwen Stacy is not the quintessential love interest of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Mary Jane Watson who has been his wife for 20 years is.

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