Batman marries Catwoman! We know from the cover what is going to happen, but the story is built up nicely by Tom King and Mikel Janin. Catwoman was always the femme fatale in the comics, she toyed with Batman. It was in the 1966 Batman movie where Catwoman as Miss Kitka found she was attracted to Bruce Wayne and vice versa. Writer Tom King’s run on the title, had in Batman #24, Batman proposing to Catwoman. He gets his answer after The War of Jokes and Riddles in Batman #31. She then clashes with Talia al Ghul, the mother of Bruce’s son, Damian.
Then, there is the Super Friends storyline that has Superman dealing with the engagement (he fawns over Batman telling him how he is so awesome) and then Wonder Woman (even though Batman is engaged, Wonder Woman is desperately attracted to him). Of course both of these characterizations are out of character, but stick around. Poison Ivy unleashes her power around the world before we get to Harley Quinn and Joker trying to stop the engagement. Now, it’s time for the wedding, and it seems like King has a plan with how Batman can evolve as a character being wed.
The Wedding features a cover by interior artist Mikel Janin with Batman kissing his bride in her wedding dress, it looks so fancy I can easily see ladies wanting one in real life, all along a border of white roses. The dress itself was partially revealed in Batman #44. The beginning has the goofy Kite Man created in Batman #133 (1960) by Bill Finger and Dick Sprang happily introduce himself. He is smacked around by Batman and Catwoman on the rooftop of Finger Tower.
While doing so, they discuss getting married by dawn, Batman will get the judge and they will each get a witness. Batarang wedding? Catwoman adds that the arrangements are “purrfect” and Kite Man agrees before falling unconscious, ha! Then, it unfolds to two full page spreads, one by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and the other by Becky Cloonan, with “Bat” and “Cat” captions. I like the pairing of artists and also that we get parallel perspectives from the characters going over their meetings and relationship.
At the bar, Porky’s, the stuttering bartender, love it!, is talking to Judge Wolfman when Batman interrupts them. I just love the dropping of creator names, including writer Marv Wolfman, throughout the comic. In Arkham Asylum, we find imprisoned Holly Robinson, not the actress, but the young ally of Catwoman introduced in Batman #404 (1987), “Batman: Year One.” Catwoman whispers that she will be moved to another cell block and Holly says Batman will be mad.
Then, we get pages by Jason Fabok and Frank Miller, while we get the thoughts of Batman and Catwoman’s first encounter and ultimately getting caught in each other’s eyes. In an alleyway in Robison Blvd., Batman takes down Tweedle Dee and under Arkham Asylum, Catwoman knocks out Tweedle Dum, the duo first appeared in Detective Comics #74 (1943) with Jerry Robinson as one of the creators. Then, we get pages by Lee Bermejo and Neal Adams, with Batman and Catwoman accessing each other, but again drawn to their eyes. At Wayne Manor, Catwoman unties the blindfold on Holly, while Batman talks to Alfred.
There are more full pages by Tony S. Daniel and Amanda Conner, what Catwoman and Batman see in each other’s eyes is a dance and no deception. In the Englehart Bedroom, Holly prepares Selena Kyle’s wedding dress, black lace with purple, and in the Conway Bedroom, Bruce Wayne fusses over his suit with Alfred worried about looking too much like his father. Steve Englehart and Gerry Conway are incredible writers for the Batman comics. This seems to sum up the characters, where they are going, not as a liability as superheroes, and there is enough fun. The issue cleverly brings the full art pages by some of the top artists into the story and a twist ending that makes this comic brilliant.
Five Batarangs out of Five!
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