It was love at first rooftop leap. In issue #24 of Tom King’s Batman, which will hit shelves this on Wednesday, the Dark Knight of the DC Universe will ask Catwoman to marry him. After 75 years of will-they-won’t-they tension, Gotham City may finally lose its most eligible bachelor. Somebody tell Alfred.
Batman #24, will end with Batman telling Catwoman “Marry me” in peak Batman form: On a rooftop in Gotham City, cowl down, and a diamond he had been secretly keeping with him for decades. After several romantic dalliances with characters like reporter Vicki Vale, assassin Talia al Ghul, and even fellow Justice League ally Wonder Woman, Batman has chosen Catwoman for happily ever after. And to King, who spent several issues following up his “I Am Suicide” arc with romantic downtime between the two characters, it’s because Catwoman has gotten closer to the man behind Batman than anyone else before.
“Catwoman is someone who’s seen his pain and has been through stuff as bad as he has been through,” King explained in an interview with USA Today, who spoiled the big moment in an exclusive reveal. “She says, ‘Look, both of us are broken, but we can be broken together.’”
It’s worth pointing out that in an alternate universe, Batman and Catwoman did get together and gave birth to a daughter: Helena Wayne, who became the crossbow-wielding vigilante Huntress.
King also said that Batman popping the question shouldn’t actually be a question. Instead of the more common “Will you marry me?”, Batman tells Selina Kyle to marry him in a declarative fashion. “That’s almost the cliffhanger,” King says. “Is Batman making the greatest decision of his life or the greatest mistake?”
King also said that Catwoman’s answer won’t be revealed until Batman #25, which is scheduled to come out later this month on June 21. Before Catwoman can answer, Batman will confess something about himself and his “darkest moment.”
From 'Batman' #24, hitting shelves on June 7.
“It’s like, ‘You think you know me, but you don’t know me until this,’ ” said King. “The actual answer will come after he reveals something he’s never revealed to anyone, and she has to decide whether that’s good or bad.”
“Everyone’s done vengeance, everyone’s done ‘The night is so dark,’ ” King added. “Giving Batman more pain doesn’t reveal anything about his character because he’s taken as much pain as he can. But giving him love and joy, that combines with the tragedy of his past into something new and never done before.”
Cover of 'Batman' #24, out this Wednesday.
Batman will bend on one knee in Batman #24, out this Wednesday.
