Bruce Wayne may have the facade of a wealthy playboy, and his time as Batman is spent fighting crime, the DC superhero has a long and colorful romantic past. Some of these romances have lasted his entire comic history, while others... are best forgotten.

The iconic love story between Batman and Catwoman has earned its place in the comic book romance hall of fame, and his torrid affair with Talia al Ghul created an entire new Robin. But with a career as long as Bruce's, he's created a lengthy list of lovers that fans will have forgotten, completely missed, or deeply regret. It's time to take a detailed dive into the best and worst romances in Batman's history.

10 Best: Sasha Bordeaux

First Appearance: Detective Comics #751 (December 2000)

Hired to be Bruce Wayne's bodyguard against his wishes, Sasha Bordeaux was not one easy to fool, and quickly deduced that the man she was hired to protect was actually the Caped Crusader of Gotham City. Since she knew his secret alter ego, Bruce Wayne did not feel comfortable firing Sasha, so he instead opted to make her his apprentice. Romance soon followed, before a murder case ruined the party. After both of their names were cleared of all charges, Sasha was given a new look and put into hiding, taking on her own career in the DC Universe (before Bruce Wayne could pursue his feelings for her).

9 Worst: Black Canary

First Appearance: Justice League of America #75 (November 1969)

Despite being Green Arrow's most endgame relationship, Batman and Black Canary's paths have been romantically crossed in the past. After all, she's DC's toughest fighter and one of the Justice League's greatest leaders. What wouldn't Bruce be interested in, if a heroic paramour was the goal? The pair took their romance the farthest in Frank Miller's All-Star Batman to mixed responses from fans, but several storylines have played with the pair's chemistry... and how Green Arrow responded to discovering the affair. Complicating things in the Justice League and feeling like a soap opera-esque storyline, Black Canary x Batman was not a popular one for Batman comics fans.

8 Worst: Talia Al Ghul

First Appearance: Detective Comics #411 (May 1971)

Used as a pawn by her father to try to get Batman to the League of Assassins, Talia Al Ghul seduced Bruce as a means to an end. However, Talia al Ghul ends up falling for Batman for real, with the pair getting involved in a relationship that actually resulted in them having a child together, Damian Wayne. Talia al Ghul was not a love interest that many readers were fond of. Likewise, the differing moral codes of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul was also a point of contention for readers.

7 Best: Vesper Fairchild

First Appearance: Batman #540 (March 1997)

The host of a night radio talk show, Vesper Fairchild meets Bruce Wayne when he is a guest on her show, and sparks fly. Hitting it off, the media personality and Bruce Wayne enter a relationship together. After Gotham City is decimated by a huge earthquake, Vesper Fairchild leaves Gotham to get away from the destruction of the city while also trying to start a career as a journalist.

After she undergoes an investigation of Batman for a news piece, Bruce Wayne gets concerned that she could find out about his secret alter ego,, so he breaks off the relationship. While Vesper Fairchild may not be the most well known of Bruce Wayne's love interests, readers enjoyed the tension between a hard nosed journalist and the secretive Bruce Wayne.

Vesper Fairchild was murdered by David Cain in an attempt to frame Bruce Wayne in a set up concocted by Lex Luthor.

6 Worst: Harley Quinn

First Appearance: Batman: The Animated Series "Joker's Favor" (September 1992)

While Harley Quinn may have got her beginnings in Batman: The Animated Series, she became such a massively popular character that she then started to appear in the comics. After her relationship with the Joker ended, the Clown Princess of Crime worked alongside The Dark Knight to help defeat him. Heroic at heart, Harley has a soft spot for Batsy , with one storyline showing Harley Quinn wanting to win an auction date with Bruce Wayne, and him later reciprocating the interest with a kiss. Readers have not been too fond of the pairing in canon, given that Harley Quinn seems like too unhinged of a love interest for the code-bound Batman.

5 Best: Vicki Vale

First Appearance: Batman #49 (October 1948)

Among the earliest of Bruce Wayne's love interests, Vicki Vale first became paired up with Batman in the '50s. A reporter for the Gotham Gazette, Vicki Vale and Bruce Wayne's attraction was driven by a romantic tension, due to her dogged pursuit to find out the true identity of Batman for her work. Often compared to Lois Lane, Vicki Vale served as a way for Bruce Wayne to access information on criminals, as well as fulfilling the damsel in distress trope, furthering their bond.

While Vicki Vale would eventually put two and two together and figure out that Bruce Wayne was Batman in Bruce Wayne: The Road Home, she would keep his secret safe, and not publish the bombshell information. Often regarded as a favorite of Bruce Wayne's love interests, fans that liked her as a character, and not just a love interest, respect her as one of comics' greatest journalists, too.

Vicki Vale was portrayed by Kim Basinger in 1989's Batman.

4 Worst: Barbara Gordon

First Appearance: Detective Comics #359 (December 1966)

On paper, the altruistic personalities and dedication to protecting Gotham City that both Barbara Gordon and Bruce Wayne possess would make them seem like a great match, but fans have not found that to be the case. Age may be fluid in comics, but the gap is a problem for many, let alone the idea of Batman dating Commissioner Gordon's daughter is off limits for die-hard fans. The outcry which followed the pair's love scene in the animated version of Batman: The Killing Joke guaranteed that it won't be attempted in comics.

3 Best: Silver St. Cloud

First Appearance: Detective Comics #470 (June 1977)

A socialite of Gotham City, Silver St. Cloud made perfect sense on paper, before she became suspicious of him, due to multiple disappearances (occurring suddenly, and without satisfying reasons). In a cruel twist of fate, Batman proposed marriage to settle down for good, after a new vilgilante named Baphomet stepped in to protect Gotham City.

When Baphomet is revealed to actually be the villainous Onomatopoeia, Silver St. Cloud is killed, breaking Bruce Wayne's heart. A high ranking love interest of readers, Silver St. Cloud marked a relationship that went a step beyond Bruce Wayne's temporary love affairs, and marked a time where Bruce was ready to quit crime fighting in favor of settling down with the woman he cared about.

2 Worst: Scarlett Martha Scott

First Appearance: Detective Comics #1090 (December 2024)

One of Batman's newest love interests, Scarlett Martha Scott is quite the controversial choice: the daughter of the man who killed Batman's parents, Scarlett Martha Scott seems like the worst choice ever for a love interest of Batman's. With readers left wondering when Batman would find out about Scarlett Martha Scott's paternity, the suspense was undeniable. In the end, it was Scarlett's own scheming persona which cost this relationship for good.

1 Best: Catwoman

First Appearance: Batman #1 (April 1940)

On and off again, Catwoman has no plans to stop her thieving, and Batman is dedicated to stopping crime in Gotham. As a result, their wants and missions are on opposite sides of the law. Despite their contrasts, Batman was ready to marry Selina Kyle in DC's wedding of the century (and in alternate Earths, the pair were happily married with children). It may not be a perfect match, but one thing makes it better than all others: Catwoman takes Bruce as he is, knowing him better than anyone, and trusting Batman to do the same.