When you're protecting a city as corrupt as Gotham, you'd think there would be seldom time to manage a relationship, but Batman has had many love interests over time. However, unfortunately for them, the only true love in the Dark Knight's life is fighting crime.

RELATED: 10 Things The Original Batman Movies Do Better Than The Dark Knight Trilogy

Whether he's putting his foes in Arkham Asylum or leaving them on the G.C.P.D.'s doorstep, the caped crusader is dedicated to the cause of ridding the streets of his beloved city from the villainy that consumes it. That being said, he does occasionally find love, so let's take look at Batman's best and worst relationships.

10 Best: Vikki Vale

Bruce Wayne and Vikki Vale had it pretty good to begin with, with Vale being one of his first girlfriends all the way back in the 1950s. The Gotham Gazette reporter was driven to uncover Batman's identity, but the character became stale and once Wayne found other loves, she took a back seat for almost two decades.

In Batman: The Road Home, she eventually found out Batman's identity but didn't put it in print, choosing to help him instead. In Tim Burton's Batman, she was portrayed by Kim Basinger and played a huge role in the film, both as Bruce Wayne's lover and a talented journalist.

9 Worst: Poison Ivy

Many have been unable to resist the seductive charms of Pamela Isley, even Batman. Her kiss is deadly, and her appeal is hypnotic and unavoidable, using her plant-based pheromones to drive men crazy and do whatever she requires of them. Poison Ivy has been infatuated with the Bat, making her feelings known all the way back in Batman #181.

She's also wanted nothing more than to rip his heart out, literally. The two ended up very close after Batman managed to cure her of that which makes her the way she is, but their relationship ended when Isley tried to become Poison Ivy once again, seemingly killing herself in the process.

8 Best: Julie Madison

There have been many different incarnations of Julie Madison over the years, but every one has always grown close to Bruce Wayne. She was his first love, but couldn't get on board with dating him as his playboy lifestyle and constant unexplained disappearances began to frustrate her.

RELATED: 10 Most Outrageous Batman Crossovers In History

She's also left him upon finding out her father was killed as a result of Batman's actions, and her father was responsible for supplying the gun that killed Bruce's parents at one point. Perhaps the most memorable take on their relationship was when Bruce Wayne was happy to give up his crime-fighting ways, until Alfred needed him in Gotham due to the high crime rate in his absence.

7 Worst: Shondra Kinsolving

In one of the most famous Batman story arcs, his back was broken by Bane, leaving him hospitalized for quite some time. Shondra Kinsolving was a physical therapist who helped Bruce Wayne recuperate after Bane's attack, and the two grew close throughout the healing process.

She was kidnapped by her evil brother Benedict Asp to help with his villainous shenanigans, and she killed him by mistake whilst trying to save him. She finished fixing Wayne's back with her psychic abilities, but ended up reverting her mind back into a childlike state. Bruce Wayne paid for her care, but obviously they never shared a relationship again.

6 Best: Nocturna

Created by Doug Moench in the early 1980s, Natalia Knight had an accident which turned her skin white. She also had a sensitivity to light which made her look and seem almost like a vampire. Her relationship with Bruce Wayne was an interesting one, but the two hooked up and became emotionally invested in one and other.

She managed to adopt Jason Todd, beating Bruce Wayne to the punch thanks to the interference of Mayor Hamilton Hill. After a fight with the Night-Slayer, she realised she genuinely loved Wayne, and when finding out his secret identity, she said she would never reveal it as long as they could marry and parent Todd together.

5 Worst: Jezebel Jet

Jezebel Jet shares a lot in common with Bruce Wayne, and it seemed that their similarities helped them to connect. She was a wealthy individual, and her parents had also been murdered.  The two got together, but she ended up revealing that she was actually undercover as a member of the Black Glove and it had been a ruse all along.

Thankfully, Bruce is an intelligent guy and he also revealed that he knew about her roguish ways from the beginning. Before she had a chance to defeat Batman, another one of his flames had her killed by brutally decapitating her and putting an end to her evil plan.

4 Best: Talia Al Ghul

Hoping to recruit Batman as the leader of the League of Assassins, Ra's al Ghul used his daughter to help make it happen. She fell in love with him, and for a long time her evil ways took a back seat in favor of finding happiness with the Dark Knight.

RELATED: The 10 Most Controversial Batman Stories Ever, Ranked

Their relationship has been tested multiple times, but the two ended up having a child together in the Son of the Demon story arc - the fifth Robin, Damien Wayne. Talia ended up becoming obsessed with following her father's plans, which led to her choosing villainy over love.

3 Worst: Julia Pennyworth

This is perhaps one of the oddest choices for a relationship with Bruce Wayne, as she was the daughter of Alfred. As such, it never went the distance. As Julia Remarque, she kissed Batman in front of Vikki Vale, but this was when she had no idea he was Bruce Wayne. She even went on a date with him, but he showed no interest in her.

As Julia Pennyworth, she was brought to Gotham after Batman saved her whilst she was on a mission to take down a crime boss in Hong Kong. The two of them never really worked it out, and the relationship never lasted. However, she did end up working with Batman when Alfred was infected with the fear toxin by Hush.

2 Best: Catwoman

There's no greater love in comic books than that of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. Their alter-egos have often caused problems for their relationship, but it has never stopped them trying. Recently, their love for one another even saw Bruce ask for Selina's hand in marriage.

Batman has always helped Catwoman avoid becoming a worse version of herself, and nobody knows more about Batman than she does. Sure, they've tried to kill each other in the past, but their deep love for each other has conquered every hardship they've ever faced together. Whether it's in the comics, films, or video games, their relationship has always been a compelling watch.

1 Worst: Black Canary

Batman has had some interesting relationships over the years, but one of the most carnal and weird of them all is his fling with the Black Canary. In Frank Miller's All-Star Batman and Robin, Black Canary is overcome with lust when she sees how Batman has beaten up a gang of criminals using his strength and his bare hands.

Later on, they get together again, much to the upset of her partner the Green Arrow. It's a shame that the two get embroiled in this affair, especially as it caused unease amongst the ranks of the Justice League.

NEXT: Batman's 10 Most Underrated Allies