What Batman and Catwoman's Marriage Will Mean for the Super Couple

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for events leading up to Batman and Catwoman's upcoming wedding.

Batman and Catwoman are getting married. Let the wedding bells ring for Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, right?

Not so fast.

The Bat and The Cat are planning to wed, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean that Bruce and Selina will be tying the knot. Readers learned of this little twist on the night of Bruce's – that is, Batman's – bachelor party in Tim Seeley and Travis Moore's Prelude to the Wedding: Nightwing vs. Hush. Batman himself confirmed as much in Seeley and Javier Fernandez' Prelude to the Wedding: Red Hood vs. Anarky. That's hardly a way for a couple to demonstrate their undying commitment to each other.

Nightwing first stated that Bruce and Selina weren't going to marry, adding the caveat of "not publicly, anyway." Batman later said, "The wedding of Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle can't exist." A story that can't exist – even a love story – is the stuff of DC Comics' old "Elseworlds" volumes, and the very idea of a Bruce and Selina marriage was previously relegated to the alternate and now-retconned pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Earth 2. No, it seems Bruce just can't be married to Selina, and if he is, it's got to be a secret.

Yep, maybe Batman and Catwoman can have a big fat superhero wedding, but Bruce and Selina are going to have to elope.

Do You, Bat, Take This Cat?

That is, if they plan on making their marriage official. A Batman/Catwoman wedding would be purely ceremonial, of course – it wouldn't be legally binding, unless in Rebirth continuity the state of New York now awards marriage licenses to masked vigilantes and costumed criminals. There's a long precedent for masked characters having some difficulty trying to live a normal life like one of us – just ask Spider-Man what happened the first time he tried to cash a check made out to him.

The idea of Bruce and Selina marrying publicly would undoubtedly be problematic for them, so the need for secrecy isn't much of a mystery. Most obviously, their identities could be compromised, as there might be an astute blogger or dedicated tabloid reporter who connects Batman and Catwoman's marriage with Bruce and Selina's sudden coziness. A famous billionaire hooking up with a mob boss who was once locked up in Arkham Asylum would probably bring the kind of scandal that wouldn't reflect well on Wayne Enterprises stock prices. And Bruce has long had a reputation as Gotham's most eligible bachelor – why break the hearts of potential investors?

So if they marry, it has to be on the sly – but does that mean that they intend to? After all, a marriage license is still a public document (unless that's also changed in Rebirth continuity), so at some point, the secret will be out regardless, and the above problems will remain. This would indicate a rather empty and unfortunate possibility: that the two will not legally wed as civilians, and that their marriage as Batman and Catwoman will have no real weight other than as a symbolic union.

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Do You, Cat, Take This Bat?

Is this, perhaps, what they really want? Bat and Cat have certainly demonstrated some definitive Bat/Cat romance – but can the same be said for Bruce and Selina? Their love for each other has been rooted in their costumed careers, not their civilian ones, and, well, the costumes have to come off at some point. Like Silver Age Lois Lane swooning for Superman but not Clark Kent, or The Black Cat lusting after the mystery of Spider-Man but not plain old Peter Parker, is there even an emotional connection between Bruce and Selina without the masks?

Perhaps not, and maybe they're content with that. Maybe all they intend their marriage to be is something that legitimizes their relationship and forges a stronger bond, even if it's only ceremonial. But once they marry, then what? Does Catwoman transition into simply becoming one of Batman's crimefighting partners? It seems like a rather trivial occupation for Batman's "wife" when he already has numerous such allies – including his own son.

Speaking of Damian, there's still a family element that's taking shape beneath the masks. Selina and Damian had a bonding moment in Prelude to the Wedding: Robin vs. Ra's al Ghul, and Damian has recognized that Selina is on the verge of being his stepmom. Even if the Bat/Cat attraction doesn't result in a legally-binding marriage, that's not to say Bruce and Selina wouldn't treat it like one. Bruce still has a son to raise, after all, and an uptight youngster like Damian would benefit from having a mother figure back in his everyday life.

If There's a Wedding Ring, Will Selina Pawn It?

Selina might be able to adapt to the role of stepmother at Bruce's side, but will she adapt the role of superhero at Batman's? It's not out of the question – Catwoman has played the role of hero before. And it's not like she's any kind of despotic villain, anyway – as a thief, she's largely been one of Batman's more annoying foes more so than any kind of true threat. And as the wife of a billionaire, it's not like Catwoman would have to rely on her burglary skills to make any kind of comfortable living anymore.

But, once a thief, always a thief, right? Selina might not need the proceeds of her thievery anymore, but does she still need the thrill? Would she be content to help Batman simply stop a robbery, without secretly helping herself to some of the goods? She could always just donate the proceeds to charity, after all. But her sticky fingers would present Batman with a bit of a quandary – what is he to do in such a situation? Throw his wife in jail? Stop robberies when he can, but look the other way when she commits one? Such a moral conflict would make for some interesting late-night marital spats in the depths of the Batcave.

Superhero marriages are always a little different – but this superhero/supervillain marriage stands to be a lot different. Batman and Catwoman – not Bruce and Selina – are set to exchange vows in Batman #50, on sale July 4.