Batman #50

Nice day for a Bat wedding

In the world of superheroes, marriage proposals are a complicated business, and the saga of Batman and Catwoman’s unexpected engagement has been no exception. Bruce Wayne popped the question to Selina Kyle back in issue 24 of the main fortnightly Batman title, and writer Tom King has spent the last year giving the Bat/Cat romance a surprisingly emotional treatment, alongside the usual action and intrigue.

There have been highlights along the way, most notably in the charming tale “Super Friends” (issues 36-37), in which Batman and Catwoman go on a fairground double-date with Superman and Lois Lane. However, it’s all led up to Batman issue 50, where the question of whether or not the Wayne/Kyle wedding will go ahead is finally resolved. While the ultimate result won’t surprise any longtime readers (especially considering how most superhero weddings turn out), writer Tom King avoids bombastic set-pieces and instead goes for something a lot quieter and more affecting.

He’s aided in this by a selection of impressive artists (including Frank Miller, Tim Sale and Jim Lee) providing one-off splash pages that are interspersed throughout the story, each one highlighting a different aspect of Batman and Catwoman’s relationship. According to King, we’re only halfway through the overall arc he has planned for the character, so it’s hard to predict exactly where the story will go next, but right now Batman #50 stands as a well-executed milestone in the Dark Knight’s long and complex history. Saxon Bullock

Goes for something quieter and affecting

The first Batman/Catwoman wedding came in 1977, when we found out that their Earth-2 versions got hitched in 1955.