While most DC Comics fans know about Batman's relationship with Catwoman, they may not know of Bruce's romance with fellow Justice League member Zatanna and that this love triangle is rooted in a shady secret. During Will Pfeifer and Pete Woods' Catwoman #50, Zatanna confronts Catwoman about the darkest truth concerning their relationships with the Dark Knight.
Batman experiences several romantic relationships. Most fans know of his recurring romantic involvements with Selina Kyle and Talia Al Ghul. However, his relationships with Julie Madison and Silver St. Cloud exemplify that Bruce Wayne longs for something meaningful. Nevertheless, he feels like Batman can't afford a stable love life. Bruce's dilemma is perhaps best explored in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and his relationship with Andrea Beaumont, concluding with a bittersweet metaphor on Batman's decision to choose heroic solitude and stoicism over a happy ending. However, what happens when Bruce Wayne finds feelings for a fellow superhero, like Zatanna?
Batman and Zatanna have a special connection in the DC Universe and within the Justice League. They share several things in common, such as growing up in a hardboiled city and taking on a superhero mantle due to a promise to parents. Zatanna grew up in New York City, and her father is a famous magician, Zatara, one of DC's first superheroes who first appeared alongside Superman in Action Comics #1. However, Zatanna broke Bruce's trust in Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales, Michael Bair, and Alex Sinclair's Identity Crisis, which revealed she wiped the minds of villains who discovered the secret identities of Justice Leaguers. Zatanna eventually wiped Bruce's mind when he found out too.
In Catwoman #50, Zatanna reveals that she also altered Catwoman's mind turning her "from villain to hero." When Selina finds out what the magic did to her, Zatanna winds up gagged and bound in a garbage dump. Not only did Zatanna completely withdraw Catwoman's free will to make her a hero, Selina and Bruce Wayne's relationship may not have been as genuine as each of them thought. Batman never directly forgives Zatanna for this, but in Detective Comics #833-834, by Paul Dini and Don Kramer, the two make amends and somewhat heal their friendship. After defeating Joker together, Zatanna kisses Bruce on the cheek. Zatanna reminds Bruce that they're only humans who make mistakes. Batman replies and ends the comic by stating: "Thanks for reminding me."
While Zatanna and Catwoman don't have much of a rivalry, Bruce may unconsciously owe the magician his love life with Selina, first established in Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee's Batman #608, the first issue of Hush. The DC Universe has undergone numerous reboots since Detective Comics #833. However, DC Comics recently confirmed Bruce still had a relationship with Zatanna in Vita Ayala and artist Nikola Čižmešija's Batman: Urban Legends. While the memory-erasing may no longer be canon, perhaps Catwoman and Zatanna's love triangle with Batman exists more prominently than it has in a long time.