WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Batman #85 by Tom King, on sale now.
When it was announced in 2017 that Batman and Catwoman were finally getting married, the Bat-fandom erupted in a level of joy usually reserved for royal weddings. But when Catwoman left the Dark Knight at the altar (a rooftop) at the end of Batman #50, the Bat-fandom erupted in a rage usually reserved for bad TV finales. In Tom King's Batman finale, the pair finally tie the knot.
But in Batman #85, the Bat and the Cat reconcile their broken relationship and finally tie the knot... sort of. Having finally brought down Flashpoint Thomas Wayne and thus ending Bane’s occupation of Gotham City, Catwoman casually asks her on-again, off-again lover, if they should still get married. When Bruce responds with a simple “when?” Selina suggests there is no time like the present. Stoic as ever, Bruce says nothing more than “Okay,” proving that Han Solo has nothing on the Caped Crusader when it comes to aloof romantic comebacks.
Their conversation appears tongue-in-cheek at first, but when Batman turns to face Catwoman she delivers an “I love you” so sincere that there is no mistaking her intent. The two embrace in a kiss atop Gotham’s skyline, get frisky and then pass out in bed until the following morning. When Bruce awakens in post-coital bliss he realizes that, in their epic passion, they forgot to see Judge Wolfman and actually get married.
Bruce suggests they go see the judge the next day to get married, but Selina (who is still rocking her wedding bling on her finger) questions why they need a piece of paper to declare their love at all. She points out that they both believe in something higher than the law of the land, so there’s little point in going through the trouble of having their marriage recognized by said law.
Snuggled up in bed with her Dark Knight, Selina gives a heart-warming declaration of her love. “After what we’ve been through, after the years, the deaths... I don’t need a judge. Or a dress. Or an audience. To know... that you... you and I... the Bat and the Cat. We are forever.”
Though not a legally married couple, “Brucelina” is seen at the end of the issue hanging out in a dingy sports bar with Kite Man (sans his kite costume). Bruce and Kite Man (AKA Chuck Brown) discuss Gotham Knight’s quarterback, Chris Campbell, and the rough season he’s had—a topic that repeatedly comes up in writer Tom King’s run of Batman. The disgraced QB’s struggles throughout the season become a metaphor for Batman’s own struggles with life. Kite Man suggests that hoping for Campbell to break his cycle failure is foolish, but the finale panel has him making a miracle play that wins the game.
Batman #85 marks the end of King’s long run on DC’s flagship book, but that doesn’t mean the writer is finished telling the story of the Dark Knight and the Feline Fatale just yet. His next book, the 12-issue long Batman/Catwoman will take up where his Batman title left off. While initially slated for January 2020, the book was pushed back to allow artist Clay Mann to draw the entire book without any fill-in artists.
According to King, he and Mann are working on something they believe will forever redefine the characters of Batman and Catwoman. Though his 85-issue run on Batman was divisive to some, King’s many contributions to the Bat-mythos will be no doubt echo in comic book lore for many years to come.