Batman proposed to Catwoman on a rooftop over a year ago in issue #24 (contained in Vol. 3: I Am Bane), but their romance goes back a lot further than that. Issue #50 embraces this long and somewhat self-contradictory history, with Bruce and Selina each recounting their own memory of their first meeting in the form of poetic prose. King has a way with words, and it really shines here.
These segments of the story are accompanied by beautiful full-page spreads from critically-acclaimed guest artists, including Frank Miller (Year One), Tim Sale (The Long Halloween) and Jim Lee (Hush). Most of the comic, however, is illustrated by Mikel Janin. His art is perfect for this story, with each facial expression he draws capturing so much emotional nuance and giving the story a level of realism that few other artists could provide.
This is more than just a story about Batman and Catwoman. It's an analysis of the factors that make Bruce the hero he is, and asks a big question: does an unhappy Bruce make a better Batman? As previously mentioned, this is only the halfway point of King's arc, so Batman #50 leaves this unanswered. In some ways, this issue is actually somewhat anti-climatic. It's very much a turning-point in King's ongoing saga, but largely serves as set-up for a bigger story, which is hinted at by the shocking final panel.
Therefore, while executed incredibly well, the wedding of Batman and Catwoman isn't likely to be regarded as a classic story in years to come. Rather, it's a bridge between the two halves of an ongoing tale, and only time will tell if King and the artists he works with are able to stick the landing.
Rating: 7/10
You can buy Batman #50 today from Comixology or your local comic store. Alternatively, you can wait until October to buy Batman Vol. 7: The Wedding, which collects issues #45-#50.
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