Holy matrimony, Batman! The not-so shining knight has an affair with Wonder Woman in Batman #39 by writer Tom King and artist Joelle Jones. Bruce Wayne recently proposed to Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman after years of their cat and mouse romance. And Diana has been in an ongoing relationship with her first (heterosexual) love, Steve Trevor.

Batman and Wonder Woman team up to stand in for the Gentle Man, a selfless warrior who stands guard against endless demon hordes seeking to invade Earth. Time passes differently in the hellish realm of Gehenna. They do not age but 10 years pass in just a matter of hours. Diana sympathizes with Bruce being separated from his bride-to-be yet she makes the first move.

“We have tried… we must concede,” she tells him before going in for a kiss.

Batman 39 Wonder Woman kiss

Batman unfaithful to canon?

Fanboys have voiced concerns that the superheroes are acting out of character and the fan service threatens to derail their established relationships. The criticism was widespread enough that King felt compelled to acknowledged it directly.

“Gotten a lot of of feedback on Batman 39,” he tweeted. “Just want you all to know I hear what you’re saying, I respect it, and I appreciate it. Your passion for these characters and these books is inspiring and humbling. You’re forever teaching me how to be a better writer. Thank you.”

The critics may have passed judgment too soon. Either character or both could end up restraining themselves, that’s assuming they aren’t interrupted by the endless onslaught first. The demons are manifested by the sins of humanity so any superhero infidelity will undoubtedly unleash a super-sized demon given their proximity to the source. But the real drama would be whether the Bat lets the cat out of the bag or he lets what happens in Limbo stay Limbo for the sake of his marriage. It would seem out of character for Batman to keep the affair secret considering his recent confession to Catwoman in Batman #32. Bruce insists that Selina know who she’s marrying before he proposes. He confesses to attempting to murder the Riddler after he kills a boy to make the Joker laugh. Ironically, the Clown Prince of Crime cracks himself up when he saves the hero from himself.

“I’m good. They’re bad. They kill. I don’t. That’s what everyone thinks,” Bruce confides in her. “But it’s not true.”

On second thought, it’s entirely possible Batman does the expedient thing.