As Valentine’s Day approaches we here at House of Geekery are taking a look at our personal favorite couples from comic books. You can find them listed below in no particular order.
Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson (DC Comics)
Barbara and Dick worked together in the Bat-family for a long time while Babs was Batgirl and Dick was Robin. It wasn’t until they had become Oracle and Nightwing that the relationship really began to blossom. Their relationship is built on a long history of friendship and trust, which makes it very believable. Not to mention their relationship is yet another example of Oracle’s groundbreaking exposure for people with disabilities. Babs and Dick deal with real-life issues and have a relationship that’s both wonderful and relatable. The new 52 has given Babs back her ability to walk and reset their relationship to where they are flirty friends. Here’s hoping they can end up together in this universe as well.
- Jamie Z.
Archie and Betty (Archie Comics)
Archie and Betty have been stuck in a love triangle for over 70 years with Betty’s best friend Veronica. While there are some out there who root for the goofy but lovable Archie to end up with the spoiled rich girl Veronica, everyone knows that he really belongs with sweet-natured girl-next-door Betty. Unfortunately (and despite the misleading “Archie Marries Betty” title” we may never know who Archie ends up with in the end. Regardless, it is Archie and Betty’s sweet relationship that one of my favorites to read.
- Jamie Z.
Kate Kane and Renee Montoya (DC Comics)
There aren’t too many depictions of LGBT characters in the comic world but luckily we do get Kate Kane and Renee Montoya. Kate spends her nights masquerading as Gotham’s hero Batwoman while Renee started out as one of Gotham’s finest police offices and ends up a superhero herself. Their relationship showed us two strong three-dimensional women who don’t fit neatly into LGBT stereotypes in a normal relationship and even though we didn’t see much of it, the interactions between the two women post-relationship remind us of our own complicated love lives.
- Jamie Z.
Gambit and Rogue (Marvel Comics)
If you’ve ever felt blue-balled in a sexless relationship with a frigid partner, then you might have a glimpse of just what it was like between Gambit and Rogue from the X-Men. I mean, Gambit’s a total lady-killer who has no problems getting laid every night, but he goes and falls in love with someone who unconditionally drains you to death through physical contact! Not only does this mean there can’t be any sex in their relationship, but they can’t even kiss or rub noses. For a guy like Gambit to give up limitless sex to be in a purely non-physical relationship with Rogue is a testament to the love he feels for her.
- Drew
Superman and Lois Lane (DC Comics)
This is a couple that has existed for the longest time, and they have actually stood the test of time. I feel as if Superman/Clark Kent needs his Lois Lane and in return we’d have no Lois without him. The relationship is a core factor within the character of Superman/Clark Kent, and many of those things that gives him humanity have to do with Lois. It is a love that lasts and pairing that still gets to me. It doesn’t feel right when they aren’t together, they are a match made in heaven.
- Marcey
Jesse Custer & Tulip O’Hare (Preacher)
Please note that I haven’t finished the Preacher series yet, I’m only about half-way through so this relationship could go anywhere right now but at the moment I like what I’ve seen. Jesse Custer and Tulip O’Hare are two of the main characters of the Preacher series, a 66 issue series about a reverend infused with the offspring of an angel and a demon. Before that happened Jesse and Tulip were an item, both young and in love until Jesse mysteriously disappeared, now five years later fate seemingly brings them back together now that Jesse is on the hunt for God. What I like about Jesse and Tulip’s relationship is that they’re both fighters, it’s not one protecting the other, they help themselves and each other whenever they can, this also factors in the conflicting emotions Tulip has for Jesse, on one hand she hates him for running out on her and leaving without reason – he does eventually tell her and it brings them closer as a couple – but on the other she still loves him and hasn’t been able to get over him. While they do fight and bicker, mostly about how Tulip is now an assassin and Jesse, the most nonreligious man in Texas, is now a Preacher, they always stick by each other in this most sublime of quests. I don’t know where the relationship goes from where I am but I can’t wait to see.
- Matthew Wilson
Hawkman and Hawkgirl (DC Comics)
Nothing says true love quite like being repeatedly reincarnated, and still drawn to each other in every life. Hawkman and Hawkgirl first lived on Earth over a millennium ago in Ancient Egypt. Upon their deaths they were cursed to be forever reincarnated, to find and love each other again, only to die again at the hands of their reincarnated murderer each time. In some ways, this is the ultimate kind of love story. Knowing that the one you love will most certainly be there in your next life only strengthens the bond. But, these two heroes must suffer through the death of the one they love over and over again, as well as the pain of separation as they search for one another in each new life. More recently, Hawkgirl’s cycle of reincarnation has been interfered with, if not completely broken, and she was left with no memory of her previous lives, much to Hawkman’s dismay. Their history is a long and complicated one, and their story both tragic, hopeful and romantic.
- Appa the Gypsy
Tony Stark and Pepper Potts (Marvel Comics)
While not as clear-cut as their relationship in the movies, Tony and Pepper have been a staple of Marvel romances since the character first debuted as Stark’s assistant. Thought they dated, eloped, spent time apart and rekindled their romance from time to time their relationship can best be described as “complicated with romantic undertones”. The most popular form of these characters comes from the Iron Man franchise and The Avengers where we see their relationship grow from something that was always really there. Tony is essentially alone with only a small group of people that he can honestly say are friends of his for reasons other than business. It’s when he has his eyes opened through the second film that he truly realizes there was one constant through all of the ups and downs, and it was Pepper. Their relationship is the heart of Tony’s character and you can’t help but fall in love with their adorable on-screen chemistry. We see their relationship bloom into a glimpse of their full-fledged romance in 2012’s The Avengers and we can only imagine the choices he will have to make in the upcoming Iron Man 3.
- Paul C.
Batman and Catwoman (DC Comics)
When it comes to talking about my favorite comic couples I always start with Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle because their relationship falls into a gray area that makes it so deliciously interesting. We know where Batman’s morals stand when it comes to his crime-fighting abilities but Catwoman often finds herself on either end of the hero and villain spectrum which is what made their relationship so compelling to the readers. They’re bonded by loneliness and their feelings as an outcast on society and there’s a major amount of parallels between each character. Her anti hero status is something that plays along the lines of how an everyday citizens of Gotham could view Batman and it’s this linkage that made their relationship so great to begin with. It was a time where we saw Batman drop his guard and let someone in and it wasn’t someone with the greatest of intentions which made the romance all the more vulnerable. They make a delightfully intriguing pair that is all the more better when you break it down to the bare essentials: They’re just too damn sexy together.
- Paul C.
Yorick Brown and Agent 355 (Y: The Last Man)
Every male species on earth has died except for Yorick Brown and his capuchin monkey. Many would deem being the last man on earth a fantastic opportunity for sexual conquests but it ends up being a dangerous endeavor for them as there are so many things at stake. Alas poor Yorick, a tragic adventure awaits him as he sets forth to survive and find answers, in his quest he forms an unlikely alliance with Agent 355 whose sole purpose at first was to protect him and what results is a shakespearean tale of ill-timed romance filled with clones, robots, pirates and ninjas. It may sound corny but set amidst unspeakable odds and chaos, what they found was each other.
- Randy
Joker and Harley Quinn (DC Comics)
To say that Joker and Harley have a ‘good’ relationship would be saying something that isn’t true at all. They carry all the hallmarks of an abusive relationship in that when they’re together they are the complete world to each other. But when the Joker is in a bad mood (which is often) then he is both emotionally and physically abusive towards Harley, going as far and throwing her out a window for ‘not getting the joke’. The tragedy is that she will always go back to him, even though she knows that he could be the death of her she simply cannot stay away. What makes them such a fascinating pairing is that, for possibly the first time, Joker is given a human connection with someone. Initially it was a matter of using her to facilitate his escape from Arkham but he’s allowed her to stick around. Under normal circumstances Joker would’ve alright killed anyone who bothered him, or even helped him, so whatever existed between them must be genuine on some level. Yes the relationship between them is terrible and harmful but when you put two such extreme and unique characters together it’s going to produce fireworks – and that’s what we want to see.
- G-Funk
Alana and Marko (Saga)
Two worlds at war. One inhabited by a race of magic users all of whom have some kind of horns or antlers. The other inhabited by a technologically advanced race all of whom have some kind of wings. Stuck in the middle of this epic battle are Alana (of the winged race) and Marko (of the horned race). The two of them fell in love among all the chaos. Even though the series has been compared to Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings, there is a much more grounded feel to it due mostly to Alana and Marko’s amazing chemistry and the strong focus on their personal connection than the epic scope war going on just in the peripherals. It helps that they speak as if they were from Earth in 2012, but what makes it ultimately more sweet than it ever should be is there little adventure is narrated by their now adult daughter, the same daughter who is only a newborn in the story and the young couples biggest reason to fight their way from either side of the war.
-Slam Adams
Snow White and Bigby Wolf (Fables)
In our classic fairy-tales these two character never meet but in Fables they work side by side to keep Fabletown running smoothly, secretly and crime-free. The two first scoff at the idea of being involved romantically but after some magical mix-ups and an accidental pregnancy that resulted in a bunch of adorable wolf-like babies, Snow White and Bigby realized that they were meant to be. Both characters are strong, independent, and free-thinking; showing us that there does not need to be only one dominant member in a relationship. Being together has let both the ex-princess and the repentant werewolf learn to open up to people and grow as individuals.
- Jamie Z.
Aquaman and Mera (DC Comics)
This pair is one of the most famous comic couples there is. While for years Aquaman was the butt of everyone’s jokes, there was no doubt his perfect pairing with the gorgeous redheaded water dwelling Mera. She is more than just his trophy wife, however, being powerful in her own right and party to intricate and layered storytelling between the two. Their relationship has had its ups and downs over the timeline of DC comics but with the New 52 reboot, we see it as strong as ever and the two of them have a connection that is a joy to read.
- Jamie Z.
Who are your favorite comic book couples and why?
