10 Best Female Characters In The Batman Universe
They might not all be in the Birds of Prey, but these leading ladies are the best in DC's roster.
The Batman universe is one of the most interesting in all of comic book lore. Not only is Batman himself an iconic character, but the likes of Alfred, Robin, Commissioner Gordon, Joker, Riddler, Two Face and many more besides have become household names.
He has one of the strongest rogues gallery around, yet it never feels cheap when he gets the better of them. As well as some of the best men in comics though, Batman’s universe is host to a number of interesting women too. Some join the rogues gallery, others fight by his side, and some occasionally flip between those two stances.
It’s specifically Gotham based women under the spotlight here, as it could be argued any woman in the DC canon is technically in Batman’s universe. Wonder Woman and Black Canary have both met Batman, for example, but they aren’t exactly characters of his world.
Thankfully, Gotham has more than enough women to provide entires on their own. Ahead of Birds Of Prey’s release, it’s worth taking a gander at some of the most interesting ones, so here are the ten best to call Gotham their home...
10. Helena Bertinelli
Helena Bertinelli, better known as The Huntress, kicks things off here and is set for a leading role in Birds Of Prey later this month. She’ll be played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead there, who has experience in offbeat comic book movies after Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, but even just going off the comics, Huntress is one of the best women in Batman’s world.
The daughter of mobsters, Bertinelli has loathed organised crime since the death of her parents to a rival crime family. This origin story is further complicated in some retellings, with Helena’s mother having an affair with a rival Don, making her the child of two warring mafia families.
Batman sees her as an ally, though he rarely works with her, considering her too violent and unpredictable. Commissioner Gordon and Tim Drake have more time for her though, so it’s not too unusual to have her working in the Bat family.
She very briefly served as Batgirl, but her violent tendencies saw Batman strip her of that title almost immediately.