Julie Madison

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Julie Madison is a DC Comics fictional character who appeared in early issues of Detective Comics as the first significant love interest of Batman.

[edit] Original version

Julie Madison first appeared in Detective Comics #31 in September 1939 - only four issues after Batman's own debut - and made her last appearance in the Golden Age of Comics in Detective Comics #49, March 1941.

She was an oft-imperiled socialite/actress who dated Bruce Wayne on and off when not being rescued by Batman. Most significantly, Julie was used as a pawn in the vampiric Monk's battle with the Dark Knight. Julie was engaged to Bruce Wayne for a while until she broke off the engagement because Bruce wouldn't find a serious career, not knowing about his dual identity as Batman.

She was revealed to have been an actress in Detective Comics #40 and her last appearance in the early series was in #49, where she was targeted for revenge by Basil Karlo, the original Clayface, because Julie starred in the remake of one of Karlo's films that drove him off the edge. She disappeared following this, ascending into stardom under the stage name "Portia Storme."

Julie Madison is a significant figure in the development of the Batman character precisely because of her failure to gain lasting significance within the narrative. The absence of a single, ongoing romantic interest/rescuee is one of the things that distinguishes Batman from other famous superheroes such as Superman (with his Lois Lane).

Julie Madison reappeared in two World's Finest stories in the 1970s as Princess Portia, ruler of the fictional country of Moldacia. This was intended as a loose parallel to Grace Kelly becoming Princess Grace of Monaco.

[edit] Current version

The six issue mini-series Batman and the Monster Men by Matt Wagner, published in 2006, is set early in (the current post-Crisis version of) Batman's career, and re-introduces Julie Madison. This version of the character isn't an actress, but a law student, and the daughter of Norman Madison, a failing businessman who borrows money from mobster Sal Maroni. Bruce Wayne cares deeply for Julie in this story but is reluctant to tell her the secret of his nighttime activities. However, Julie herself suspects that Bruce is hiding something from her.

Julie takes on further importance in Wagner's follow-up mini-series Batman and the Mad Monk. Like Monster Men, this series retells an early story from Batman's publishing history, his conflict with the vampiric villain, The Monk. As in the original, Julie is lured to The Monk's lair and bitten by the vampire, becoming his thrall. The Monk attempts to manipulate Julie into signing over Norman Madison's finances to his supernatural cult.

The current Julie's eventual fate is not yet known though she presumably survives into the present, after parting ways with Bruce Wayne. In the mini-series Batman: Family by John Francis Moore, paparazzi attempt to link Bruce to Julie, asking if he is the father of her baby.

[edit] Other versions of the character

A version of Julie Madison appeared in the 1997 film Batman and Robin, played by Elle Macpherson. This interpretation of the character seemed to have little in common with her comic book self. The character added little to the plot, though many of her scenes were edited out of the film's final cut.

When the animated-series styled Batman Adventures comic relaunched in 2003, early issues featured Julie Madison as Bruce Wayne's steady girlfriend. He nearly proposed to her before discovering that she was only interested in him because of his money, and that she was prepared to go to lethal lengths to preserve their relationship.

Julie Madison has featured as a love interest for Batman in Elseworlds stories, including the Gotham by Gaslight sequel Master of the Future; Dark Knight Dynasty; and Superman & Batman: Generations.

In Legends of the Dark Knight #94, a group of people in an elevator discuss Batman. One of these is an eighty year old Julie Madison, who recalls her encounters with him in the 1930s, an homage to the original series. The others protest that he cannot be that old.