User blog comment:Leena1445/Pairs/@comment-74.90.52.151-20121111031643/@comment-1038387-20121114231227

Betty and Kathy Kane were created to counted Fredric Wertham's book. So not purely as a love interest, but as a " nom they're not gay"-love interest.

Babs was not specifically created for the Adam West/TV series, but debuted in its third season (and in the comics at the same time). This was mainly to attract female viewers. Babs was a self-assured, strong, confident woman, unlike the Kanes, who were annoying to the point of comic relief damsels. So she was obviously more popular. I haven't seen much of the TV series, so I don't know if she was geared towards Bruce or Dick, but in the comics, she was far older than Dick. She already had a PhD in her first appearance. But what I've read of her Silver Age appearances - which is no doubt the same as Reg (Greatest Batgirl Stories) - she's not interested in Bruce, only in Dick. But it should be noted that Dick grew older, became a Teen Wonder and eventually a Young Man Wonder, whereas Babs stayed the same random mid-twenties woman.