We’ve all got an early memory of the Dark Knight lodged in our mind somewhere, whether it’s from a stack of a father or sibling’s old comic books, watching re-runs of the purposely gaudy 60’s T.V show or from one of the many movie adaptations or animated series available for audience consumption. He’s a character that’s so embedded into our collective subconscious that these days it’s difficult to get through a week without hearing about his exploits in some form or another (although I’m not sure exactly why you’d want to).
Yes, it’s a good time to be a Batman fan; a great time in fact. Rocksteady’s phenomenal new open world brawler Arkham City is currently lighting up the gaming world, making it possible to actually feel like the Dark Knight himself. And love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Christopher Nolan’s modern re-imagining of the iconic Caped Crusader has captured the attention of the entire world. The Dark Knight’s current lifetime gross is reportedly over a billion dollars and the franchise’s third instalment, The Dark Knight Rises, which is due for release in summer 2012, is looking poised to destroy the box office all over again.
There’s little doubt that Batman is one of, if not the most commercially successful comic book character in history, with over 20 monthly affiliated publications, a booming movie and T.V brand and enough merchandise on the market to give George Lucas a semi-on. Obviously commercial success doesn’t always guarantee quality, but we at WhatCulture believe that with the Caped Crusader, it totally does. And there’s never been a better time for us to make the case that Batman might well be the greatest superhero in existence.
For those of you who agree with our point blank assertion, we present you with fifty of the many reasons why Batman clearly pops a grapple in the competition. For those of you who don’t, here are fifty statements that are probably just going to piss you off…
For maximum Bat-effect, run this video before you read on:
1. He’s Just A Man
If Batman were to miss his grapple (he wouldn’t, but saying he did) and hit the ground from a sufficient height, he’d die like the rest of us. It’s as simple as that. Other Superheroes may also share this base humanity, but generally when they don their alter-ego they enter altered states and become impervious (a la Green Lantern or Iron Man).
We can never know what it’s like to attain this invulnerability, or to fly or feel super-strength but we can and do strive to reach the pinnacle of our potential. That’s why Batman is so effortlessly relatable; it isn’t his frequent feats of strength or athleticism so much as the fact that even in the cape and cowl, he’s still one of us.
2. The Symbol
It’s more recognizable than almost any other symbol on Earth, in fiction or otherwise. You’ve drawn this from memory more than once I’ll wager, on school books and message pads. It’s simple, stark and in an instant conjures up notions of justice and compassion. In short, it’s everything a symbol should be.
3. The Human Mind As A Superpower
So he’s just a man, right? That’s not to say that Batman doesn’t have a superpower. His mind is his power; within it lurks a deadly, but prefectly balanced combination of insurmountable anguish, indomitable conviction, unparalleled genius and just a sprinkling of mental instability. Rarely in comics do plight and power marry so seamlessly.
4. He’s a Master Tactician
Batman often works angles that can barely be observed until they’re passed, but in a story’s closing panels, when all is revealed, there’s consistent delight to be found in the tactics that he’s employed. Even up against a rogue Superman, you’ll rarely see Batman dispatched with ease because he’s planned for the eventuality years in advance.
5. Stealth
Batman is a predator, his prey: cowardly, superstitious criminals. He stalks from the rafters, watching, planning; singling them out and using the Batman legend against them, rendering their brawn or power as practically useless.
How often have you wished you could confront someone on your terms instead of theirs? Batman often lives out that very fantasy for us.
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53 Comments
Easily Your Best Article!
I like and respect The BAT but he’s a rich kid with a well of resources. Now if he was a regular joe and had built himself up I could agree with most of what you posted. But like you describe. He had Alfred, he had Gordon and he had an infinite resource of wealth. And if he really had to fight a super hero or villain that had any reasonable intelligence he would get his ass kicked. Writers write that he is the greatest and smartest but all it would take is for someone to write that Superman being from another more advanced race with the fortress of solitude could have more and better intel that the BAT. To be a Super Hero (for me) there has to be something more than Great Human traits to make you the best “Super Hero Ever”. He debuted in “Detective Comics” which leads me to believe his designation was to be a Glorified Detective not a Super Hero fighting along side Aliens with Godlike powers that come from advanced civilizations. I mean one mechanical malfunction out in space and Bruce is done. But not to dis the Character I got mad respect for the Bat but I can’t say he is the best Super hero ever.
Well, in Mark Millar’s Superman Red Son, he’s the son of a couple of poor dissidents who’re murdered by the establishment. He still becomes Batman. Ok so it’s a ‘what if’ scenario (although it was later included as an alternate Universe in the recentish Final Crisis event) but thanks to that I say it’s now debatable that he’d have become Batman regardless of his wealth. So long as his personality had developed in a similar way through his youth, and he witnessed his parents murder. Obviously the whole thing is an area of massive unwinnable debate but I find the best characters in any medium to be the ones who we can empathise with on a purely human level. Great comment though dude – out of interest, who is your favourite superhero?
Take everything away from Bruce Wayne — his money, his history, his position in society, his education, everything — and what would you have?
In my opinion, this is the basis for Rorschach of The Watchmen, no slouch in (most of) the character qualities illustrated in the above article. Who Batman is transcends his circumstances to a degree that I believe he would be just as formidable, no matter the circumstances this man was raised in.
Great article man! Nice to know there is another Batfan among the WhatCulture! team.
I would have added – he is a master martial artist.
Thanks mate! It’s always a pleasure to be reminded that there are so many fello Batmanites hiding in the shadows.
I grew up loving Batman and thinking Superman – who I read about mostly through Batman comics in which he appeared – was a tedious goody two shoes. Saw Grant Morrison at the Edinburgh Book Festival this year and he contrasted the two, describing Superman as a ‘working class hero.’ When asked to elaborate he said, Superman grows up working hard thinking he’s a normal kid; he was a superhero that young people from working class backgrounds could relate to, while secretly hoping that maybe they had some kind of superpower too. Batman, on the other hand, is an over privileged billionaire who goes out at night and beats up poor people then sleeps through most of the day. I still prefer Batman, but his comment did give me pause.
An interesting analysis, it gives me pause myself. I have to admit, I am also a huge Superman fan but like yourself I can’t help lean towards the Bat. Hey, I’m an unknown writer; I can relate to anti-social.
Great article buddy! I enjoyed reading it to the Elfman soundtrack in a Batman voice!
Kevin Conroy’s Batman voice I hope ;)
Excellent article mate. In full agreement. Salivating over Nolan’s next installment too. Being a fellow scouser, i would say that this town does need a Batman, it has plenty of wannabe Joker’s, but, the Batmobile wouldn’t last 5 minutes…
Brilliant comment. Always nice to hear from a fellow Liverpudlian!
uh you forgot about the movies. how can u forget about the batman movies.
good list by the way
Well, it’s sort of implied under Bat-Synergy, plus the intro waxes over the movie franchise too. I tried to steer as clear away from the movies as much possible as fellow WhatCulture writer Alex McKay already has this area of the character covered, in his superb, thorough comparison of the Tim Burton’s Batman Movies vs Chris Nolan’s : http://whatculture.com/film/tim-burtons-batman-vs-chris-nolans-the-dark-knight.php
1 more thing. how was the play by the way? was it good or bad. cus i wanted to go, but had no money. was the acting bad?
I gotta say, I really enjoyed it dude. The acting definately wasn’t bad, although it was very stylised (theater for you though). It was certainly a spectacle and while true enough some of the villains in the rogues gallery were a little pasted over, it’s the closest we’re ever gonna get to the Bat being real.
BATMAN KICKS ASS!
Awesome article….!!!
Ok, I read almost everything on this page, from article to the comments and i couldnt belive Sir Stuart,(please
pardon for rudeness) you got pause on some random Grant Morrison’s(sorry for that! but feeling angry hehe!!)
comment..
Here’s how I’ld like to unpause you:
1>He said a working class person can relate him to superman,thinking he might too have a hidden superpower. And
where would that lead him?
ans: In a dream world, where in real life he may even get below avg. since the dream world is too satisfying..
On the other hand, relating himself to ‘BATMAN’, he would learn the truth that nothing in the world comes easy
(that is unless u have a great luck, which itself is hard to come!) and on his path to a will to be like his
ideal, he may end up really becoming something.
2>To Sir Patric Williams: I’ld like to answer your question by clarifying some other points first:
What would Spiderman be, if he was’nt bit by spider?
ans: Just an ordinary person may be an intellegent guy on later stage, but surely not spiderman..
Sqrew this, what first came to his mind when he discovered his superpowers?
Earn some bucks by Entering the wrestle mania and if it werent for his uncle, maybe he wouldnt even be
spiderman(just maybe!)..
Similarly, Superman wouldnt be so Super if it werent for his powers, u talk about Batman having advantage of
Alfred, Robin and Gordan but how about the advantage of invulnerability? wait, thats not an advantage, that is
everything and you are nothing without it!!!
Now talking about Batman having advantages, its simple:
The way Gold attracts its lovers, the way bigger planet attracts smaller one n vice-versa, the some way: sheer
quality never remains hidden and it starts attracting quality from where ever it gets its range..
What i mean to say is: it was meant to happen that Batman with such a humangus gravity would attract people
like him from all over the place and this goes as a credit to him, not a credit away from him..
And at last, what if he really didnt had: Alfred, Robin etc.
The answer is:’He would still be Batman’, maybe a little late(in absence of Alfred), maybe he might have died a
lot early(in absence of Robin n all the money that he had), maybe even he might have died the first the he ever
tried to become Batman and was never recognised!
But that everything doesnt change one thing: “THE INTENT WITHIN”!
What he really had that made him Batman was the intent to serve “Justice”!
And no one got it even close to how much he got it..
And this thing doesnt change for anything..
Thats why he is the not the Greatest Superhero, but the Greatest Icon EvEr!!!
Thats why i beleive so much in him..
Dude, I can feel your love of Batman pouring off this comment. Wehn I say the Grant Morrison comment gave me pause, pause is all it was. To me, there’s not a chance on this Earth that Superman could ever be a better hero than Batman. I totally agree with pretty much all of your points, and also that he’s not only the greatest superhero, but the greatest icon!
Very tempted to print this out in poster form, paste it to two peices of wood and wear it as a sandwich board round comic con.
Too much?
I gotta wonder how uncomfortable that’s going to be for you! But by all means, share it round. Everywhere…
Batman, the real superhero, took adversity, adapted his life and perservered because he had the intelligence, the atheletic ability and the capital to spend. He didn’t have family, friends or people telling him he cannot do something. He took his anger and built an empire becoming “The avenger.”
As a marvel fan, Batman is one of my favorite characters, but only when he isn’t being butchered by Grant Morrison.
Too true mate. ‘Look out everyone, it’s Darkseid! And he’s wielding a concept!’ Whatever Morrison.
Batman is NOT ONLY the greatest superhero he’s The greatest fictional character ever created by men! and Batman kick superman’s ass anytime!!!
As for #49. Any Long term comics fan would know that even if DC’s characters were flat when compared to Marvel, that it’s Marvel’s characters that are imitations of DC. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were first. Bucky is just a rip off of Robin, Winter Soldier is just Nightwing. Before the New 52 DC had ideals. Now, who knows.
That’s some serious comic book knowledge /
P.s Do not use this knowledge when talking to women it will seriously harm your chances :-)
Very impressive amount of work and thought that went into this list. I still like Superman better but only slightly. Batman is #2 on my all-time greatest superheroes with Spider-Man coming in at #3.
It is good to mention Batman’s proliferation across several media, but you failed to touch upon what I believe is the single most iconic depiction of the character in recent times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7-TQdN40Dk&list=PLD0750A49525188E9&index=12&feature=plpp_video
In other news, I don’t think Bruce Wayne’s fiscal advantages are cause to undersell his achievements. Next to flight, invulnerability, super-speed, cosmic strength, immortality, telepathy, laser-eyes, frost breath, the ability to shrink down to the size of an atom, a magic ring that can do literally anything or a mental rubbery body that can also do literally anything, I think we can forgive him a few bob.
Oh, forgive me – I also meant to compliment you on a charming, well-rounded article. It’s nice to see Bat-enthusiasm oozing so comprehensively. He’s my favouritest of all times too, you see.
As for Superman, I previously wanted nothing to do with the chap, but having read Grant Morrison (with whose Batman efforts I am still relatively unfamiliar)’s take on him in All-Star, I have been utterly converted. Anyone writing about a man who can perform feats such as Supes’ who doesn’t use it as an excuse to use as much imagination as they can muster in finding something to threaten him – including, but not-limited to, time-eating Chronovores, enormous mad purple sods who eat suns and an all-powerful, interdimensional, riddling Metasphynx – doesn’t deserve to hold a pen. It was this – and the stark contrast with Batman which sees the two head up the franchise so categorically, completely and perfectly, that instilled my faith in the Man of Steel.
In fact, I would go as far as to say that the Superman/Batman combo could contend for the greatest super-duo of all time.
Thanks man! I agree with you about Superman; I was skeptical way back when, but after actually sitting down to read some key storylines I started to realise that there’s alot to the character underneath his vulnerability. It’s easy to say “he’s invulnerable so there’s no way to kill him, what’s the point?” But as you say, that just gives an innovative writer a chance to bend the rules of that invulnerability. I did think All Star Superman was quite good, not the best i’ve read, but I thought getting Supes caught in a solar flare and causing him to get essentially super-cancer was a genius touch.
Thanks for the support mate, glad you enjoyed the article.
wonderful article, but i am sure(as you are) that there are plenty other reasons to proclaim that BATMAN IS THE BEST SUPERHERO EVER
I’ve got one more reason for ya! His approach on crime fighting.
Superman will hear wrong doing and come to the rescue…
Spiderman will come across criminals while swinging around the city and stop them…
…Batman will hunt down the criminals and takes them out. I rarely ever see him stoping just the criminal act alone, he’ll cripple them to the very core. Whether its stoping the organization that lead to the criminal act or just scaring the crap out of them to make ‘em be re think everything they do.
@Brandon Lewis
exactly!!!!!!
I’m in agreement with you both; could there really ever be an exhaustive list of why Batman is awesome? I guess if you wanted to make a shorter list it’d be why Batman isn’t awesome. It’d consist of an introduction….and that’s it.
Great article. I most enjoyed the Marvelite comment, as despite hating almost all other things DC, Batman is an will forever be my greatest hero. And as far as any comments about Bats being a rich boy, I think that makes his character that much better. I think it’s harder for people who have everything to give that up than it is for people who have little to aspire to greatness. Also, Clark Kent, those glasses aren’t fooling anyone, we know who you are.
Love this article! I was getting my daily fill of Batman (which is never enough!) and decided to search for some lists of ten reasons why Batman is the great super hero ever. Then I found this.
I have to admit, I’m even a fan of the Schumacher films. I’d like to think it’s not out of ignorance as a Batman fan, blindly loving everything he’s involved in, but because I’ve simply always known and loved them. I was four when Batman Forever came out, and grew up with Batman and Robin among my favorite movies (Mask Of The Phantasm was another) and I think that’s why I still find myself enjoying those movies today. I can easily admit they aren’t great movies and the criticism they receive is fair, but I love them nonetheless.
Something else that makes my list of why Batman’s awesome is he was a largely influenced by Zorro, who I’ve always loved. Before I was more into Batman than just movies and TAS, Zorro was my number one hero.
As for Bruce Wayne being rich, I think Cassandra Green said it well, it’s that much better! I think in real life, it’s hard to think that anyone in such a high financial class would know anything of your life or your troubles, but EVERYONE can relate to Bruce Wayne/Batman! He’s so much more than a rich playboy. Plus isn’t that a great example of what the rich should be doing? Not in the same way, of course, but using their great wealth to fight injustice? I think he’s an awesome example for everyone. The fact that he has wealth doesn’t take away from the credibility of his character at all, especially when you consider the already mentioned Superman: Red Son.
Anyways, great work on putting a list like this together! This is an awesome read for any Batman fan!
Loved the article. Number 44 made me think of “Whatever happened to the Caped Crusader?”, which I see you already have an image from under 27. One panel early on, as Eddie Nigma and Selina Kyle stand over Batman’s coffin, The Riddler says it best.
Riddler: It doesn’t happen like this! Everybody knows you put him in a deathtrap, he pulls something outta his utility belt, and he’s away. Same bat time. Same bat channel.
more like Gayest ever, he only wins fights because he has a large fanbase, and his abilities are always overly exaggerated
Great stuff. I see you replaced ‘Greatest’ with ‘Gayest’. Now that’s clever.
U are a moron , the darknight is the greatest. How easy it is to go fight crime knowing u are unstoppable. Yet THE BAT-MAN knows that every night could be his last. And like the homi said he’s the mother f!$& batman
Great article, particularly enjoyed your likening of Bruce to the Batcave thought that was some brilliant insight.
Though id just like to point out one mistake you said ” Batman broke out of comic books and onto screens as early back as the 60’s.” When infact it was earlier than that in 1943 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(serial)
Very good sir, and so you are correct! I will make my amendments. Thanks for your feedback dude!
Great article I’m actually about to start martial arts because of Batman
Badass. Good luck with it! Tried to learn myself a while back, but it’d so strenuous, I gave up after three or four sessions.
Well done, sir.
You’ve created the greatest article that I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Also, your rebuttles to every single anti-Batman comment have been calm, cool, collected, intelligent, and obviously superior to their hatrid. The Caped Crusader would be very proud.
Well colour me Boy Wondered! Thanks so much, but surely you’re exaggerating!
What comic is the picture for number 10 from?
It’s from All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder Vol. 1. Great book and some great insights on both characters.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Star_Batman_and_Robin_the_Boy_Wonder
Okay, I have read countless books, and countless comics, and… Well you get the gist ^^;
Many of these have been powerful reads for me (like Frank Herbert’s Dune Saga) but dude, seriously, this has to be one of the most powerful articles I have read in my entire life.
I’m a diehard spidey fan, that wisecracking web slinger is just incredibly amazing to me: in the comics. The movies were… Okay, the games? Well the games kind of sucked. The tv show was either mediocre or awesome (depending on which one you watched: for instance, as much as I kinda liked it: spiderman and his amazing friends)
Batman? Batman is the most complex character ever. To a writer and a reader that’s like a codebreaker finding an eternity code, it’s that moment when you realize that he’s real. He might be on paper but he’s a character who really breathes, more than Eragon, more than Gandalf, more than Paul Muad’dib. He has life.
And you captured the scope of that, right down to his birth in a detective comic.
You know? You should print this article out, and wear it like a cape, you have superhuman writing powers. Damn.
I love Batman, even as a Spidey fan (I was once a DC fan), he’s just really earned his place as my favorite hero. And no one can touch that, especially not Superman. After Doomsday came and Superman went all plant Jesus and came back from the dead just by soaking up some sunshine, I totally lost all respect for him post Doomsday. He should have stayed dead, they should have made his death a staple, and just played with his life for storyline material.
I digress, it’s 2:11 am and I really should be sleeping, but I had to finish reading this.
Jesus Christ man, this is an incredible article. Save it. Save it for posterity and for job recommendations. Geez.
You better grace me with a comment, I missed my sleep cause of your good writing! Haha
And I just wanted to say, the bit about the Adam West incarnation of Batman really made me cry laughing, not the funniest bit, but it synergies with the article perfectly. That made it the funniest thing I ever read. Again: Amazing job, seriously, print this thing out and save it. Get it as a back tattoo. Or something.
Dude, consider your request for comment graced. I apologise for it taking so long; i’ve since been drafted as a paid WhatCulture contributor and my schedule has become pretty hectic. Even though I spend all day sat here writing, I very rarely manage to get a look at my back catalogue of posts (just broken my 100th cherry!).
Thanks so much for this comment, I really broke my back on this article; I wanted to stop so many times, I wanted to reduce the list to 40, 30, 20…but every time I did I looked up at my awesome Batman canvas print and thought ‘What would he do’.
I’m glad I could entertain mate, that is after all why I wanted to start writing in the first place.
For this comment you are now my favourite WhatCulture reader. Yay!
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