10 Reasons Why Batman Is The Most Overrated Character Of All Time

3. It's His Rogues Who Are The Real Bread And Butter Of Batman's Stories

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This statement has been reiterated so much it's almost become a cliché, even if it does bear a great deal of truth. Joker, Bane, Mr Freeze, Catwoman, Riddler - all have featured in what are now deemed legendary story-arcs. Not because of a dependence on Batman, but because of their absorbing and at times alluring personalities. Some may say an antagonist is only as compelling as the protagonist they're facing, but these characters are so enjoyable that needn't be the case.

I must admit that there is a certain equilibrium to be shared between some of these rogues and the caped crusader however, particularly in relation to Joker, Riddler and Bane's rivalry with the character. There is a lot of joy to derive from Riddler being bested by Batman's withdrawn intelligence, as well as seeing Bruce overcome Bane as a sheer trial of fire, but it is the Clown Prince of Crime's constant psychological battles with Batman that garner the most praise, even if they are devolving into repeated plot lines now. It's ironic because most of the time the relationship is presented as a false-dichotomy of sorts, with Batman being the righteous symbol of justice and order, and Joker as the embodiment of chaos and destruction, when in fact the characters intersect on a multitude of issues - a fact that Joker aims to prove in his own sick way.

It's an incredible relationship to examine, but one not so rudimentarily black and white as has often been described. This is when the character is at his most gripping - when his rogues are testing him. It's easy to see the appeal in relation to this, but on his own Bruce isn't all that special.

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WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.