16. The Cape & The Cowl
Think about this: a man dressed like a bat, on paper and without context behind it, sounds ludicrous. But take a look at that twin peaked Cowl and billowing black Cape in harsh silhouette and any looming kitschiness within the concept is immediately dispelled.
Of course it isnt just aesthetic. The Cape not only allows him to glide, but provides a false target for gun-toting thugs. And in the more modern iterations of the character, the Cowl doubles as a face-mounted computer, giving him remote visual access to the information stored on the Bat-network. Always he maintains his fear-evoking image but never at the expense of increased functionality.
Batmans costume plays as huge a role in his combat style as even Iron Man or Steel, if only affording him a fraction of the protection.
17. He's The World's Greatest Detective
Theres something infinitely endearing to me about the conventional lone detective figure; awash in a torrent of crime and corruption, the long-suffering gumshoe always manages to remain one step ahead of the game (think Bogart in the Maltese Falcon).
Batman takes this, one of our all-time favourite genre conventions, and makes a superhero out of it. Awesome
18. The Bat Network
The immense annals of information that Batman has collected over the years, on nearly every super-villain, criminal and organisation in the DC Universe, and the network that hes set up to hold it all are one of the very reasons that hes earned the moniker of Worlds Greatest Detective.
Desire for knowledge is an all too human ideal. Its one of the reasons why the Bat Network is such a satisfying prop; wouldnt you love to have that wealth of information at your fingertips?
19. He Has A File On Literally Everyone
Its part of the genius, and the darkness, of Batman. He documents everything. Right down to his fellow heroes secret identities and their weaknesses, to exploit should they ever go rogue (as detailed in JLA: Tower of Babel, a compelling tale illuminating the true depth of Batmans paranoia). Whoever it may be, he knows at least something about them, even if we dont know he knows yet. Its his way of bringing order to the chaos but its also a satisfying characterization that further points us towards Batmans omniscience.
20. Gadgets
We all know Batman is the gadget master. From a simple re-breather all the way up to a fully armoured robotic Batsuit, Batman has such a range of gadgets and non-lethal weapons at his disposal that he can feasibly react to almost any situation. And if he doesnt have the gadget for a task, you can be damn sure hell go back to the Batcave and engineer it.
We love Gadgets dont we? Theres a good chance you might even be reading this article on a gadget or gizmo, like an iPad for instance (hey Apple, wheres my cheque?!). With that in mind, Batmans penchant for gadgetry clearly taps into a deep-seated societal obsession, creating yet more relatability. As if we needed it.