Is not liking Batman a crime?

[keniakittykat]

I hate batman. There. I said it. Okay, maybe not hate, but I'm not a fan in any way.

Look, I know it's an unpopular opinion, and no it's not because I'm a hipster. I just think that Batman is just such a downer emo rich-boy. Yes, your parents got killed, we get it. And there's really not much more you can do with him. He's quite one-dimensional to me and he doesn't need to have a personality because angsty brooding seems to be enough. Not to mention he's super rich and gets everything handed to him. So without his money it's easy to imagine him just staring at the walls, doing nothing. I know there are many different takes on the character but there's so little variation. Like the Dark knight movie, I only liked the Joker. I think I have more fun watching Adam West batman from the 60's or even that Batman and Robin movie. At least those things don't take themselves so excruciatingly seriously.

But I will admit that the Arkham games are pretty good. But that's the gameplay, not the character or the story.

And it seems that whenever I tell someone I don't like batman, I get bombarded with reasons why I'm supposed to "love" it, and how great the movies are, and that the comics are awesome, that I'm an idiot, and yada-yada.. Especially when I tell them I'm more of an Aquaman fan in the same breath.

Why are people so religiously devoted to this completely overdone character? I don't get the appeal, and I fear I never will. I mean, I like things others don't and what's the point in 'converting' someone to your likes?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go turn in my geek badge.

 

[DugMachine]

No it's not. I'm not a Batman fan either, nothing about his story is that fascinating to me and I don't think I'll ever get it. I did get those Arkham games from the humble bundle tho and I'm sure I'll play them eventually.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

For reasons unrelated to the character, I dislike Batman. Someone who did a lot of damage to my family constantly cosplays as him and was a Batman fanatic. Just kind of brings up bitter memories looking at the superhero.

However, when I make myself look past that... I kind of like Batman but I'm not obsessed with the movies or comics. I'm kind of getting sick of how much Batman there is right now.

I was gifted Arkham Asylum for my Birthday and I need to play it but not now. I'm going to get to it in a year or so.

 

[Weaver]

Eh, I can take him or leave him personally.
I don't really like super heroes in general for some reason.

 

[GiantRaven]

Not really. As someone who likes Batman, it's difficult to find more than a few really good Batman stories.

 

[Moderated]

So without his money it's easy to imagine him just staring at the walls, doing nothing.

Trained to be a bounty hunter, assassin, master of several martial arts, self defense styles, wrestling styles, trained under an escape artist, traveled the world studying many different subjects, trains every day, master of poisons, chemistry, technology, a shitton of other stuff.
He's not just some guy with technology to mimic super powers like iron man, the man is a genius badass with or without his toys.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

So without his money it's easy to imagine him just staring at the walls, doing nothing.

Trained to be a bounty hunter, assassin, master of several martial arts, self defense styles, wrestling styles, trained under an escape artist, traveled the world studying many different subjects, trains every day, master of poisons, chemistry, technology, a shitton of other stuff.
He's not just some guy with technology to mimic super powers like iron man, the man is a genius badass with or without his toys.

It can be argued that he never would have gotten the chance to train in all those things without having his money, but I totally agree with you, with or without money, I don't see Bruce Wayne just sitting around doing nothing. If anything, without his money he probably would have ended up similar to one of the other "powerless" superheroes, like Crimson Avenger or Manhunter.

 

[mmmikey]

I don't like Batman. I don't necessarily hate him either but his fans sound ridiculous to me. When people say "Well, he's not really a superhero. He's just an ordinary guy who trained his whole life to be Batman." But it doesn't add up. Any world class athlete couldn't hope to do anything he does. He has mastered things that take lifetimes to achieve in what has to be his 20s or early 30s. He always has a backup plan or escape route or way to win.

The only Batman story I've really liked would be Year One and Year One Hundred. I actually liked the latter because they kept his identity a secret and he seemed much more human.

 

[Auron225]

It is to Batman...

Spoiler: RUN!

...Honestly, no - you're entitled to your opinions and no-one else has the right to say otherwise... except Batman... wait...

 

[Shoggoth2588]

It's not a crime to have your own opinion, even if that opinion is on an insanely popular character. Overall, your opinion of said character has no real baring on anybody or anything. Hell, there are likely dozens of people on this very website who claim to love Batman but who haven't picked up a single comic with him in it! Or watched a Batman film that wasn't directed by Nolan...or watched a non-animated Batman TV show.

Anyway, I like Batman to an extent. I hated the Nolan Batman films personally. The best part of the entire trilogy in my opinion is the Dock scene from Begins, when Batman kind of debuts.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?"
"Here" (spoken in a husky whisper that isn't at all a comical roar)

I love The Animated Series but not to the point that I own the DVDs...yet. I've also read a number of Batman graphic novels though when it comes to the comics, Red Son and, Brainiac (one of them anyway) turned me more towards Superman...then there are the Blue Beetle comics that swept me off my feet.

Spoiler: This one

I really need to get All-Star Superman...Kinda want Booster Gold/Blue Beetle comics a bit more though because apparently they're freaking awesome.

 

[Little Woodsman]

Hey you like what you like.
I like some versions of the character, but not others. Been sooooo many over the decades....
Did you feel a need to make a thread about it just due to the constant gushing of affection for the character that happens on this site, or are you plagued by personal acquaintances who won't shut up about him?

 

[EternallyBored]

Meh, Batmans alright, but he's not really my favorite. He's got some great series, and some of the best non-comic DC stuff, the original animated series and the Arkham series are still some of the best DC superhero properties out there. But overall, yeah, he gets pushed because he's popular, but without his villains he's honestly kind of boring. Superman tends to be more entertaining as part of the Justice League, but Batman usually seems to have his better stuff when it's just about him.

People obsess over him because he's one of the big cultural icons in the west. Very few people actually read the comics compared to the other stuff, and yet pretty much anyone in the U.S. can at least tell you who Batman is. The thing with cultural icons is that it tends to attract a lot of people, and like anything with a broad cultural following, you start to attract the crazy people, or at least the really outspoken ones. Still, I doubt anyone rational gives two shits whether a random person likes Batman or not, so don't worry about it too much.

If you're running into this attitude on the internet, then it's probably just hyperbole, proper tone is hard to convey by text, so what looks like rage or anger at your opinion could very well just be mild annoyance or neutral disagreement. It could also just be people trying to get a rise out you, I doubt even most hardcore Batman fans would care, unless you're going around posting multiple topics about how much you hate a character, and try to push your opinion as objective fact. That might annoy the more dedicated fans.

As for "converting people to your likes", Honestly, every time someone says this to me it usually ends up being gross over exaggeration, nobody's trying to convert anybody, people like to talk about what they like, and they may not realize that it's something you don't want to talk about.

Even the most annoying fans will back off if you just tell them you're not interested, if you launch into a diatribe about why you hate the subject of their discussion, that's not them "trying to convert you" that's you starting an argument and then acting confused when they decide to argue back.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I like him. I don't know if I'm a fan. I liked the Tim Burton movies. Then I liked the Chris Nolan movies. Then I liked Arkham City. Then I liked Arkham Asylum (I played them in that order). Then I liked the graphic novel Arkham Asylum. Then I liked The Long Halloween. And now I like collecting Knightfall issues. And yet there's tons of stuff I'd criticize about Batman. So no sweat.

 

[Psychobabble]

No it's not a crime. Just as me hating the film Inception isn't a crime. *gets ready to duck*

I liked Batman in the late 80s and 90s but we've become a tad over-saturated with him these last few years. He's a character that honestly doesn't have much depth and is virtually unchangeable so a little of him goes a long way. And it doesn't help matters that he also usually a massive fucking killjoy.

 

[Lunar Templar]

not at all, and any one who says differently is factually wrong.

you are entitled to like or dislike what ever you want, I mean I watch anime, but absolutely despise Eva, and Akira, and those are 'classics every one should watch' >.> yeah, no, once was to much imo.

 

[Muspelheim]

I do prefer the colourful and fun Batman, myself. He's still the least interesting element present, but at least he's got some charm.

The grey, miserable Batgritman just isn't very fun. He's more like some sort of robot, programmed to be calculating and "badass" to the point of boredom. The only thing he seems to do is to hunt down other mentally ill people and beat them, maybe wrangling up some of Gotham City's poorer residents that are forced to work for mentally ill people in costumes because the welfare system seemed to have utterly collapsed.

(Interesting aside, I wonder if Bruce Wayne and BatCo are lobbying efficiently against welfare campaigns in Gotham City to ensure he doesn't run out of petty criminals to take out his issues at?)

He just isn't particularly engaging in his current form.

 

[vid87]

I enjoy him immensely, but as I get older I come to think there is so much more that can be done with him as a character but the power fantasy he embodies as the "perfect badass" keeps him from ever being made vulnerable or emotional. The animated series was the closest I feel he came to being a genuine character rather than either full camp or raging psychopath (hell I love the Arkham games and he comes off arrogant to the point of almost suicidal). I can understand why you might not like him - it's for many of the same reasons I've recently been questioning him myself. Hopefully enough people feel that way that maybe the series can take a step or two forward.

 

[Frankster]

If it's not a crime then maybe it should be!

Serious answer: I'm rather fond of the character from the animated series/justice league cartoons and reckon he has an awesome rogues gallery, so am on the pro batman side and can't get enough of the caped crusader.
Except the Nolan version, I can't stand his portrayal of Batman in that and unironically prefer any of the Joel Schumacher films, at least batman credit card made me lol.

But to each their own superheroes, if you don't like the character then it's your right

 

[Olas]

Batman has become SOOOO overrated. He's not terrible, just not great. The Nolan films were really good, but not because they were about Batman. Nolan just took a mediocre character and injected some of his brilliance into him to make him work for two and a half movies. Even then Batman managed to be one of the least interesting characters in his own trilogy IMO.

The problem with Batman is he has his feet stuck in two irreconcilable aisles, being both a very goofy character, and a very stoic dark character at the same time.

If you try to make him a fun character you have to deal with the fact that he chose to become Batman because he witnessed his parents get murdered before his eyes, and that his entire theme is that of fear.

However, if you try to make him dark and gritty you have to deal with the fact that he's a grown ass man who chooses to dress up like a bat, in tights and cape no less, and run around the streets fighting criminals with bat themed gadgets.

I think the only reason he's so popular now is that there's been so many different iterations of him that everyone is bound to have one they like. Some people like cartoon Batman, some people like the Tim Burton Batman, some people like the Nolan Batman. However these are really different characters that just so happen to wear the same monicre. No single iteration of Batman is really that universally liked.