Why Do People Like Batman So Much?

[Radoh]

Because people find a multi-billionaire with access to a Lucius Fox and master of 137 forms of Martial Arts who's trained himself "to be the best at everything" and a complete inability to cope with loss and a changing enviornment is apparently super relatable.

Honestly, the only reason I pay any attention to Batman at all is because of the villains.
Joker and the Red Hood, especially in Under the Red Hood.

 

[Olas]

I think he'd be significantly more awesome if he simply dropped the bat symbolism and just went around as the Dark Knight. I mean it's not like he has actual bat powers or anything like say spiderman. He's just a brilliant, athletic, rich vigilante who arbitrarily chooses to design every gadget and tool to look like a bat.

Also, his decision not to use guns is admirable, but makes him a bit hard to take seriously.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Because he has no superpowers, isn't a goody-two-shoes, has a tragic backstory, is a vigilante not an endorsed part of the police, the villains are great and finally there's been this sort of dynamic where he needs to fight the Joker for his own sanity and the Joker's only reason to commit crime is to f*** with Batman, so really, he puts Gotham at risk knowingly, and that is an interesting character to me. Sort of helps that he's had the best recent movies of all the superheroes.

 

[Heronblade]

He's one of only a tiny handful of comic heroes that uses his intellect to succeed, as opposed to brute force or magic tricks of some kind.

I do find his dedication to no killing... extreme, but it is admirable in its own way. On the other hand the Punisher is nothing more than a murderous thug. Killing someone out of necessity is one thing, slaughtering entire groups of people by horrible means is quite another.

 

[sXeth]

I've always found the main problem with his DC-Universe presence to be that he is in the Justice League.

He doesn't really fit in either power level or tone. To take the OPs example, you don't see the Punisher in the Avengers. You don't even get Batman-expy Moon Knight (who occasionally has superpowers in some versions).

Robin I can sort of buy as a humanizing anchor to the Dark Knight, but its a bit illogical that he goes palling around with these more traditonal "Cape" (for those familiar with tvtropes) heroes.

 

[pnts]

He's a billionaire that has decided the best way to combat crime is to drive a rocket powered car, beat up people over petty crimes, and use like a 13 year old boy for dangerous missions. He's crazy. It's awesome.
He could just donate millions of dollars to the Gotham police force but he doesn't. He takes the most ridiculously absurd route of combating crime you could possibly imagine. He dresses like a bat and uses ninja tactics and a grappling hook to fight the mob. It's the most interesting superhero I can think of.

 

[rob_simple]

Because unlike all the superheroes over at Marvel that do nothing but whine and ***** about their problems, Batman shrugged off two dead parents and went about cracking skulls.

The thing I've always liked about Batman over other superheroes is that his only superpower appears to be mental illness. He's much more efficient than other heroes who spend half the story having a crisis of confidence until someone they love is put in danger and suddenly, oh shit, the power was in them all along.

Batman figures out who needs a slap, goes and administers it, gets his back broken, then comes back to slap them about some more.

That is why he is king.

 

[Nowhere Man]

snip

All of this. I just watched an Injustice: Gods among us video tournament where it finally came down to Batman and Superman and I just knew before the last match started that they would have Batman win. And he did. And I wasn't surprised. I love Batman and all, but there's no way a human could ever taken on a super powered solar space alien without getting pounded to jelly lol. And to the people that say "Well he's smart and stuff and has like a kryptonite ring in his utility belt and bla bla bla", I say that makes it a cheap fight and if that were the case just give Lois Lane the ring and she could kick Supes ass as well.

It's all just a popularity contest anyway and Batman is more prevalent in the public eye with all the recent films and cartoons and graphic novels and such. He's also a "gritty" character and you know how people nowadays love their grit.
I think if the new Man of Steel movie is successful it'll go a long way in getting him on even ground again with Mr. Wayne. I also always hear how hard it is to write for Superman where writing for Batman is much easier.

 

[Bat Vader]

I think what really made me like Batman was Batman: The Animated Series. Each episode was really well written and Bruce Wayne had a lot of emotional and mental issues to deal with too. They didn't show him as a playboy billionaire like in the movies. In Batman:TAS he ran his company really well like any good CEO would. Plus, it helps he is voiced by the awesome Kevin Conroy.

I like that he is a hero and can keep up with the best of them like SuperMan and Wonder Woman but doesn't need super powers to do it. He is always crazy prepared for everything.

 

[gorfias]

Back in the 90s, when there were all sorts of new characters and artists and styles, someone did a good Batman story with him against some Russian bad guy, The Beast. I recall a fan magazine highlighting this episode and noting in amazement how great looking a character Batman still is, even compared to all these new guys like The Spawn.

He really is a great looking character. Add to that his back story: brilliant, athletic billionaire that has trained himself and has lots of great toys. Great array of villains. His stories could probably write themselves.

The quality of the stories do depend upon the talent of the writer. An example of this in reverse: Daredevil is a pretty lame character. Frank Miller did wonders with that guy. He created a modern legend with Batman.

 

[lunavixen]

Because he has no superpowers, isn't a goody-two-shoes, has a tragic backstory, is a vigilante not an endorsed part of the police, the villains are great and finally there's been this sort of dynamic where he needs to fight the Joker for his own sanity and the Joker's only reason to commit crime is to f*** with Batman, so really, he puts Gotham at risk knowingly, and that is an interesting character to me. Sort of helps that he's had the best recent movies of all the superheroes.

pretty much this, that being said i've personally been more partial to Batgirl (Barbara Gordon most specifically) than Batman. I think it's an intriguing series overall and the way Batman has been developed over the years has made him into an interesting character he didn't get his abilities through an accident or by happenstance of birth, he had to train for years to get there.

 

[ObsidianJones_v1legacy]

Have this thread already reached the point where we're trying to inject serious logic into comics? Ugh...

I wash my hands of this weirdness.

Point, but what would be the purpose of even making a thread.

If we weren't going to back up our reasons with these icky 'facts' things, it would have just been "Because we do"

 

[Shock and Awe]

I believe the reason people love Batman is because he is a man that seems to have overcome human weakness, yet is still undoubtedly limited by it. Its that every time a situation comes up that everyone would tell him "You can't do it, you're just human", he still goes on to the fight and comes out on the other side. He doesn't do it with some other worldly powers like Superman, he does it with his intelligence and utter will. There are a lot of examples of this, but one of the better known ones is in The Dark Night Rises. Despite the fact the odds seem utterly insurmountable he fights and wins. He does what does not because he has to, not because he was given some "great power and with it great responsibility", he does it because he believes it to be right. Even when he could easily walk away from it all and do whatever he wants he does not; because he can make a difference, therefore he must.

 

[Nowhere Man]

Have this thread already reached the point where we're trying to inject serious logic into comics? Ugh...

I wash my hands of this weirdness.

It's a thread about comic book heroes. Half the fun is debating who would beat who and who is better and why. Good ol' school yard fun that's all.

 

[jackinmydaniels]

Because he BEAT Superman.


See? He's the only guy who can lay down the smack on golden boy and get away with it. In seriousness though, I always like Batman more because of his perseverance. He doesn't save Gotham by flying in and saving the day with a bunch of flashy super powers, he struggles, gets beat around, but still does it. It isn't pretty or flashy, but at the end of the day, he did what he had to do.

 

[Offworlder_v1legacy]

I think because Batman is 'the' character right now in popular fiction, and that character is generally loved by just about everyone. It's starting to die down now, probably because people are getting sick of him, which is expected considering how much exposure he has gotten over the past ten years.

This is coming from someone who doesn't read comic books and has only really observed Batman, rather than explore the character.

 

[Kolby Jack]

I like Batman, but he's not my favorite superhero. Rarely does a writer seem to be able to write Batman well. Either they try too hard to be gritty and realistic (which ultimately fails since he employs children as crimefighters and he shares a universe with aliens, zombies, magicians, and Plastic Man), or they make him too campy (which also fails because Batman has a tragic backstory and is supposed to be serious in character). It's a difficult balance to meet, though Batman: TAS succeeded almost totally.

Batman fans are also insufferable. Many of them assert Batman can beat literally anyone in the DC universe (and beyond) single-handedly with enough planning, yet praise him for having no superpowers and being "realistic." Ugh. First off, Batman is outclassed by many, MANY characters in the DC universe and has absolutely no chance against them without help. You think gadgets can beat Darkseid? Yea, no, fuck you if you dare say that. Superman for that matter could kill Batman with little more than a glance from miles away if he wanted to. Kryptonite isn't a factor unless Supes is close, and even then, it doesn't diminish his powers. He's fought through it before (like, every time he fights Metallo).

So yea, Batman is really no better than any other superhero, he's just had a good run of TV shows and movies lately. His popularity is higher than ever, but it will only stay that way until another terrible Batman movie gets made.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

Well by himself I don't really find batman all that appealing, but I do like the role he serves. In the context of his own world I like the villains though and the cynical tone set by making the hero grim and serious and the villains goofy and whimsical. In the context of the justice league, I think that one of the things that makes him immediately come off as more badass than a lot of other badass characters in fiction is that he's a normal guy fighting super powered enemies waaay stronger than him and he often wins. (Though I do think it's a bit silly that such a "serious" character would insist that all his boomerangs be shaped like bats.)

 

[Kolby Jack]

Because he BEAT Superman.


See? He's the only guy who can lay down the smack on golden boy and get away with it. In seriousness though, I always like Batman more because of his perseverance. He doesn't save Gotham by flying in and saving the day with a bunch of flashy super powers, he struggles, gets beat around, but still does it. It isn't pretty or flashy, but at the end of the day, he did what he had to do.

Frank Miller is a hack. Also, Green Arrow and Robin helped him win that fight. And Superman was definitely not going all-out, whereas Batman had to pull out all the stops.

But some of my favorite DC stories are when Superman and Batman team up. There is a reason they are best friends. They each make the other better: Superman giving Batman an example of what being truly good is, and Batman showing Superman the best qualities of humanity so he doesn't forget them. Most importantly they have a deep mutual understanding and respect for each other. It's a good dynamic.