What Makes a Superhero – Striking Costumes, Cool Capes, Latest Gadgets or the Human Being Within? Batman – The Best Superhero Ever
Batman – The Best Superhero Ever
Batman has been around for almost eight decades and in that time he has continuously adapted and evolved to become the most popular comic character in the history of comiclore. He started off as a grim and dark character but slowly evolved into a colourful caped crusader of the 1960s which gave birth to a highly successful Batman TV series. Adam West’s camp-styled Batman went on to become dearly loved by fans and critics alike and deservingly so – the show helped save the comic book genre and revived the character. After the end of the series, however, Batman reverted back to his dark and foreboding ways. Since then, there has been no stopping the Dark Knight as he climbed up the ladder to become the numero uno fictional character, cementing his position as the best in the business.
But, lately, there have been a lot of haters who feel that Batman is over-hyped. They argue that the writers, and especially the Bat-fanatics [Batman fans], are universally biased towards the Dark Knight and his “preparedness”. Is Batman really deserving of all the praise or is he just an overrated character? Let’s dive into the world of the Caped Crusader and settle this debate once and for all.
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Bat Look – The Best Superhero Ever
Admit it, Superman & Batman have the best and the most iconic look in comics. But Batman has a more badass look thanks to the mask. Though many people have tried and failed, Batman’s look is hard to replicate and has stood the test of time. Unlike Superman’s countless rip-offs that Marvel has so unashamedly debuted time and again, Batman has no duplicate, the ones that are there can’t compete with him on any level, let alone popularity. I’m not saying that Batman’s look hasn’t been duplicated, but it’s so unique that characters who have tried to duplicate the look haven’t really lasted. Batman’s look is simply badass.
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Bat Origin – The Best Superhero Ever
Every superhero needs a strong and inspiring origin story. Without that, you are left with uninteresting characters like Sentry from Marvel, a clichéd rip-off of Superman. The power of Batman’s origin story doesn’t just come from its originality; it resides in the raw, uncaring brutality combined with the loss of childlike innocence. The fans can relate to the loss of Bruce’s parents as it reflects real life situations. And how can anyone not feel strongly for Bruce as he lay there in the dark alley with tears streaming down his face as he comes to grasp the reality of the situation – the people he loved most were no more. It was that moment he became Batman, even though it would be decades before he finally took up the mantle. Bruce Wayne died that day, along with his parents. Without the death of Thomas and Martha Wayne, there’d be no Batman.
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Bat Supporting Cast – The Best Superhero Ever
Without Batman Marvel doesn’t have any serious competition from DC. Batman’s supporting cast isn’t just about other superheroes fighting the good fight, it’s about their individual personalities and plotlines which make fans come back begging for more. Take Alfred for example. He has time and again showed us that he is more than just a butler indulging in the fancies of a mind-crazed billionaire – Alfred is the heart of the Bat-family. We also have Jim Gordon, who is the most recognizable faces in Gotham, and then there is Lucius Fox, Harvey Bullock, Commissioner Loeb etc. I could go on and talk about each of these characters for several hours – their characters are so intricately and painstakingly detailed. Add to that the different Robins, Batwoman, Batgirl, Ace the Bat-Hound, Bat-Mite and the other anti-heroes, and we have a world almost as big as the DC multiverse.
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Bat Villains – The Best Superhero Ever
Even die-hard Marvel fans and Bat-Haters accept the fact that there are no villains in comiclore as good as Batman’s rogues gallery. Batman’s villains outclass and outmatch every other baddie out there on a regular basis. The sheer amount of recognizable baddies in Batman’s rogues’ gallery is simply unmatched. From plain bat-crap crazy to evil genius to super-assassins and monsters – Batman’s villains come in all shapes and sizes. The closest that anyone has come to duplicating such impressive villains and their popularity would be Spider-Man comics. Still, Batman’s desperados are unquestionably the best there are. He also has the crown jewel in the Joker, undoubtedly the most popular villain in comic book history. The Joker is the yin to Batman’s yang, perfectly balanced to showcase each other’s ultimate drive.
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Bat World – The Best Superhero Ever
GCPD. Arkham Asylum. Blackgate Prison. Wayne Manor. The Batcave. Gotham City. Gotham isn’t a place with already existing historical occurrences and landmarks which were simply copied, it is an original creation in itself. Even DC’s Metropolis, Coast City, Central City, Star City etc are no match for the dark, grim visage of Gotham which invokes pure terror. If there are other superheroes coming to Gotham, they have to play by Batman’s rules or go back home with a fat lip. Everything was built from scratch – panel by panel, story by story. As such, the entire history of Gotham was written by the writers according to their fancy, making changes wherever necessary to fit the story rather than changing the story to fit the city. Gotham is Batman’s turf, period.
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Bat Powers – The Best Superhero Ever
“How can you be the greatest superhero if you don’t have superpowers?” – A question that we have heard time and again. But, isn’t this what makes Batman the greatest superhero, ever? He doesn’t have any superpowers! Would you root for the superhero endowed with every superpower there is or would you rather have an underdog without superpowers beating mighty beings as a part of his daily job? This is the reason why Batman is cheered while Sentry is booed. When you have all the superpowers imaginable, there is little else to be done with the character. It’s only when the odds are against us that we apply all our resources. Batman is the underdog in almost every fight as he has to go up against a superpowered being that could squash him like a bug. He has to use his cunning and the resources available in his arsenal to take down the bad guy, instead of relying on super-abilities. As such, it makes up for a very promising confrontation, which otherwise would be dull and boring. In comiclore, Batman can beat anyone and he can be beaten by anyone – this is what makes him such an engaging and appealing character. Simply put, Batman’s greatest power is his wits.
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Bat Comics – The Best Superhero Ever
There is really nothing to be said here. With storylines like The Dark Knight Returns, Hush, Year One, Year 100, Dark Victory, The Killing Joke just to name a few, Batman’s comic sales have skyrocketed to make the adventures of the Caped Crusader one of the most profitable ventures ever.
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Bat Movies – The Best Superhero Ever
Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman started it all. It revitalized the superhero genre while Nolan’s trilogy took it to further heights by adding realism to the genre. Christopher Nolan raised the bar of superheroes movies, daring to go where no one had ever dared before. The sheer number of reboots that were considered for Batman was ridiculous as no other comic book hero had even approached this same level of cinematic success. Yes, Iron Man alone launched the goliath we know today as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But, apart from the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, it wasn’t a pioneer or a game-changer for its own character. Also, when it comes to the sales of home video formats, it’s a no-contest situation.
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Bat TV Shows – The Best Superhero Ever
In the 1960’s TV was taken by storm when Batman debuted with Adam West playing the titular character. Though it followed a camp-styled story of the Silent Guardian, the show was a major commercial and cultural success. But, Batman’s return came with Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series – the show widely regarded as one of the greatest animated TV series ever. Timm’s Batman along with Nolan’s The Dark Knight is the biggest reason why there are so many Bat-Fanatics out there today. Again, no other superhero comes close to surpassing Batman in this area, though countless have tried.
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Bat Video Games – The Best Superhero Ever
This is a dangerous area for most superheroes. Even Superman is scared to make an appearance here. But, Batman being Batman launched its Arkham series and the rest is history. When it comes to “Best Superhero Video Game Ever“, the Arkham series takes home all the awards, with fans & critics alike calling the franchise the ultimate superhero video game. Marvel has, of course, put out some great games which include multiple characters, but, the numbers speak for themselves. Batman has no equal here.
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Bat Moments – The Best Superhero Ever
Be it taking down the entire Justice League or kicking Darkseid’s ass, knocking out Guy Gardner with one punch or punching one of the New Gods – Orion, defeating a shark or taking on three Martians of the Hyperclan and having their ass handed to them, stealing Hal Jordan’s power ring or going toe to toe with Superman multiple times and coming out victorious – Batman has done it all; with élan.
Say what you will, Batman still rules the superhero roster, and it’s not going to change anytime soon. Batman has proved time and again why he’s the top dog in comiclore. He is the quintessential human being who rules the night, fighting crime and kicking ass. He constantly shows us that it doesn’t take a lot to be a hero. Anyone can be a hero, you just need to believe in yourself and make a difference.
Yes, anyone can be Batman!
Sources:
Why Batman is the greatest ever – Batman – Reignmaker – Comic Vine
Somyak Dhar’s answer to How is Batman considered the greatest superhero of all time? He doesn’t have any superpowers. He’s basically a guy with money.
The Idiot's Corner 