Batman is one of the most iconic characters in comic history. Period. His abilities as a detective, superior fighting skills, troubled persona, and gritty tone have made him a legend in the eyes of fans for nearly a century.
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Given his popularity, it comes as no surprise that My Hero Academia, a manga and anime series about super heroes, has created a Batman-inspired character of its own. This alley-prowling, crime-fighter is known as Knuckleduster, and he’s one of three leads in the My Hero Academia spinoff series, Vigilantes.
He’s also a way better character than Batman, without a shadow of a doubt.
Look, I know it’s blasphemous to say such a thing on a site that’s literally called “comic book,” but it’s the truth. I know that Batman has thousands upon thousands of appearances under his belt, and just about every person on the planet has read or watched a movie based on his adventures. Trust me, I get it.
But that doesn’t matter here. When it comes to the character being crafted, the way he deals with crime, his relatability to readers, and his overall fit within a story, Knuckleduster is the far superior character to Batman, and it isn’t even close.
I know you’re not with me yet, so here are a few of the reasons that brought me to this place.
Working-Class Hero
First and foremost, Knuckleduster is a working class hero, a true man of the people.
Batman’s alter ego, Bruce Wayne, is one of the wealthiestย individuals in the entire DC Universe. The guy is a bonafideย billionaire playboy that takes to the streets of Gotham once his white collar day at the office is done. Every night, he trades in a power suit for a Bat-suit, a Lamboย for a Batmobile, and rides out into the city like he’s the people’s champion.
Here’s the thing though: Bruce Wayne has no idea how the people of Gothamย actually live. He doesn’t experience the struggle of everyday life like they do. Knuckleduster, on the other hand, comes from the streets that he fights to protect. This guy lives and breathes the struggles of the working class.
This one change alone, this ability to relate to the people he’s fighting for, already makes Knuckleduster the superior character.
Mystery
Batman’s identity may be a mystery to the other characters in the DC Universe, but readers have known all about his civilian life from the jump. Everyone understands who Bruce Wayne is, so there is next-to-nothing for an audience to unpack when it comes to the character’s story.ย
Knuckleduster, however, is nothing but a mystery.ย
When the character arrives in the first issue, you know almost nothing about him, other than the fact that he’s a vigilante who wears a trench coat and has a knack for punching people in the face. There is no mention of his alter ego, backstory, family, home situation, or anything like that.
This allows Knuckleduster’sย tale to actually unfold as MHA: Vigilantes continues. Piece by piece, we’re able to see who this character is when the mask is off, and what he’s like when Koichi and Pop aren’t around.
With a wife who seems to be ailing from an incurable disease and a shocking twist revolving around a daughter no one knew he had, Knuckleduster’sย home life is one of the biggest plot movers of the entire series, providing an unending source of intrigue.ย
Unpredictable
Going hand-in-hand with the mystery surrounding Knuckleduster is his supreme ability to be unpredictable in every single issue.
Because we don’t know much about who this guy is, or where he came from before the series began, it’s hard to guess exactly what he’s going to do when a major situation is in front of him.
At this point, Batman has lost that touch with readers. To no fault of his own, that character has become so established that both comic readers and movie watchers have come to expect a certain decision-making process from the caped crusader. If a writer tries to break that mold, and make Batman unique at any point, longtimeย fanboysย get all up in arms and scream to their 47 followers on Twitter, “That’s not my Batman! My Batman would never do THAT!”
Knuckleduster’sย mysterious background gives him a significant advantage in that, none of us have any clue how he will react to a given situation. We might have some idea, but things are often turned on upside-down on us when he pulls another rabbit out of his hat. There is no telling what this man will do next, making for the most interesting character development imaginable.ย
Killer Instinct
Batman has made clear over the years that he doesn’t kill anyone, so much so that every reader, and every villain, knows it. This leads to a disadvantage, both for Batman in combat, and with those of us reading/watching his story unfold.
That’s not to say thatย a heroic character should kill people. In fact, my point is quite the opposite.ย
Knuckleduster has a killer instinct, and he carries himself in a way that makes everyone believe that he is out for blood. There are times that it looks like he’s enjoying using a villain as a punching bag entirely too much, and I think to myself, “This guy is unhinged.” There’s even a moment (and I’m going to be vague here because I don’t want to spoil it) where Knuckleduster literally goes for the kill when fighting someone he loves. While he had a plan in place to still save that person, as a reader, it was easy to believe that he had actually done the unthinkable.ย
Batman doesn’t have that, and it seriously hurts his stock.
One Step Ahead
Batman is often heralded as the world’s greatest detective, and there are many times where that is true. Over 32 chapters of MHA: Vigilantes, Knuckleduster has proven to be the Dark Knight’s equal in this field, if not more.
The biggest overarching story in this initial run of Vigilantes revolves around a drug that amplifies a person’s quirk, making them an instant super-villain. Knuckleduster and his team are trying to track down the source of this drug.
This sort of investigation is where Knuckleduster truly shines. He always comes out one step ahead of the villains, and even his own teammates. As soon as you think all might be lost, you learn that this dude has had a plan in place the whole time, and everyone was playing into his hand.
Team Player
While Knuckleduster has long operated as a loose cannon, he’s reached the point in his career where he needs a little bit of help now and then. Unlike Batman, he has no problem putting his faith in others.
One of Batman’s biggest flaws is his inability to trust the people around him. Even when he hand picks people like Dick Grayson or Barbara Gordon, Bruce never allows himself to ask them for help. He constantly pushes them away and tries to do things himself. More often than not, his friends end up coming to his rescue, putting everyone in danger anyway.
Knuckleduster learned early on that he needed Koichi and Pop if he wanted to keep fighting. He had some struggles trusting them early, but he has continued to give them more and more responsibility, and involving them in big team decisions. He also knows when to step away, and let the others do the work.
All that said, Knuckleduster still has his secrets. There’s one major investigation that he’s been taking on behind the scenes, away from the rest of the team, that could change the course of the entire series. However, none of his allies expect anything, making this a monumentally intriguing plot thread.
Sense of Humor
This may be a small comparison in the grand scheme of things, but it matters to readers: Knuckleduster actually has a sense of humor.
Yes, Batman can put a smile on a reader’s face every once in a while, but that’s not the norm. He’s usually a very dry character, focusing solely on the task at hand, and not offering much in the way of actual entertainment value. It’s his supporting characters that often crack jokes.
Knuckleduster shines in this regard. He often makes fun of his pupils, or talks trash to his opponents, and these are often times genuinely funny moments. However, the character is written in such a way that these jokes never take away from his intimidating demeanor. If anything, it only adds to his mysterious aura, because you never know when the jokes will stop and the ass-kicking will start.
I know Batman is a beloved character to millions of people out there, and it’s understandable. He’s a great comic book superhero!ย It’s just that Knuckleduster is, well, a better version of that character.ย The sooner we all start accepting that, the better off we’ll be.
If you’ve read Vigilantes and want to talk about how great it is, or if you’re a big Batman fan that feels like screaming at me, hit me up on Twitter @CharlieRidgelyย and let me know what you think.ย
And if you really want to get riled up, check out Kofiย Outlaw’s breakdown of why All Might is a better hero than Superman.
