Batman is the most popular superhero ever. The Dark Knight has changed a lot over the decades, going from the dark avenger of the early days to the smiling superhero of the Silver and Bronze Age to the darker hero that has been the dominant paradigm ever since. DC Comics has made Gotham’s greatest hero into a legend, and this has paid off for his fans. The character has been given the best rogues gallery in comics, an amazing supporting cast, and numerous books. Every major comic creator has a Batman story they want to tell, and DC has done everything they can make those stories a reality.
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Batman has had some amazing adventures in the comics, leading readers down dark alleys and into devious death traps to battle the most dangerous characters out there. His comics have given readers some amazing thrills, and over the years, these fans have developed some notions about the character. However, these notions aren’t always correct, and here’s five Batman ideas DC fans are wrong about.
5) Batman Deserves All Those Books
There are always a lot of Batman comics, and this has caused no small amount of uproar among DC fans. The most common refrain is that those books would be better going to other characters, and this isn’t exactly wrong. There are so many Batman books every month, and things would be better if other characters got their shot. However, here’s the thing: Batman comics sell. They sell very well. Unfortunately, comics are a business, and they need to sell. Not only do books starring the Dark Knight sell, but profits from those books help pay for less popular series to continue. We all complain about how many books the character gets, but without his huge sales, a lot of your favorite lower-selling books wouldn’t be around.
4) Batman Shouldn’t Be Able to Beat Everyone
Batman’s popularity can make him pretty annoying, and one of the worst parts of that is Batgod. It’s an idea that Batman can always win. He can solve any problem, and with enough prep time can easily beat just about anyone. Most comic fans hate this, but there are some Batman fans who love it. We’ve all seen these kinds of fans, the kind who cling to the myth of prep time like it’s some kind of holy scripture. There’s no reason for Batman to be able to beat everyone with prep time, and it would be way better if the character wasn’t basically invincible.
3) Bruce Wayne Is a Better Batman than Dick Grayson
There are a lot of DC fans out there who believe that Dick Grayson is the best Batman. There’s a honestly a lot to that idea. Dick is a more well-liked hero, a great leader who has been fighting evil since he was child. He’s supremely gifted in crimefighting, and made for the perfect replacement for Bruce Wayne after his “death” in Final Crisis. However, as great as Dick was in the cowl, Bruce is the still the best Dark Knight. He’s more skilled, more committed, and understands the intimidation factor. He’s more willing to sacrifice his life for the mission, and has been able to ride herd on the Batman family when Dick couldn’t. On top of that, he’s so interesting to read about as Batman. Let’s be real: if Dick was the better Batman, than DC would have kept him there.
2) Tom King’s Batman Run Was Better than the Scott Snyder Run
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s New 52 run on Batman is one of the most beloved of the 21st century. It served readers up the Court of Owls, several climactic battles against the Joker, a new “first” Batman story, and Jim Gordon as armored Batman a la Appleseed. It was a cool run with some fun stories. It was followed by Tom King’s Rebirth run, which has become one of the most contentious Batman runs ever. King’s Batman was more psychological and dug into the trauma of his life so much more. Snyder and Capullo’s Batman stories didn’t have the same kind of depth that King’s did, and while there are certainly some mistakes from King’s run (the whole rigamarole with Batman and Catwoman’s marriage or KGBeast shooting Dick Grayson),there are some awesome stories that dig into who the Dark Knight is. It’s a fantastic run, and it’s better than people think.
1) Batman Is Better with Alfred Dead
One of the biggest shocks of the Tom King run was the death of Alfred Pennyworth, Batman’s longtime butler. It was a moment that fans never thought would ever happen, and a lot of fans aren’t exactly happy about the whole thing. The Wayne family butler is one of the most important characters in the Batman mythos, and it can be weird without him. However, as much as we all miss him, the lack of comics’ greatest butler (sorry, Jarvis; I love you but we all know the truth), has actually been pretty great. It’s forced Bruce Wayne to actually have to step up as a father to the Batman family, and has changed the dynamics of the books. There’s always a chance that the character will be resurrected, but for now, this is the right call for the Batman comics. Besides, Alfred still lives in flashbacks and alternate universe stories, so we still get to spend time with him.
What are your favorite unpopular Batman opinions? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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