We all love Batman, but why should we like a hero who has no special superpowers yet is still able to run with the big dogs?
Staff writer Britt Turkington has a few ideas as to why Batman definitely should be your all time favourite superhero:
Interrogation
Lets
face it, Batman is the ultimate interrogator. Whether he is using law
enforcement techniques or torture he always manages to get the goods.
Although he normally just uses his threatening appearance for answers he
has also been known to hang a person over the edge of a building by the
leg or chain them upside down to beat them.
Mad skills
To
go along with that torture Batman is easily one of the greatest martial
artists in the DC universe. Wayne dedicates himself to physical and
mental training before donning the bat-themed suit to fight crime. One
of the best examples is a particular fight in Batman: The Dark Knight
Returns in which Batman is fighting the leader of a gang in a mud pit. I
won’t ruin the scene for those of you who may not have seen it but
there is a particular line that sums up my point fabulously; "You don't get it son, this is no mud hole, this is an operating table, and I'm the surgeon!"
Crime solver
In
the stories, Batman is regarded as one of the world’s greatest
detective. He has all the resources he needs at his fingertips and
doesn’t waste any of it. In Grant Morrison’s first storyline in JLA
Superman describes Batman as “the most dangerous man on Earth,” able to
defeat a team of super-powered aliens alone in order to rescue his
imprisoned teammates.
Batcave
Who
wouldn’t want their own headquarters hidden behind a secret entrance
that is devoted to storing your plethora of equipment. Need I say more?
Speaking of equipment…
Although
the utility belt’s contents have been modified through the years to
accommodate various crime-fighting scenarios, there is never a shortage
of exciting tools and tricks to get the job done. From finger tasers to
batarangs, EMP guns to kryptonite rings, and rebreathers to bat-shark repellent… That’s right ladies and gentleman. Bat-shark repellent.
The villains
Batman’s
enemies are some of the most unbalanced and psychologically disturbed.
Most of which have gone through some traumatic event but, unlike Wayne,
have turned to a life of criminal activity. Often this villains are
twisted mirror images of Batman himself. If Wayne was to take a left
instead of a right, it would be entirely possible to become the exact
thing he works so hard to destroy. This adds an interesting layer to the
Batman stories.
No superpowers? No Problem
Unlike
most superheroes, he doesn’t actually have any superpowers. He is just
like us… Well, a really rich version of us. And if we want to aspire to
be like him, we don’t need to be from another planet, have a special
ring, or be in some terrible toxic accident to gain super strength. He
uses his intellect, science and technology, physical prowess,
intimidation, and, okay, his money for his crime fighting.
He has heart
He is what it means to take tragedy and turn it into victory. He has taken the fear and anger from the traumatic event of his parents death and turned it into a lifetime of crime fighting. In Batman: The Animated Series, Gotham District Attorney Janet van Dorn spent the entire first half of an episode haranguing Batman under the belief his vigilante justice had made the crime in Gotham worse. After being forced to defend him in a sham trial, at the end of the episode she acknowledges his effectiveness in fighting crime. She says “I see now there's a need for the things you do. But I'm still going to work toward a city that doesn't need Batman.” to which he replies “Me too”. He represents what it means to consistently do the right thing and that is what it means to be a hero.