More often then not people say he's just a regular human being and he's more a vigilante than a true superhero.

Everytime he's featured alongside a "superhero" he gets ragged for not being made useless by said hero for not having powers.

Why isn't Batman considered a Superhero?

Imo once you cross the threshold from gritty street level fiction and move into sci-fi or cosmic type stories that make liberal use of comic book science I think of you as a superhero.

Batman was literally the first superhero we saw in the new 52. He wasn't called a vigilante he was called a superhero.

Batman is the leader of a team of superhumans.They rarely if ever comment on him being different from them unless its to joke.

Batman is considered one of the smartest people on the planet. He isn't just some stomp around in a bat costume he us a legit genius.

Batman has a longer career than everyone else. He was the first hero to emerge and he is still doing it.

Do you think Batman is a superhero?

Who doesn't consider Batman a superhero?

He will always be a superhero no matter what anyone says the only people who say he isn't just don't like him as much as others.

Honestly, I consider him a hero, but not a Superhero. In the DC Universe, Bruce is a human. He is not a super/metahuman, despite all the evidence that he probably is a Meta.

I hear the term "Superhero," I tend to lean more towards someone with some sort of Super Power, or something about then that sets them apart from the norm that isn't easily obtainable.

For the sake of it being Bruce, I doubt any average human will be allowed to reach said levels of perfection Bruce has reached, but the gap between guys like Bruce, Queen, and Luthor really shouldn't be that wide, aside from their specialties (Archery for Oliver, Intelligence for Lex, etc.)

Doesn't make him any less a hero, but no, I don't consider Bruce a Superhero, but that would go for a lot of street-level guys as well. And some not so street-levelers.

Yeah he's a superhero. You don't need to have powers to be one. And his intelligence is basically good enough to be a power anyway.

Of course he is... He's a member of the justice league, he is and was capable of putting together plans that could take down any of these superhuman heroes if needed, the guy is incredibly intelligent and has solved some of the biggest cases and crimes throughout the univese.

Also if you've been keeping up with the whole Robin rises storyline, he had a symbiote like armor suit that he is wearing currently on Apokolips and he is taking down most of Darkseids army and is about to step up to Darkseid himself.

In my mind and im not just saying this because im a huge Batman fan. he is a Superhero and far above just a regular street level vigilante.

Let's not forget that Batman can basically do anything if given prep time.

People who don't know Batman aside from the live action movies, where he wouldn't meet that definition.

@scouterv: You realize the 'super' in superhero doesn't refer to superpowers? Batman is a superhero because he does superhuman things, things that most humans would not be capable off without the extreme training he went through.

I...disagree.

But you're also talking to a guy who thinks Batman actually has Superpowers, because of how he's written, despite nobody ever saying so because then it sort of "cheapens," him, I suppose.

Still, if DC wants to continually spin him as a human, despite not really writing him as such, who am I to disagree? What that means though, is that, by my personal definition, Batman is not a Superhero.

Well, and I'm not saying this to be a dick, but you can redefine words all you like, it doesn't change anything. Batman IS a superhero. I'm taking this from the Wikipedia page, but it is as accurate a definition as any: In modern popular fiction, a superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a type of hero character possessing extraordinary talents, supernatural phenomena, or superhuman powers and dedicated to protecting the public.

Another definition: A fictional figure having superhuman powers or greatly enhanced abilities, usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime.

A Superhero is not defined by super powers, but by capabilities/abilities and actions. Batman doesn't have super powers, but he is certainly a super human.

Also, I don't think Batman has powers, but it's pretty clear DCU (and Marvel for that matter) humans are pretty distinct from us.

For damn sure he is in the Batman forums!

Of course he is

@muyjingo: Well, I don't consider myself redefining anything. Batman is a hero, but he's not a Superhero to me.

Yeah, I guess anyone could be Batman if comic book humans have that much more potential than real people. Which sort of makes him a little less extraordinary when I guess anyone could do it. Which still doesn't make me think of him as a Superhero.

Batman may be super human, but that, to me, doesn't make him a Superhero. I barely consider Lanterns Superheroes, because the rings are based on technology. Though I'll give them a pass for the sheer scope of what they're capable of.

You may disagree, and that's cool, but I just don't call him a Superhero.

@scouterv: That's fine, but you are definitely redefining the words. Per pretty much any accepted definition, Batman is a superhero.

@muyjingo: Well, not by my definition. Apparently me and a lot of people disagree on what makes a hero Super. When DC comes clean the guy is super smart and has an enhanced physiology, I'll call him a Superhero. But there's nothing wrong with simply being a Hero.

I'm curious, do you think Green Arrow is also a Superhero?

@scouterv:

This is basically like me saying Superman is not a superhero, because by my own definition aliens can't be superheros. i.e., nonsense.

Again, no definition of super hero relies on super powers. The term super hero predates a time when super heroes having powers was the norm.

Also, within the DCU Batman doesn't have an enhanced physiology. It's his training/experience that allows him to be at the level he is at, not some innate physiological advantage.

Yes, GA is a super hero. You only need look at his heroic super human feats to see why.

@muyjingo: The difference between my definition and yours is this. That alien is, in fact, Super. He shows it. It's in his name for Heavens sake. Batman does some Super stuff, but he's not Super.

Batman is what a lot of people in the DC Universe could be if they trained and studied hard enough. No amount of training and studying could put a human on Superman's level. Batman is "peak-human," as they say. Superman is far beyond that. Superman is "super" on all points.

Now, you say that within their universe Batman doesn't have those things, but he can take getting slammed into concrete by Wonder Woman and only be a little dizzy afterwards. DC says that's Peak-Human, that's cool. In reality we call that's borderline enhanced.

I was just curious.

@scouterv: No, there is no difference. In both cases the definition is arbitrarily restricted without any solid reason to do so.

You mistakenly believe super is synonymous with 'super-powered'. It isn't. Super simply means, basically, 'greater than'.

Taken from Meriam Webster (although almost every definition will be the same):

Full Definition of SUPER

1

a: of high grade or quality b —used as a generalized term of approval <a super cook>

2 : very large or powerful <a super atomic bomb>

3 : exhibiting the characteristics of its type to an extreme or excessive degree <super secrecy>

There is no doubt that Batman is a hero. But unlike say cops and firefighters, he is a superhero because he takes it to the next level. Once again, the definition of superhero has absolutely nothing to do with having super powers. You can continue to believe that if you wish, but it's essentially willful ignorance at that point.

Oh, and in reality we don't call that borderline enhanced, as that scenario doesn't exist in reality. It's easier for me to suspend disbelief about that stuff with the knowledge that every time a bone fractures, it grows back harder, that muscle can become extremely hard and dense, etc. Batman takes these things to an extreme. No enhanced physiology necessary.

A final point: You seem to think that because any human in the DCU could essentially become Batman, it diminishes him. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, there are a great many people who could push themselves to that level, with 11 years of training, enduring all kinds of pain and torture, spending all their free time learning and training....but very few do. The fact that he actually did do this is what distinguishes him.

I'm sure you could quit whatever your doing right now and start training to become the worlds strongest man. Your not going to, and the simple fact that you could doesn't take away from the person who actually worked hard to have that title.

To reiterate one last time: The definition of 'superhero' has absolutely nothing to do with super powers.

He is beyond that

He's a god among us.

@muyjingo: Look, I can appreciate that you feel strongly about this.

However, I think you're missing the point. I define a "Superhero" as a character that has Superhero. You called it redefining a word, but that's how I've always looked at it. Batman is stated to not have any Superhuman abilities. So he's not a Superhero. You can keep showing me definitions of the word Superhero, but that's not going to change how I think the word should be defined.

That's the problem, and that's why you're wrong. Ignorance is bliss I guess. Enjoy.

I personally consider a person a superhero depending on two factors:

1. Are they a hero?

2. Do they exist in the superhero genre?

If yes to both, then I will consider them a superhero. I feel that if you call them a superhero depending on abilities or feats, it can be extremely misleading.

For example, I do not consider Christopher Nolan's Batman a superhero because the genre he's in is more crime-based. There's nothing super about the Batman in TDK Trilogy.

Doesn't matter what anybody thinks, Batman is a superhero.

That's one of the things that make Batman such a strong charcacter. He's proof that you don't need super-powers to be a Super-Hero.

Seriously?

Of course he is.

I have always considered him a Super hero, he has done things to save the world on many occasions plus he is the only non powered hero on a team of people like superman.

He fights crime in a bat costume, survives fatal injuries all the time, and beats down meta and non meta human villains.

He hangs out with Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash, has mastered nearly every martial arts technique in existence, and is easily one of the top 5 intellectuals on the planet.

He's had fights with Spawn, The Hulk, Darkseid, Superman, Captain America, Aliens, Predators, Vampires, Werewolves, Judge Dredd, and many other super powered folks, and won more than his fair share of fights against them.

He's been killed a couple of times, but came back like nothing happened; good as new.

He, along with Superman and Spiderman, have been among the most prominent/popular comic book characters forever, and have captured the imagination of children (including grown up kids like me) ever since his/their inception(s).

But is he a super hero?

Of course he's a super hero. How could he not be? :)

lol what a question, Bats isnt a superhero. He's THE superhero.

He's a superior-superhero.

@muyjingo: Superman ISN'T a superhero, not because he is an alien but because among those aliens he is rather ordinary.

That's like a Chihuahua calling a dire wolf a superhero.

If an alien (goes for humans too) is exactly the same as the rest of their species they aren't "super"

Batman is certainly a Hero, I'm not 100% sure if he falls into the category of "Superhero" BUT he is certainly more "super" than the average human unlike superman who is hardly more super than the average kryptonian.

Goddamn Batman

Superhero

Hero

that's the order nowdays :P

@muyjingo: lol, scouterv is painfully stupid xD sorry. I'm not trying to mudsling, I'm just very baffled, right now. Thanks for trying to get through to him, so I don't have to!

I consider him a superhero for certain: many of his feats, be they intellect-based, willpower-centric, or physical, are superhuman in many cases in my opinion and, thus, qualifying him, in my mind at least, for superhero/superhuman status.

This question rustles my jimmies, I had a friend in school who used to always say Batman isn't a superhero all the time so it bugs me. He clearly is.

Yes and he is also a vigilante.

@mellosassymel No doubt. You do not need super powers to be a superhero!

Webster definition of superhero: a fictional hero with extraordinary or superhuman powers; also an exceptionally skill or successful person. Based on that definition Batman is definitely a superhero.

no he is a vigilante

no. and he isn't a good hero either. In addition as a person he isn't that great of a person either.

Of course he is. Superhero means a person who have powers or great skills and/or intellect, resources, using advanced tech or magic.

Yes and one of the best

they're just, Warriors