Why Batman isn't a SUPERhero.

@angryhulks: Yeah, I'm familiar with that thread. It's actually a great post. Though I respect CitizenBane's opinion, he really went out of his way to downplay everything Batman did in each encounter. Like getting help isn't a relevant way to take down Superman? If Bats didn't enlist aid from other allies, it would simply be labeled PIS like the Hush incident I posted earlier.

He also discounts Tower of Babel because it's not a direct encounter even though it meets the requirements of canon. He does give it some props, but he seems to miss the fact that it's the most realistic depiction of how a Superman-Bats encounter would go down if we're being generous to both characters.

Lastly, comic books rarely follow their own canon so I'm personally not a big believer in the whole "is it in canon" angle. How many golden age or silver age books do we bring up to make arguments nowadays? Pretty much zero. They're outdated. Someday, our canon will be too. With the New 52, a lot of it already is. That being said, I'll bet you even after all this "canon" has been brushed aside, people will still think of Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns when they think of Batman vs. Superman.

just because fanboys say it all the time dosen't mean you have to blackmail batman. inplus he has "super intellegence

Then you're missing out on some great comics. Batman gets his ass kicked all the time. Just because he's amazing doesn't mean he doesn't do his fair share of jobbing like many other characters. Plus his villains are also very formidable.

This.

He was able to beat superman in The dark night returns. I would say that is super human

Why is this thread still going on? When someone says, "if you're giving me hate, you're either a fanboy or not intelligent enough," there's no point arguing with ignorant fools who think that they're always right, blocking out anything that may disprove them: confirmation bias. Batman is clearly a superhero, like everyone else has said on here multiple times.

technically then Superman is not a superhero...he doesnt have powers considering he was born Kryptonian.

...same goes for Ironman, Thor, Wonder Woman...

And just because hes smart and can stay 2 steps ahead of everyone doesnt mean he cant be beat...

@reignmaker: I still read his elsworld title don't get me wrong but his own comics seem contrived. You have him one moment in the Justice League facing Luthor or Brainiac and overcoming their traps yet he still has a hard time with Riddler. Than in Hush I'm expected to believe he's severely wounded from Croc after Tower of Babel taught us he has a contingency for everything I would think some like Croc he would defeat in one move. To me when you have Batman being in the Justice League for so long he should be at that point where it takes him one move to defeat his rogues with ease.

In my opinion I believe that batman is not a “superhero”, but merely a human that has achieved exceptional strength and combat strategy, that I feel any man or woman could achieve if needed or required under certain circumstances. Here are some sources to back up my reasoning. Batman has no super power or anything super about him, he has money and gadgets, plain and simple. According to Stan Lee, one of the creators of Marvel comics, “But if it’s a good guy with a superpower who is fighting a bad guy, it becomes a superhero story”, thus Stan Lee is describing that to be a superhero and not just a hero you need a superpower when fighting villains, not just gadgets. And according to the DC Comics webpage there are no “superpowers” listed under his ‘powers’ section. I went to many other known superheroes, like Superman, the Flash, and even Aqua Man, all of which had an actual power with the word super in front of it depicting a superpower they possess. Batman had zero of these “super” powers, his list consisted of “exceptional martial arts, combat strategy, inexhaustible wealth, brilliant deductive skills, advanced technology”, this list being provided by the DC comics web page. Anybody can have great martial art skills and combat strategy, if trained right, next become rich, then become Sherlock Holmes, and finally use your wealth to make advanced technology. Another source that states that Batman has no superpowers is Wikipedia.org, stating that “he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, martial arts skills, an indomitable will, fear, and intimidation in his continuous war on crime”, which is basically saying that if Bruce Lee trained Sherlock Holmes in martial arts and then John D. Rockefeller gave him some money, he too would be a “super” hero. Batman’s actions meet the definition of a vigilante more than a superhero. A superhero, according to yourdictionary.com, being a made up character having super powers and abilities. Vigilante, however, defined by wikepedia.com, is defined as a civilian who undertakes law enforcement with or without legal authority. Comparing these two definitions with the way batman acts and the nature of his actions he is more of a vigilante than a superhero. This is why Batman is not a super hero I will give him every bit of hero but there is nothing super about gadgets and being a good detective.

What's not super about a guy who can solo the justice league and take on Darkseid.

I looked up the definition of the word Super and got, "an individual, thing, or property that exceeds customary norms or levels". Batman just needs to exceed the limits of what is considered the "norm" for a regular "hero" on some respect. Most of his stats exceed most humans and even athletes in his universe, hence, the superiority to baseline people in some ways. That would qualify him for "Superhero".

However, the word, Superhero, is used in our society to define a costumed vigilante. So in that sense he is a superhero, too.

"PS: if you give me hate you're just proving my point that 1. You're fanboys that try to see past the truth but ultimately fail, or 2. You're just not intelligent enough"

wtf is that??? i dont hate you, but its like u say 'its sure i know everything better, so if u dont agree with me it means you are dumb and know nothing'...maybe you dont say it, but it really sounds like that so if i think you are a cocky douchebag, dont blame me...

second, what makes a hero a superhero? the materials (strength,abilities,intelligence) he/she uses should be super? or the outcome/the result should be super with any given material? i think the second definiation is better, a normal human can be superhero too, as long as what he does in the end gives super results (saving lives)....

and then there is 'superhuman', someone who has super abilities', and then there are ppl who are both superhuman and superhero (Flash for example)...so Batman is a superhero, just not a superhuman

Got it ?

Batman is a super hero.

@ariesxmasters said:

Batman is a super hero.

I'm curious as to why one cuss word is censored and one is not.

@jedixman said:

Batman is beyond peak human.

Each side weighs 500 lbs, making this lifting feat 1,000 lbs. The world record in weight lifting is just over 1k, and they required a harness to meet that. The world record without the harness is around 700 lbs. Batman is lifting 1,000 lbs without a harness.

So, yeah, Batman is beyond peak human. Sorry to ruin your oh-so thought out blog.

it says 500 pounds on there? its hard for me to see

at first I thought OP was trying to convince us batman was a bad guy

Dude wears a costume and fights crime with extraordinary abilities. That makes him a superhero.

I agree, Batman doesn't have superpowers so he is not a superhero but he is still a hero.

The OP is correct, in that Batman isn't a super-powered hero, just like Batgirl, Nightwing, all the Robins, Red Hood, Arsenal, and Green Arrow. DC is rife with characters who are just regular people in costumes with insane lucky streaks. This goes for their villains as well, as there is nothing superhuman about Harley Quinn, Penguin, Two Face, or even Joker. Psychotic breaks from reality, or severe dementia, are not a superpower.

That's one way of looking at Batman.

However, if you take into account some of Batman's tech, coupled with his training, he can be ranked as a street-level superhero. His suit renders him bullet-proof and knife proof in most cases. Some here posted that his cape has even shielded him from explosions (close range). Unrealistic as that sounds, it turns Batman into a street-level, pseudo-science Superhero - like a lesser version of Ironman. And there have been times with Batman donned battle armor that effectively granted him superhuman-level strength and durability. So he is essentially a tech based superhero, just like Tony Stark/ Ironman, albeit, with lesser tech.

I wonder what OP will say about DC's Karate Kid...

Batman is the definition of the word hero.