View Poll Results: More Iconic?

Voters
37. You may not vote on this poll
  • Sherlock Holmes

    14 37.84%
  • Batman

    7 18.92%
  • Equal

    5 13.51%
  • Apples and Oranges

    7 18.92%
  • They're both overrated

    2 5.41%
  • The OP needs to roast in hell such a comparison

    2 5.41%
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  1. #1
    Boisterously Confused
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    Default Who is more iconic: Sherlock Holmes, or Batman?

    I'm putting this on the Community forum, rather than the DC or Batman forums to broaden the response.

    They are both epic. Moore excluded Holmes from The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen because he was concerned Holmes would overwhelm the rest of the cast. Batman sometimes is written to do the same.

    So, between them, who is more iconic?

  2. #2
    Invincible Member Kirby101's Avatar
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    Superman is more iconic than Batman.
    There came a time when the Old Gods died! The Brave died with the Cunning! The Noble perished locked in battle with unleashed Evil! It was the last day for them! An ancient era was passing in fiery holocaust!

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kirby101 View Post
    Superman is more iconic than Batman.
    Touche. [10 char]

  4. #4
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    I read somewhere years ago that Superman, Tarzan, and Sherlock Holmes are the three most famous ppl who never lived, but I’m gonna go w. apples and oranges. Both characters are equally iconic imo.

  5. #5
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    I think in popular culture today, Batman is probably more popular and well known to the general public than Sherlock Holmes (at least in North America)

    Holmes is still popular in the UK, particularly with Cumberbatch's Sherlock tv show, but overall, worldwide in terms of marketing and merchandise sales it has to be Batman.

  6. #6
    Amazing Member Adam Allen's Avatar
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    Default

    I mean, fair enough to not ask on the DC or Batman boards, but this is still a comics forum. You just have to imagine Batman would end up coming out ahead, given the crowd.

    That said, my honest opinion is Batman. I think people would recognize the bat symbol and be vaguely aware of some iteration of the character, even if they've never read a comic, seen a movie or watched one of his shows. Then too, just considering how many different movies or tv shows each character has had, so long as we include cartoons ... and, I guess, team shows like Justice League, for Bats ... then again, I'd imagine Batman comes out ahead. You'd need to be an adult predisposed to a certain type of show, to likely watch a Holmes show; on the other hands, generations of kids will have been exposed to Batman cartoons, just because they've been ever present.

    Probably more books with Holmes, true, but even then, probably not if we count comics/graphic novels.
    Be kind to me, or treat me mean
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  7. #7
    Invincible Member numberthirty's Avatar
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    If the question is "Iconic"?

    "Apple"/"Orange"

    Holmes ain't got no Arkham Asylum: A Serious House On A Serious Earth.

  8. #8
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    Hodiah Twist or Nighthawk?

  9. #9
    Mighty Member Zauriel's Avatar
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    Batman is more iconic than Sherlock Holmes. In fact Batman had more blockbuster movies, TV series comics and video games than Holmes.

  10. #10

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    Sherlock Holmes changed the entire mystery genre game.

    Quote Originally Posted by Zauriel View Post
    Batman is more iconic than Sherlock Holmes. In fact Batman had more blockbuster movies, TV series comics and video games than Holmes.
    "Having been depicted on screen 254 times, Guinness World Records announced that Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective, has been awarded a world record for the most portrayed literary human character in film & TV."
    december 21st has passed where are my superpowers?

  11. #11
    Extraordinary Member foxley's Avatar
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    Holmes is known throughout the world, and is the most portrayed human character in films (and is only just pipped by Dracula for being the most portrayed character of all time).

    Batman may be well known here in the west (and, even then, probably not as iconic as most comic fans think), but Holmes is an icon everywhere: eastern Europe (one of the finest adaptations of all times is a Russian TV series), Asia, Africa, and South America (there are several splendid Holmes pastiches by Brazilian authors).

  12. #12
    Astonishing Member Adekis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Riv86672 View Post
    I read somewhere years ago that Superman, Tarzan, and Sherlock Holmes are the three most famous ppl who never lived, but I’m gonna go w. apples and oranges. Both characters are equally iconic imo.
    I heard it as Superman, Tarzan, Holmes, Robin Hood, and Mickey Mouse, as the most iconic pop culture icons.

    That said, that was said back in the mid 20th century, I believe. If any characters have knocked a pop figure out of those annals of glory, they're Batman and Spider-Man.

    But if any characters have been knocked out, they're Tarzan and Robin Hood. Holmes is still pretty big.

    I don't think it's worth it trying to figure out if Holmes is bigger than Batman though. I voted Apples and Oranges.
    "You know the deal, Metropolis. Treat people right or expect a visit from me."

  13. #13
    Old school comic book fan WestPhillyPunisher's Avatar
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    I roll with Holmes. He's been around longer, having intrigued fans like myself for generations in print, radio, comics, television (as much as I enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock, IMO, he'll never touch the late, great Jeremy Brett) and on the big screen. If Batman is seen as iconic, it's probably because he's woefully overexposed these days.
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by WestPhillyPunisher View Post
    I roll with Holmes. He's been around longer, having intrigued fans like myself for generations in print, radio, comics, television (as much as I enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock, IMO, he'll never touch the late, great Jeremy Brett) and on the big screen. If Batman is seen as iconic, it's probably because he's woefully overexposed these days.
    Nobody ever will. I recall that when I was a kid, my mother took me to see a play, with Charlton Heston as Holmes, Jeremy Brett as Watson (!), and Dwight Schultz. It was "The Sign of Four", and it was magical. I remember we were in the front row, Brett's mustache came off and he just soldiered on like a trooper, the fog for the river chase scene flowed over into the audience and we all briefly choked, and Heston was so tall he fell off a sofa. Fun times. Later, in London as an adult, I got to see Tom Baker (the 4th Doctor Who), play Holmes in "A Study in Scarlet".

  15. #15
    Ultimate Member Riv86672's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OopsIdiditagain View Post
    Sherlock Holmes changed the entire mystery genre game.



    "Having been depicted on screen 254 times, Guinness World Records announced that Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective, has been awarded a world record for the most portrayed literary human character in film & TV."
    I was going to post the same as you in response as I read through the posts just now.
    Holmes beat out Santa Claus and God.

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