Underrated Bat-Family Detective? [Poll]

[km_sus]

Screw all those other polls about power levels and crap! Let’s focus on what makes Batman unique: his detective skills. Sure he can jump around rooftops with his billions and punch thugs into crippling debt faster than the candy man can… but so can Green Arrow. What sets Bruce apart his world class detective skills - something that he has passed on to every protege and something that every close ally of his have in common.

This poll asks the question: who is, in your opinion, the most underrated detective in the bat-family?

This poll is not asking who the best detective in the family is - but who in the family is commonly regarded as less skilled then they actually are.

You could make an argument for Dick, who was trained personally by Bruce. You could make an argument for Cassandra, who is able to detect the truth through body reading. You could make an argument for Jean-Paul, as The System implanted within him has incredible knowledge on every subject. Or do you think the Dark Knight himself is downplayed in his own domain?

Vote in the poll, make your case and we’ll see who the dark horse detective truly is.

[Fergus]

I voted for Dick who is the Worlds 2nd greatest Detective
The problem is that aside from Tim [who is majorly over-rated] everyone else is majorly underrated. They never get credited for their achievements.

EG Damian at age 10 was solving cases on level with the grown ups and even solved one of Batman's Black case books [Crimes that Bruce hasn't managed to solve yet]

Duke who also figured out not just the identity of Batman but of Robin and Nightwing. The kid has meta detective powers giving him an edge.
They are ALL good detectives.

I singled Dick out because his case is the most obvious example of how a character can be undermined by the introduction of another character

[Restingvoice]

Anyone who's not Bruce and Tim really

[Zaresh]

I voted for Jim Gordon, but was about to vote Cass, Steph, Kate and Jason without any particular preference.

[zvrk]

Alfred Pennyworth.

Gentleman who's been in MI6, while waiting for master Bruce to come home after adventures of hopping the buildings, maintaining Batcomputer, dusting forensic files, reading some detective novels in between, occasionally providing the key Batman needs to unlock the pressing mystery through dry wit or common sense? I mean, Alfie is subtle. He doesn't want praise.

[Tzigone]

While I definitely agree that Dick is very underrated, I think Steph is the most underrated - too often in the fandom treated like a cute, fun, wisecracking and utterly useless mascot. She's nowhere near the best detective, but she has a brain and skills and those are very frequently completely disregarded.

[CPSparkles]

Anyone who's not Bruce and Tim really

Yeah it sucks that only those two are credited as detectives when they all are. That the problem with labels such as the Detective. It implies that the rest aren't. Tim is the Detective Robin or the techy one and fans act like oldies like Dick have never seen a computer, Jason has no brain cells etc.

They are all detective who are solve cases solo all the time. It's the bulk of their jobs.

[Aahz]

I go with Jason, he is often treated like a complete idiot, but he is just as capable as a detective as most other members of the core Batfamily (and very likely more capable than most of the ones who didn't got extensive Detective Training by Batman).

[Lady Nightwing]

I voted for Dick. He's incredibly smart but lately has been treated as a bit of a himbo. It sucks.

[Frontier]

Yeah it sucks that only those two are credited as detectives when they all are. That the problem with labels such as the Detective. It implies that the rest aren't. Tim is the Detective Robin or the techy one and fans act like oldies like Dick have never seen a computer, Jason has no brain cells etc.

They are all detective who are solve cases solo all the time. It's the bulk of their jobs.

I feel like it's more of a specialty thing, like Babs with computers or Dick with acrobatics, but that doesn't mean they all aren't at least proficient.

[redmax99]

i voted Cass, because she's none verbal most times but she actually work hard to discover Shiva identity.

2nd pick is Jason I haven't seen him do any investigation work in 9 years! you wouldn't even believe he was the guy that help get black lighting release from jail.

[scary harpy]

Joe Potato

[KrustyKid]

Outside of Bruce/Tim/Damian, any of the others could be selected here.

[Tzigone]

I feel like it's more of a specialty thing, like Babs with computers or Dick with acrobatics, but that doesn't mean they all aren't at least proficient.

I'd say they are (or should be) more than proficient. For Bruce, Dick, and Babs, at least, they were all called detectives in the old days - very much focused on at times for Barbara and especially Dick in the bronze age. The more characters that got added, the more they were "specialized" to differentiate them (well, they weren't forced to do so, but writers or fans or someone decided it would be that way). It's terrible decision, IMO. Firstly, that sort of specialization is better suited to team characters, and a strong detriment to solo characters (and many of these have had their own books). So they either lack the skills in their own books or have varying skills depending on what other characters they are with. Which I deeply dislike.

Worse that than,the older (non Bruce) characters lose skills as new characters are added specializing in that skillset. This is especially the case with Dick as there are so many Robins, and people like to slot them into rolls. He loses skills. Becomes less proficient. He's gone from a brilliant detective to not a tiny segment of comic readers thinking he's an airhead. He used to be a very good all-rounder. Now we get brilliant acrobat and maybe somewhat good at other things he used to excel at.

When the "specialization" also applies to personalities (and unfortunately all to often it does), it can make them end up much flatter characters. So many examples I could use here for Dick and Tim and Steph.

[CPSparkles]

I feel like it's more of a specialty thing, like Babs with computers or Dick with acrobatics, but that doesn't mean they all aren't at least proficient.

Someone should tell that to those guys on Reddit who every week start a thread about how Tim is the only other person that Ra's has called Detective.

Or those fans who claim that Robin in TT or YJ is really Timmyfied Dick simply because he knows how to use tech that isn't from the 40's.

Also you give Dick acrobatics? I would have gone for wisdom, leadership, flexibility emotional maturity. Just anything to do with handling others.

That isn't Tim's speciality since when? figuring out people's identity doesn't make it a speciality.

Tim is the everyman. The relatable Robin.