What's the attraction of Batman comic books?

[Mia]

Here’s an answer I dug up I posted years ago on another forum:

• He’s a strategist and knows how to think and plan with the big picture in mind. As opposed to just being reckless and acting on impulse.
• Because he has balls of steel, something which most men in (and out) of comics don't have.
• Because he's ruthless and plays to win and refuses to ever be a victim of life ever again.
• Because he's smooth and elegant, not a mindless thug or brute.
• Because he parlayed his families fortune to build a business empire and seek justice.
• Because he does the right thing, even if he doesn't feel like doing it.
• Because he is the pinnacle of man. (Thank you Paul Logan)
• Because even though I don't like everything he does....I at least can still respect him.
• He’s disciplined and knows how to control his emotions as opposed to acting how he feels.

[Flash Gordon]

He resorts to torture, a method that has been decried as not only unethical but ineffective in real life, violates due process, lies to and keeps secrets from his allies. Those traits are pretty common amongst anti heroes. He may not be the Punisher, but he's still pretty anti.

Batman tortures? I've only ever seen that in the Nolan films (roughing people up), can you cite some instances where he outright tortures a person? I feel like we're reading a different character... Batman has actually opposed, outright, the use of torture quite a few times.

As for due process, lying, secrets, yada yada- all superheroes do that stuff. Superman lies to practically all his friends and answers to no authority beyond himself. They all do that stuff from time to time.

Batman is a straight up, card carrying, front row- superhero.

[Agent Z]

Batman tortures? I've only ever seen that in the Nolan films (roughing people up), can you cite some instances where he outright tortures a person? I feel like we're reading a different character... Batman has actually opposed, outright, the use of torture quite a few times.

As for due process, lying, secrets, yada yada- all superheroes do that stuff. Superman lies to practically all his friends and answers to no authority beyond himself. They all do that stuff from time to time.

Batman is a straight up, card carrying, front row- superhero.

Um, it's pretty common in numerous stories, cartoons, films and video games. It's not something Nolan just invented. Dangling people from roof tops and beating up suspects is something he does regularly.

True on superheroes violating due process, though this depends on who's writing them. Superman has worked with the authorities before.

I could also add him being more willing to work with criminals like Catwoman or Talia.

[Frontier]

I could also add him being more willing to work with criminals like Catwoman or Talia.

Though that's usually with the belief that they aren't as inherently evil or beyond saving compared to some of his other rogues, and have a shot at leaving a life of crime behind. Even if that's usually more justifiable with Selina then Talia, and that a partial romantic attraction is involved with his attempts to reform and work with them.

[taylortexas]

I also consider Batman to be the most consistently well written superhero of all time. I could effortlessly ramble off a list of tremendous Batman stories that anyone could pick up and immediately enjoy regardless if it's their first comic or their 500th. That isn't to say other characters don't have impressive catalogs of stories behind them or that Batman doesn't have some garbage with his name on it but it's no coincidence that he inhabits more of my shelf space than any other character. There are dozens of various takes on the character and I think there's validity and brilliance in all of them. There's a little something for everyone.

[t hedge coke]

Though that's usually with the belief that they aren't as inherently evil or beyond saving compared to some of his other rogues, and have a shot at leaving a life of crime behind. Even if that's usually more justifiable with Selina then Talia, and that a partial romantic attraction is involved with his attempts to reform and work with them.

Seems mostly to be the sexual attraction. Batman's really good at falling head over heels for criminal women, and then wanting them to be mostly a victim, somehow, or just misled, but it always seems wrapped up in sex.

[t hedge coke]

He resorts to torture, a method that has been decried as not only unethical but ineffective in real life, violates due process, lies to and keeps secrets from his allies. Those traits are pretty common amongst anti heroes. He may not be the Punisher, but he's still pretty anti.

All long-term superheroes engage in what would, in this world, be called torture. Spider-Man. Batman. Captain America. Black Panther. Superman. Black Canary. Heck, Under Dog probably counts.

All those fly them up high, fast, then down fast, then high, and make'em talk maneuvers. Punching out the concrete to the left of their head. Walking in a bar or cabal of criminals and assaulting the first person you come to, to show everyone else what can happen. These aren't just Batman techniques, these are superhero techniques.

And, they're not the defining mark of an antihero unless taken to in-story extremes, which Batman never does. He's no more an antihero than Roy Rogers was on the Roy Rogers Show. He's no more antihero than Marshal Dillon.

[ElGuitaristMagnifico]

Batman's origin connects to the inner child. At least it did to me when I was a kid.

Not because he has no powers.
Not because of his gadgets.
And not because of his money.

It's because at the end of the day, it was a little boy who was robbed of everything. Someone took away his entire life - his parents - and left him to dry.
I mean, why kill the little boy? What would that kid ever do?

Batman is the kid who grew up to be something, who became what no one thought was in him.

What could a little kid ever do?
Batman showed us that "that little kid" could end up doing anything, including the impossible. From avenging the great injustice done to him as a child, to making sure it never happens to anyone else, and walking among gods as an equal... Batman as a character tells our inner child that we can become that which no one believes we can.

It's so much beyond just the shallow, "he's like us because he has no powers, I can see myself being Batman."
Instead it's, "he's is us, because inside of me is something people might not imagine, and I will aspire to do what little Bruce did - become my own 'Batman.' "

That's why Batman is so popular with kids, whether the kids themselves realize it or not. And if it's popular with kids, it's still popular when they become adults. And it continues.

[prismablue]

Then visual design of the character and his rogues gallery, Gotham City. Depending on the artistic vision of the creative team the book can be taken in any direction. Depending on the vision of the creative team the The series can take on a supernatural tone. it can be grim and gritty or bright and cartoony. Surrealist or realistic. The mythos itself is very pliable. Batman can be a guy in a cloth costume. he can be high tech. He can stalk Gotham like an apparition (my personal favorite) or combine elements of all of the above.

[TheDarkNut]

Because he has it all.

- Great comics, great cartoons, great movies and great video games.
- Fans of various different genre can appreciate him since he can be in a dark like Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum to crime mystery with Long Halloween to straight up camp with Adam West.
- He was created in 1939 so he's had time to settle. Loads of people of different age from every country in the world can tell you what Batman looks like.

[The Whovian]

Because he has it all.

- Great comics, great cartoons, great movies and great video games.
- Fans of various different genre can appreciate him since he can be in a dark like Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum to crime mystery with Long Halloween to straight up camp with Adam West.
- He was created in 1939 so he's had time to settle. Loads of people of different age from every country in the world can tell you what Batman looks like.

Exactly. Outside of Superman and maybe Spider-Man, no character is more recognizable or as popular as Batman worldwide.

[LifeIsILL]

I'll be the first to admit I haven't read every Batman story ever, but honestly, I can't think of any "antihero" Batman stories. Unless we consider child-hugging, grammar-correcting, rubber-bullet-using, constantly adopting children and saving his city Batman from DKR to be an antihero because the cartoon of a president opposes him and he likes fistfights with gang-leaders.

Batman being an "antihero" is comical. I, like you, have read hundreds of Batman comics, he's never been an antihero. He may be a dick sometimes to people, but generally he's just a good guy...as good as it gets.

But honestly for me, I don't understand the attraction for Batman comics, yes Batman is a complex character, the second-best written Superhero in all of comics (Daredevil is #1 for me). But, come on....Batman has lots of crappy stories... I mean lots.

People would rather read a terrible Batman story than read a good Captain Atom story.

Just like people would rather read a terrible Spider-Man story than read a good Captain America story....

It's sad and even a bit infuriating.

[Samurai Jack]

I would say the big attraction to Batman comics in particular are his night time world setting, as well as Batman's entire supporting cast and his rogue gallery. Also thanks to various other media, such as movies, cartoons, TV shows, video games, and merchandise, Batman is just more recognizable to the uninitiated comic book reader.

[jimishim12]

Hes a gateway drug to test how badass a human being with a normal setup and skills can be, and defies impossible aspects of fantasy and concepts just by being able to remain a human being and a representative of humanities truest ideals.

Hes basically a self insert singularity made to make sure god like beings and superhuman freaks fall to us and lose. His cast and family are american ninjas who solve mysteries and fight homicidal maniacs with eastern combat technicals like some sort of japanese anime fighter, so batman adds weaboo elements to it, along with sherlock holms, janes bond, and noir movie elements to the main action it features.

The villians are basically a tie to actual circus acts and heinous slasher villians in movies. There all so recognizable and highly regarded by casuals, because they are as badass as batman and much more impressive on a typical villians scale, they are the most important of Batmans stories because they play a role in depth build up for the dark knight to foil. Sometimes they are good people trapped in the darkness otherwise they are pure hatred and death given flesh because gotham highlights its dark glory by letting its residents wage war in its own darkness and chaos. Batman is a story about the raw darkness humans hold within themselves and celebrates it with night based pursuers of justice and vengence.

Plus everything is about being edgy and cool in batman stories so its always gonna hit home for the modern day crowd into dark hardcore concepts of action genres. Reason why deadpool and harley quinn are killing it with sales and popularity right now.

[db105]

But, come on....Batman has lots of crappy stories... I mean lots.

Of course. That's Sturgeon's law. 90% of everything is crap.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon%27s_law

People would rather read a terrible Batman story than read a good Captain Atom story.

There's something of that, of course, and as you say it's not very healthy from a quality point of view. It is easy to understand, though. Making the reader care about the character is one of the most important things a storyteller has to do. Once you get people to care about your characters, you have basically won them over, and your job from them on is easier. With characters like Batman, many people already care about them, so they know it's likely that they will enjoy the story.