Why do YOU like Batman?

[Steven Ely]

The live-action TV show reruns in the '70s first introduced me to Batman, after that I was given Batman and Robin Mego dolls and Batmobile, Neal Adams "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge" Batman jugsaw puzzle sold at Kmart, Neal Adams Batman Power Records of Stacked Cards and Robin Meets Man-Bat sold at Kmart, "There's No Hope in Crime Alley", Filmation Batman cartoon, a viewmaster of "The Purr-fect Crime" and "Better Luck Next Time" 1966 Julie Newmar Catwoman episodes, "The Batman's Burden", The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest 1979 reprint of "The Joker's Five-Way Revenge", The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes: Batman from the library which introduced me to the early Golden Age Batman, the Len Wein run, the Steve Engelhart run, the Gerry Conway run, but when I was 16, 17, 18 I grew bored with Batman and felt I'd outgrown Batman comics and the kiddie Super Friends show in '83, '84 and '85, until Frank Miller's adult orientated Dark Knight mini-series and "Batman: Year One" brought me back to Batman in '86, '87, Jim Starlin's Batman: The Cult, Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke in '88, etc. continued the adult orientation in Batman, and DC even started puting "DC Comics Aren't Just for Kids!" on comics covers in place of the barcode in '88 on comics like Justice League to try to loose the kiddie image that Super Friends gave them.

Unfortunately the adult orientated '80s comics by Miller, Moore, etc. that brought me back to Batman also helped start the grim and gritty trend that writers really went overboard with in the '90s, etc. Went from not being just for kids to not being aimed for all ages anymore. Even Dick Giordano said, "The Dark Knight Returns additionally helped start the grim and gritty trends in comic storytelling that still exist today. That was an unintended result, and I am truly sorry it happened. Comics are much too dark today. Er – in my opinion ...I miss the heroes of yesteryear." http://www.thestar.com/entertainment...tty_trend.html

[TheDarkKnightReturns]

The Arkham games made me a big fan of Batman. Things I like about batman is his passion, determination to better himself mentally and psychically. Plus his willingness to become something else, a creature of the night, made me admire his character even more. Its like Ra's al Ghul said :''Becoming more than a man, becoming a legend''.

[Starchild]

I USED to like Batman back when he was actually an intriguing character. He was human and down to earth. The Batman that I grew up with didn't need to resort to Mary Sue behavior, all he needed was his fists and wits. Now he's overexposed and has the Batgod BS going on. The only Batman comics I read is Detective Comics (I love the street level vibe) and Batman Beyond.

Over the years I looked to Punisher, X, Daredevil, Green Arrow, Birds of Prey, Question, Batwoman & Moon Knight for more of those down to earth types. My street level superheroes don't draw blood from cosmic entities.

[Metamorphosis]

Like the original poster, I grew up a die-hard Marvel reader. In my early years, I never read much, or probably any, DC.

That changed after seeing the 1989 Tim Burton Batman film. I was 9, and thought it was one of the greatest things I ever saw.

I started reading the comics during the Return of the Joker arc in Batman and 'Tec. This was post Death In The Family, and there was all this stuff about the Joker having killed Robin that I had to glean info about from flashback panels. This was also when the team of Grant and Breyfogle were about to transition to the main Bat-title, and Tim Drake was about to become the new Robin. So plenty of grist for a young comic reader there. I kept reading up to around Knightfall, where I was losing interest in comics generally. I still picked up a stray issue now and then, when I came back for "Long Halloween" and "Hush". I didn't start buying full time again until Morrison started his run, and I've read close to everything since.

I don't know what it is about Batman--as a character he seems to defy being pigeonholed. I've watched the characterization of him change over the years, from a very fallable human to the Bat-God and back again.

I do find it interesting that there are still that many interpretations on the character being devised well over 25 years after I started reading. Bruce is still going strong, and I'm often torn on whether or not he is the greatest superhero in comics (I often put him behind Spider-Man, but Spider-Man comics have been dreck for years and years now--Batman has been on a strong 8-year roll).

[batnbreakfast]

At the age of 7 I was confronted with Batman '66 show/Batman 1989 movie/ and an really odd comic starring Robin, Joker, Catwoman and Dr Moon drawn by Alan Davis. It took me years to recover until B TAS hooked me again.
Thanks for the ride, Bruce.

P.S. Also what Nite-Wing and LobsterJohnson said

[BlitzMah]

I like Batman because he is the only superhero that would like really really scary in a dark alley...
batman-scary.jpg

[Jim Kelly]

January 11th, 1966. BATMAN on TV. It was broadcast a day ahead here in Canada.

While I was a nut for everything Batman from then on, it took me some time to actually buy the comic books--maybe because I had to use my own money to get them, whereas other things--T-shirts, toys, dolls, colouring books--were given to me by indulgent parents and relations. Even the Batman comic strip came free (in that my father paid for the newspaper subscription). I did buy the wax packs of bubble gum cards--five cents being within the limits of what I had in my pocket.

I think my graduation to comic books must have come with an increase in my allowance (no doubt after bothering my father for months until he relented). Once I was buying my own comic books that became a lifelong obsession.

[AJpyro]

Batman was kinda everywhere for me as a kid. The animated series/JLU, the Tim Burton movies. It was like he was this ghost/legend I'd always here about and when I look back at myself watching him solve crimes, I can only smile in fond memories.

[rpi]

I like Batman because I find the character of Bruce Wayne to be really interesting. The idea of the boy who had everything but then lost his parents, who built himself up to be unstoppable. He's an adult super-genius with a child's motivation in a scary costume, and he's got the money to back it up. The way Grant Morrison described Bruce really rang true to me: his parents' deaths left a hole in him so big that it could never be filled, but it was also so big that it could accommodate any problem or danger. On a fundamental level, he really has little left to lose, and so he has decided to start saving people with that freedom.

Needless to say, the Batman comics at the moment are about as boring as they've ever been, because Bruce Wayne is currently about as boring as he's ever been.

[Metamorphosis]

Batman was kinda everywhere for me as a kid. The animated series/JLU, the Tim Burton movies. It was like he was this ghost/legend I'd always here about and when I look back at myself watching him solve crimes, I can only smile in fond memories.

Yeah, it's kinda crazy to think how much Batman really exploded after the first Tim Burton movie. Not only did I watch every episode of the 60's TV show as a kid (which was being rerun at that time), but I tuned in for every episode of the Animated Series that debuted in '92. I loved B:TAS and still think it's the best cartoon show of all time.

Pretty much the years 1985 to 1995 seem like an embarrassment of riches in all things Batman (with 1995's Batman Forver marking the beginning of a decline in quality). 2005 to 2015 wasn't shabby either, with the Nolan films and two very strong and different comic book runs by Morrison and Snyder.

[Crazy Diamond]

I'm more of a lapsed fan, but I have a soft spot for Batman. He was one of the first superheroes I saw as a kid. From the NES Batman game that was like Ninja Gaiden to the Tim Burton movie to Batman: TAS, I just found the combination of late 40s asthetics (not sure what that would be called) with modern technology to be really fascinating. Though now I realize that Batman is able to do what he does because he comes from old money and has the resources to fight some crimes, as a kid it was amazing to me that a man who could not fly, shoot beams, teleport, or whatever could kick so much ass. Everything about him just looked cool and he had the attitude, skills, and confidence to back it up.

Then there's his supporting cast. From Dick Grayson to Tim Drake to Cassandra Cain to Barbara Gordon to Jim Gordon and even Gavin King (R.I.P) and Onyx Adams they added depth to Batman's world. They had their own lives and challenges, but no matter what they had Batman's back even when he didn't trust them. Not to mention his villains who have a lot of range compared to most superhero comics.

Finally, there's the numerous teams who made the character shine. Whether rightfully credited or not, without them there is no Batman.

Despite giving up on regular Batman stories a bit after War Games, I still like the Dark Knight Detective.

[Kuwagaton]

Well, my first memory is literally Batman '89 at under two years old. My early childhood blur includes a lot of Batman toys, live action repeats on tv, and the animated series. The thing is that all that stuff is as bomb today as it was then. That Tim Burton movie is truly a favorite. Batman's always had the quantity to supply quality entertainment.

Aside from that, for his character, well... he's like the Shadow's handsome little cousin.

[bat_girl_cc]

I'm one of those guys that first watched Batman on TV and then went to buy his comics, the things that i like the most about thim, are...everything? his back-story, his determination, his skills, etc, etc...he's also one of the best detectives and overall one of the smartest persons in the world, although those 2 are not the aspects that i like the most in him.

[Saloooh91]

I enjoyed TAS when I was a kid. Same thing with the movies directed by Burton and Nolan. However what really motivated me to read Batman comics and novels are the Arkham series video games. Those games made me love Batman forever.

[Osiris-Rex]

He knows Catwoman. I have been a lifelong Catwoman fan since I first saw her portrayed by Julie Newmar on the Batman TV show. I mostly bought the Batman comic books for the Catwoman appearances and since Catwoman has had her own comic book series I sort of dropped buying Batman. Really loving Camren Bicondova's portrayal of Selina Kyle on "Gotham".