Why does Batman get quality media exposure compared to Spider-man?

[Old Man Ollie 1962]

I think this is one of the reasons Batmans fans like him over Spidey. Spidey is inspiring but Batman is inspiring to be aspiring.

"Holy plot induced stupidity, Batman! There's nothing your fans don't believe you can do!"

[Mister Mets]

Batman is a fictional character, so anything about him being aspirational should be taken with a grain of salt.

Another difference between Batman and Spider-Man is that Peter Parker wasn't meant to get what he wants.

He pisses off the girl he has a crush on. He tries to join the Fantastic Four, only to be told they don't need a new member. He's not the guy who always succeeds.

That could be offputting for some readers, but it's a feature, not a bug.

[Scott Taylor]

It's only after The Dark Knight that Batman has become super popular. Batman Begins only grossed $374.2 million worldwide - compare that to the gross of Fantastic Four, $330.6 million, which also launched in 2005. There's no denying Batman Begins was a good film, and better received than Fantastic Four. Batman's only gained popularity because his films were good (and therefore in extension all the characters, mythos, and universe were seen as good) and The Dark Knight started the grimdark phase everyone seems to be trying to emulate and no one does it better than Batman.

QFT.

Without DKR, you wouldn't have Batman be the media icon he is right now. I don't think he was even this popular during the 1960s TV show era.

But this is largely a perception thing. And it will pass. Batman really wasn't a media icon for a long time.

Ponder this - Batman has gone up and down in popularity over the years. Spider-Man has remained fairly constant in popularity over the years.

[Metamorphosis]

If we're looking at it in terms of media, then Batman has simply had stronger media output for the last decade, compared to Spider-Man's weak film reboot, childish cartoons, a poorly-received musical, and extremely sub-par comics.

Put another way, I'm reading Batman Eternal right now, and I'm wishing there could be an equivalent Spider-Man story now: one that celebrates the character himself and all the fan-favorite elements of his cast.

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

QFT.

Without DKR, you wouldn't have Batman be the media icon he is right now. I don't think he was even this popular during the 1960s TV show era.

But this is largely a perception thing. And it will pass. Batman really wasn't a media icon for a long time.

Ponder this - Batman has gone up and down in popularity over the years. Spider-Man has remained fairly constant in popularity over the years.

The first Tim Burton Batman movie was the highest grossing movie of 1989.

[Scott Taylor]

The first Tim Burton Batman movie was the highest grossing movie of 1989.

And thats where Batman's current popularity started. Went down during Schumacher, then rose again and reached a new level with DKR.

Still blows my mind that Michael Keaton did such a good job as Bruce Wayne and Batman.

[Zeitgeist]

Even though I'm not interested in the character by any measure, Batman has always been an overwhelmingly popular superhero in my experience. Especially around the teenage/young adult years, due to that "cool" factor. He's also always had an incredibly solid multimedia presence, through film, animated series, video games, merchandising, etc - some being the best of the best. It's hard to top Batman: The Animated Series, or the Arkham trilogy games, and it's that kind of consistent quality of branding that can withstand a stinker or two.

[Mister Mets]

And thats where Batman's current popularity started. Went down during Schumacher, then rose again and reached a new level with DKR.

Still blows my mind that Michael Keaton did such a good job as Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Dark Knight Returns probably marked the beginning of Batman's current popularity. That set the stage for Burton.