Why do people seem to love ******* Batman so much?

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

You say ultra compassionate BTAS Batman and yet that show and its legacy is the main reason Batman is a dick to everyone now
That Batman ended up old and alone with no one but a dog to keep him company after he quit

He said BTAS, not TNBA and later continuation of the same universe that feels very disconnected.
I'm doing a Batman animated series marathon (watch Mask of the Phantasm after the Cape and Cowl Conspiracy episode), and he's very nice and compassionate there, he's so nice he smiles and makes a few jokes with his father figure and his surrogate brother.

[Nick Miller]

lol, I remember the completely dickish and maniacal Batman in All Star Batman and Robin. The madness...

It was all an act though! He didn't make dick eat rats. Alfred made him a Hamburger

[yohyoi]

It was all an act though! He didn't make dick eat rats. Alfred made him a Hamburger

Are you defending Batman in All Star B&R? He is suppose to be crazy. A parody of what is happening to Batman the past decades. It's a satire of how much dark and gritty Batman has become to the new generation. It's also Miller's view on Dick and Bruce's relationship. He has hated Dick Grayson for a long time. Making Batman abuse and traumatize Robin further is how he sees their partnership.

[Nick Miller]

Are you defending Batman in All Star B&R? He is suppose to be crazy. A parody of what is happening to Batman the past decades. It's a satire of how much dark and gritty Batman has become to the new generation. It's also Miller's view on Dick and Bruce's relationship. He has hated Dick Grayson for a long time. Making Batman abuse and traumatize Robin further is how he sees their partnership.

You only read the first couple of issues, right?

Miller loves Bruce and his young ward, Dick.

The moment Dick's parents were killed, his normal life was over.
Bruce recruited him into a war on crime. He had to toughen him up, and boy did dick make him proud over the years. Even taking up his mantle.

Anyway, it's in the Millerverse, you can ignore it. Plenty of boring comics to read out there, but if you want to read about vigilante crime fighters, it doesn't get better than Miller. (Also Jim Lee's best art)

[Nick Miller]

He is also a dick to Superman, makes him so angry, he forgets that he can fly, hahahaha

[oasis1313]

If Bruce keeps knocking Dick's teeth out, he won't be able to chew that rat meat. Although I WOULD love to see him punch Timmy Wimmy's teeth out.

[SiegePerilous02]

I'd lay the blame on Dixon. He had a chokehold on the Bat-mythos for a long time in the 90's and early 2000's (a very popular time for Batman stuff), had his hands in just about every Bat-flavored pie, and is probably the biggest proponent of the "Batdick" characterization. His Bruce many times just came off as a complete unlikable *******, and while I suppose it was in-line with the general amount of "edginess" in comics at the time, it unfortunately stuck and the character hasn't really been able to shake it. It's just what people know.

I have to cosign what CryNotWolf said, and that's with a heavy heart since I generally like Dixon's work and consider him an underrated writer.

Still, Dixon wrote Batman as a cold, unemotional character that almost no one liked but at best put up with. And that was his standard characterization under Dixon. What made it even worse is that he rarely let us into Bruce's mind which made the character look like a mechanical General that barks orders without caring for other people's feelings and personal lives.

His work in the peripheral bat-books reinforced this image by having the bat-family members openly express displeasure towards him again and again and again, to the point where it became obvious that in Dixon's books, apart from Alfred, who loved him unconditionally like a parent, nobody really liked Batman. Even Gordon wasn't really happy to see him, even though he considered him a valuable ally..

I've never really been able to put a finger on why I was cold on the Dixon era whereas everyone else seemingly loved it, but I think you guys nailed it. It wasn't TDKR or Year One that got Bat-Dick going in earnest, it started here. The bolded part especially rings true. Nobody seemed to like him, there was no happiness in the family Bruce built for himself, at least none actually aimed at him. Which defeats the whole point. They all seemed to love each other and regarded Bat-Douche as a pain in the ass. Compared to the warmth of the Bronze age or even the interactions in the Morrison run, Dixon's Bat-era seems unpleasant.

The nicest thing I can say about Dixon's legacy is that he wrote a good Joker and gave us the Birds of Prey, but otherwise...

He said BTAS, not TNBA and later continuation of the same universe that feels very disconnected.
I'm doing a Batman animated series marathon (watch Mask of the Phantasm after the Cape and Cowl Conspiracy episode), and he's very nice and compassionate there, he's so nice he smiles and makes a few jokes with his father figure and his surrogate brother.

Bruce grew colder in TNBA, but he was still very kind to people. He was very compassionate to Arnold Wesker and gave him a job at Wayne Industries, and even let him keep it after a brief relapse into becoming the Ventriloquist. He also have one of the Joker's former hired thugs a job as a security guard. It was JLU where he became a dickish Mary Sue, but even that never crossed over into the ridiculous territory of some of the comics.

[MarkRodriguez09]

You say ultra compassionate BTAS Batman and yet that show and its legacy is the main reason Batman is a dick to everyone now
That Batman ended up old and alone with no one but a dog to keep him company after he quit

Then again this isn't just an issue for Bruce everyone in the bat family has this problem to some degree

I kinda see the OP's point though. He probably means Batman from the OG Animated Series, before Tim was introduced and the art style changed to match the Superman show. That Batman seemed a bit happier, at least in comparison to later on, and even had a cheerier attitude as Bruce Wayne. With the new change in art style, the new Batman seemed a lot more serious, completely driven to his mission, to the point that even as Bruce Wayne he looks like he would never crack a smile and still speaks in his Batman voice. This Batman, I believe would eventually drive the rest of the Bat Family away... the Batman from the original Animated Series, not so much.

[dancj]

He is also a dick to Superman, makes him so angry, he forgets that he can fly, hahahaha

He didn't forget. That story is set before Superman discovers he can fly.

[Jaddor]

Totally agree with this post. I think your analysis is spot on about his appeal, and I have the same preferences; a flawed Batman who can be gruff, but who isn't totally alienating and can still reach out and admit when he's wrong.

I don't know if it's a distinctly modern thing, but I find it interesting how popular the anti-hero always is. I can think of so many characters who fit that Batman trope who are often more popular than their sunnier, more likeable counterparts.

Vegeta from DBZ
Dr. House from House
Rick from Rick and Morty
Downey Jr.'s snarky Iron Man

It has its own trope category too, with other related categories:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...fferableGenius

"I'm a competent hyper-intelligent dick" is just all the rage. Sarcasm rules.

it could also be one of the problems of batman when not done right. the problem of affleck's batman who is neither likebale or an anti hero.

[Agent Z]

it could also be one of the problems of batman when not done right. the problem of affleck's batman who is neither likebale or an anti hero.

Affleck's Batman was stated to have gotten that way after 20 years of an unwinnable conflicts while Other writers treat Batjeek as Bruce's default personality

[Darkseid Is]

I don't mind him being written as a jerk when he pops up in other books or is on the Justice League or something. Kind of makes it fun for me. As long as he's cool and loving to the bat crew. He's gotta play that creepy demonic character around people, so why not be a jerk haha

[sunofdarkchild]

I don't mind him being written as a jerk when he pops up in other books or is on the Justice League or something. Kind of makes it fun for me. As long as he's cool and loving to the bat crew. He's gotta play that creepy demonic character around people, so why not be a jerk haha

I think there's a difference between his being a jerk to the JLA and his being a jerk to his partners in Gotham. With the JLA he's a mortal among gods. There's something cathartic about his being able to act a certain way to someone with Superman's powers. And because Superman is so godlike we know he can take anything Batman dishes out and brush it off. When it's his partners though, he's an authority figure pretty much abusing children under his charge. That's a lot more disturbing and just paints Batman as cruel.

[Darkseid Is]

I think there's a difference between his being a jerk to the JLA and his being a jerk to his partners in Gotham. With the JLA he's a mortal among gods. There's something cathartic about his being able to act a certain way to someone with Superman's powers. And because Superman is so godlike we know he can take anything Batman dishes out and brush it off. When it's his partners though, he's an authority figure pretty much abusing children under his charge. That's a lot more disturbing and just paints Batman as cruel.

Depends on how you look at it. I agree sometimes he's written too assholey towards them. Other times I feel like it's a tough love thing. I never looked at him abusing children or anything. Always saw this as a fantasy world.

[Great O.G.U.F.O.O.L.]

Affleck's Batman was stated to have gotten that way after 20 years of an unwinnable conflicts

Still no excuse for trying to murder Superman