Poll: Is batman a superhero?

Aurgelmir

WAAAAGH!
Nov 11, 2009
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Shanecooper said:
I thought he was an anti-hero.
Can you be an Anti-Superhero?
Or would it be Super Anti-hero?
What do you put in the term; Anti-hero?

I mean I don't see Batman as an Anti-Hero, as he has some rules, like never use conventional weapons. (Although early batman apperently used a guns)

But thne again Batman isn't above breaking a few rules to get things done... but doesn't all superheroes really do that?
 

Shadows Inc.

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Dec 6, 2010
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Valiance said:
What's that quote? Any sufficiently advanced technology can be perceived as magic? I'm paraphrasing here but Batman is a super-hero just by kicking ass physically and with his gadgets.

I'd say his bat-cave/car/equipment/money alone would make him a superhero.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
-Arthur C. Clarke

"Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
-Barry Gehm

I'll always say however, "Any technology, no matter how primitive, is perceived as magic to those who don't understand it."

(I can't believe I remembered the quotes and names exactly)

By the way, my take on the matter is no, Batman, Ironman, Green Lanturn, The Beetle, Catwoman (debatable as a hero), Etc. are not superheros.
 

Shanecooper

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Aug 12, 2009
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Aurgelmir said:
What do you put in the term; Anti-hero?

I mean I don't see Batman as an Anti-Hero, as he has some rules, like never use conventional weapons. (Although early batman apperently used a guns)

But thne again Batman isn't above breaking a few rules to get things done... but doesn't all superheroes really do that?
You know what, I've never even thought about that. I guess I've always seen him as an anti hero because he's a vigilanty and a wanted man.
 

Lawyer105

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Apr 15, 2009
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Batman IS a superhero. His superpower is clearly the ability to survive 25 years of corporate milking and still be popular! :D
 

omega 616

Elite Member
May 1, 2009
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Saltyk said:
Of course he is. He may not have powers, but he does incredible things that normal people are not normally capable of. He fights and beats super powered beings with skill and intelligence. I've even heard that he is stronger than some heroes that have superhuman strength. And check his file in Batman: Arkham Asylum.
*Master of all known martial arts
*Photographic memory
*Trained psychologist
*trained criminologist
So on and so forth. Yeah, he may not have powers, but Batman is superhuman all the same.
Mind you that I don't read the comics, but Batman is one of my favorite superheroes.
I know your pretty much echoing the others but skill and intelligence?

I have watched a few batman movies (non of the new ones) and all he ever does is find out who is behind the crime, run head long into a trap, James Bond his way out of it, go after the villan again, have a fight scene and it's all over.

There is no real intelligence in any super hero story, superman follows the exact same parttern.

Sherlock homles had intelligence, picking up on subtle little things etc, if they managed to force Sherlock and batman together into one thing it would be amazing! It would show off the skills that he apparently has.

Master of all known martial arts? Like I said I haven't seen the new films, all that keep coming to mind are the short episodes were things like "WHACK" would come up on screen, that is far from any martial art.
 

The Salty Vulcan

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Jun 28, 2009
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Lucane said:
He's only a Hero but how meaning Superheroes/Super Villians can beat while not breaking a sweat? That's what makes him so amazing becuase at the end of the He's only human with a fancy belt and vehicles. To better prove my point.
"Justice League Unlimtited: Patroit Act"​


Summed up perfectly. In the end, it is not our gifts that seperate us, but how we choose to use them.
 

Saltyk

Sane among the insane.
Sep 12, 2010
16,755
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omega 616 said:
Saltyk said:
Of course he is. He may not have powers, but he does incredible things that normal people are not normally capable of. He fights and beats super powered beings with skill and intelligence. I've even heard that he is stronger than some heroes that have superhuman strength. And check his file in Batman: Arkham Asylum.
*Master of all known martial arts
*Photographic memory
*Trained psychologist
*trained criminologist
So on and so forth. Yeah, he may not have powers, but Batman is superhuman all the same.
Mind you that I don't read the comics, but Batman is one of my favorite superheroes.
I know your pretty much echoing the others but skill and intelligence?

I have watched a few batman movies (non of the new ones) and all he ever does is find out who is behind the crime, run head long into a trap, James Bond his way out of it, go after the villan again, have a fight scene and it's all over.

There is no real intelligence in any super hero story, superman follows the exact same parttern.

Sherlock homles had intelligence, picking up on subtle little things etc, if they managed to force Sherlock and batman together into one thing it would be amazing! It would show off the skills that he apparently has.

Master of all known martial arts? Like I said I haven't seen the new films, all that keep coming to mind are the short episodes were things like "WHACK" would come up on screen, that is far from any martial art.
Did you ever watch the episodes of the new Justice League? If not, I think it still runs at night on Cartoon Network's Boomerang channel.

In that series he was part of a team with the likes of Superman and Green Lantern, and made them all look pathetic on a daily basis. He would take on super-powered beings single handed. Here are three scenes that I always think of.

The Joker has set a huge trap in a Las Vegas style city. There are bombs everywhere and the League has one hour to diffuse them all. The entire time, they are being attacked by a small group of super humans. Flash finds a bomb, but doesn't know how to diffuse it, so he calls Batman to talk him through. By the way, Batman is fighting someone with stretching powers (like Mr Fantastic) while talking Flash through it.

A crook gains powers that lets him go into people's dreams and literally kill them. He uses this on the members of the League. Batman goes to stop him. When he gets close, we find that the villain can effect his mind even while he's still awake. Oh, and they say at the start of the episode that Batman hadn't slept in three days.

Lex Luther escapes prison with a couple villains and tries to take down Superman. After a failed first attempt, they retreat. However, Batman follows them, and is unfortunately captured when the Joker shows up to join the party (Joker knows Batman well and knew he would have followed them). Even captured Batman messed with all of Luther's subordinates. In the end, he escapes without help, and admits that he only stayed so long to keep an eye on them. He also made one of Luther's henchmen turn on him.

So, yeah, Batman is pretty super.
 

Keepitclean

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Sep 16, 2009
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Technically no. If however, you went to a superheros party dressed as Batman your costume would be relevant.
 

omega 616

Elite Member
May 1, 2009
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Saltyk said:
omega 616 said:
Saltyk said:
Of course he is. He may not have powers, but he does incredible things that normal people are not normally capable of. He fights and beats super powered beings with skill and intelligence. I've even heard that he is stronger than some heroes that have superhuman strength. And check his file in Batman: Arkham Asylum.
*Master of all known martial arts
*Photographic memory
*Trained psychologist
*trained criminologist
So on and so forth. Yeah, he may not have powers, but Batman is superhuman all the same.
Mind you that I don't read the comics, but Batman is one of my favorite superheroes.
I know your pretty much echoing the others but skill and intelligence?

I have watched a few batman movies (non of the new ones) and all he ever does is find out who is behind the crime, run head long into a trap, James Bond his way out of it, go after the villan again, have a fight scene and it's all over.

There is no real intelligence in any super hero story, superman follows the exact same parttern.

Sherlock homles had intelligence, picking up on subtle little things etc, if they managed to force Sherlock and batman together into one thing it would be amazing! It would show off the skills that he apparently has.

Master of all known martial arts? Like I said I haven't seen the new films, all that keep coming to mind are the short episodes were things like "WHACK" would come up on screen, that is far from any martial art.
Did you ever watch the episodes of the new Justice League? If not, I think it still runs at night on Cartoon Network's Boomerang channel.

In that series he was part of a team with the likes of Superman and Green Lantern, and made them all look pathetic on a daily basis. He would take on super-powered beings single handed. Here are three scenes that I always think of.

The Joker has set a huge trap in a Las Vegas style city. There are bombs everywhere and the League has one hour to diffuse them all. The entire time, they are being attacked by a small group of super humans. Flash finds a bomb, but doesn't know how to diffuse it, so he calls Batman to talk him through. By the way, Batman is fighting someone with stretching powers (like Mr Fantastic) while talking Flash through it.

A crook gains powers that lets him go into people's dreams and literally kill them. He uses this on the members of the League. Batman goes to stop him. When he gets close, we find that the villain can effect his mind even while he's still awake. Oh, and they say at the start of the episode that Batman hadn't slept in three days.

Lex Luther escapes prison with a couple villains and tries to take down Superman. After a failed first attempt, they retreat. However, Batman follows them, and is unfortunately captured when the Joker shows up to join the party (Joker knows Batman well and knew he would have followed them). Even captured Batman messed with all of Luther's subordinates. In the end, he escapes without help, and admits that he only stayed so long to keep an eye on them. He also made one of Luther's henchmen turn on him.

So, yeah, Batman is pretty super.
Still not super though.

Even iron man seems to be a super hero, he fires beams of stuff and can fly. Batman glides and throws baterangs or something.

He just lacks the "wow" factor.
 

CaptainCrunch

Imp-imation Department
Jul 21, 2008
711
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Shadows Inc. said:
Valiance said:
What's that quote? Any sufficiently advanced technology can be perceived as magic? I'm paraphrasing here but Batman is a super-hero just by kicking ass physically and with his gadgets.

I'd say his bat-cave/car/equipment/money alone would make him a superhero.
"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
-Arthur C. Clarke

"Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced."
-Barry Gehm

I'll always say however, "Any technology, no matter how primitive, is perceived as magic to those who don't understand it."

(I can't believe I remembered the quotes and names exactly)

By the way, my take on the matter is no, Batman, Ironman, Green Lanturn, The Beetle, Catwoman (debatable as a hero), Etc. are not superheros.
You may argue sufficiently to any effect that any of the 'non-superhero' characters on your list are 'super' or not.

For example: Green Lantern - Yes, the ring is technically a conduit for an energy source and is thus a form of technology. However, it is the will of the person wearing it that enables the ring to function. Thus, you could say that all of the Green Lanterns have 'super' willpower, because the rings choose them for their exceptional ('superhuman', in the case of human GLs) will.

Batman, Blue Beetle, Catwoman, and Iron Man are even hazier on their use of technology as a 'super' ability. One could argue, however, that their ability to use and develop these advanced technologies is itself a super power. Granted, it is kind of a weak argument to say that advanced technology is akin to magic, but it's a valid philosophy that many share.

Of the group mentioned, I believe that Batman still does have a superpower in spite of his use of advanced technology - his detective ability. His ability to know instinctually what criminals are up to, and what their next moves will be surpasses even super-powered heroes like Superman. You could chalk this up as a byproduct of the same intellect he uses to come up with gadgets, but it is worth noting that the amount of investigation Batman does is minimal when compared to his innate 'crime-sense'.

Investigation = the act of gathering evidence and deducing a sequence of events.
Super Detective Sense = knowing that the Joker is going to kidnap the mayor because you find a deck of cards minus a King and a Joker at the scene of a crime.
 

astrav1

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Jul 6, 2009
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No, he doesn't have superpowers so he can't be. He is still one of my favorite heroes though.
 

Skoosh

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Jun 19, 2009
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http://dresdencodak.tumblr.com/post/826028937/batman-the-least-believable-superhero

I'd say he's more super than most superheroes.