Batman: The Icon

To me, Batman is THE Super Hero. It's not why you think. It's not about his combat, stealth, and detective abilities. It's simply because the evidence is in pop culture. No super hero, not even Superman, has branched out in as many brand variations as Batman has. Comics, action figures, video games, animated series, live action series, countless films, etc.

Why is Batman the most popular? I believe it's a mix of him being the most relatable hero, topped off with the fact he had the most talented writers and artists during DC Comics's prime, giving him great brand recognition.

It's ironic, for as recognizable as he is, from start to current day, his character has undergone some of the largest changes. From the earliest editions of Batman, he was a friendly, out in the open colorfully outfitted character with his slapstick sidekick Robin. He faired more on the detective side, much more hands on versus the technology he uses today. Also his Butler, Alfred, didn't make appearances in the earliest editions.

To the character's advantage, it has had the benefit of 3 Christopher Nolan Batman adaptation films that have heavily rebooted an influx of super hero films at the box office. Compared to any of DC's other films, the Nolan Batman trilogy stands at the top.

At the root of it all though is Batman's storytelling. It achieves both an equally engaging conflict and concept of Bruce Wayne's life. He is relatable to the core. Struck with tragedy at a young age, he developed a singular goal in life. Not having super powers, he uses his wits and athletic abilities to fight for a noble cause of stopping crime. To any child reading Batman, they'd dream about being him, except they'd believe it was literally possible.

Personally, Batman is the best character study in all of the super hero comics. It resonated with me and the public, and stands alone as the paramount Super Hero.