The character of Batman/Bruce Wayne and his accompanying rogues gallery is the shining jewel at the centre of the DC Comics crown. The best thing about Batman is that he is recognisable to everyone, and that everyone remembers him differently. Whether you grew up watching the ’66 Adam West, or the ’89 Michael Keaton, or the ’08 Christian Bale or even Ben Affleck, everybody can recognise the character. The franchise will always remain the best because of its versatility and continued accessibility for everyone. By himself, Batman is by far the best superhero. His vigilantism is refreshing and unique against many other heroes who work for corporate organisations or governments (see Marvel’s Captain America). His unique and complex ‘no-killing’ rule has existed almost right from the start of his existence back in the 1940s and has been used as the character’s main identifier throughout the years. [1] All of Batman’s morals come back to his tragic origin story. Despite the traumatic loss of his parents, Bruce Wayne is able to become a hero instead of choosing the easier option to become evil. The fact that Batman was born out of tragedy and that Bruce himself possesses no otherworldly powers also makes the character great. In theory, he is a normal man who has dedicated his life to fighting crime, training for years in order to become strong enough to put on the mask and become ‘Batman’: the perfect dark hero for the ever-gloomy Gotham City. In addition to the greatness of Batman’s character, it is his own villains and aides which make the franchise the best. Almost anyone will be able to quote a line that the Joker has once said or recognise the famous outfit of Robin because these characters are also iconic and great in their own right. From the Riddler, to Cat-Woman, to Two-Face, to Bane, almost the entirety of Batman’s rogues gallery is recognisable, and I don’t believe that this can be said for any other superhero. These characters combined have been able to generate some wonderful and independent comic and film storylines over the years, both serious and with adult themes (the Joker killing Robin in 1988), to the light-hearted and more fun (anything in the LEGO Batman movie). [2] The innovative nature of the Batman franchise throughout history is additionally something that I consider makes it better than any other superhero franchise. The 60’s Batman show and Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman movie have been credited as launching the ‘superhero action film’ into popular culture. [3] Similarly, the Batman ‘Arkham’ Series in the 2000/2010s was so popular that it is claimed to have revitalised superhero games. [4] Without the Batman franchise, the general superhero craze that exists today may have not occurred. With over 80 years of history with its iconic characters, location, and storylines, Batman will forever be the best superhero franchise. Compared to other heroes, Batman is easily the most recognisable and the most iconic. The greatness of Gotham City and its heroes and villains is not matched by any other superhero franchise in my opinion. [1] ‘Batman’s One Rule and Why It’s So Important’, (https://medium.com/@farrtom/batmans-one-rule-and-why-it-s-so-important-67ed4e8ed562) [2] ‘How "A Death in the Family" Shook the World’, (https://www.dccomics.com/blog/2020/10/12/how-a-death-in-the-family-shook-the-world) [3] ‘How the 1989 'Batman' Helped Create the Modern Superhero Genre’, (https://reelrundown.com/movies/The-Grace-of-1989s-Batman-How-Helped-Create-the-Modern-Superhero-Genre) [4] ‘10 Years Ago, Batman: Arkham Asylum Showed Us That Superhero Games Could Be More’, (https://www.usgamer.net/articles/10-years-ago-batman-arkham-asylum-showed-us-that-superhero-games-could-be-more)

In addition to having, as Anna described, an amazing set of iconic characters and properties, the Batman franchise is constantly relevant. The dichotomy of Batman and Joker is iconic; order versus chaos. This can be seen in Batman's no killing rule and the Joker's "dog chasing it's tail" metaphor. I think this moral quandary is constantly relevant to popular culture. It's always interesting and easily accessible! Nowadays people criticize the Batman character for getting all of his interesting traits from being rich, but I think this is also relevant and makes Batman's character more interesting. He's both privileged and not. He's a white man born into wealth, but he's not a meta human. Paradoxically this makes him relatable and completely untouchable. As society becomes more critical and concerned with the uber rich, looking at Batman's identity is a compelling conversation starter. It causes us to ask questions about his brand of justice. Is fighting crime the way to save Gotham? Would Batman be more effective as Bruce Wayne? Alternatively, how do we approach the ills in our own society? Is a rich man our path to salvation, or are there lessons we can learn from the Batman universe? tldr; Batman is the best superhero franchise because it is constantly relevant and iconic.